heater Oldsmobile Cutlass 1998 Owner's Manuals

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and inform\
ation on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if evewng is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
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Keys
Door Locks
Remote Lock Control
(If Equipped)
TrWnk
Theft Passlock'
New Vehicle "Break-In" Ignition Positions
Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater
(If Equipped)
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting
Into PARK (P)
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Parking Over Things That Bum 2-26
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1
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2-46
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2-50 Engine Exhaust
Running
Your Engine While You're Parked
Windows
Horn
Tilt Wheel
Turn Signal/Multifimction Lever
Exterior Lamps Interior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
Sunroof (If Equipped)
Instrument Panel Instrument Panel Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
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2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops), it
could be flooded with too much gasoline, Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way
to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for up to
15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your retailer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting
and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
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To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
/1 CAUTION.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
codd cause an electrical shock
Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
E you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends
on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your retailer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The retailer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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e
+’ FLOOR: In this position most of the airflow
comes through the floor outlet. The rest of the
air comes
through the windshield and side window vents. Set the
center control knob to the temperature desired.
+# DEFOG: This position divides the airflow
between the floor outlets and the windshield
defroster vent.
we
DEFROST This position directs most of the
airflow through the windshield defroster vent. Some of
the air goes to the floor outlets. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically
in this position when
it is needed to help dry the air in the vehicle.
Air Conditioning Compressor Button
Press A/C to operate the air conditioner compressor.
The indicator light will glow when the button is pressed
to indicate that the
air conditioning system has been
turned on.
Recirculation Button
Press REClRCULATION to close all outside vents.
The indicator light on the button will glow when
it is
pressed. RECIRCULATION is available in
all modes,
except DEFOG and DEFROST. It
is not recommended to use
this button in the floor
mode with heat. It
is useful to quickly cool the vehicle
on hot days.
&b Outside Air
Press OUTSIDE AIR to allow the circulation of outside
air in the vehicle. The indicator light on the button
will
glow when pressed. OUTSIDE AIR is available in all
modes including
OFF and is automatically activated in
DEFOG and DEFROST.
Air Conditioning
The air conditioner and heater work best if you keep
your windows closed while using them. Your vehicle also has the flow-through ventilation system described
later in
this section.
On very hot days, open the windows
long enough to
let hot inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes
for your vehicle to cool down, which should help
fuel economy.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower
body may not be wm enough.
You can use
BI-LEVEL with the temperature knob in
the middle and the A/C button pushed in. The system
will bring in outside
air and direct slightly warmer air to
your lower body.
I

’ . For quick cool-down on very hot days, use VENT with
’ . the temperature knob all the way in the blue area and the
; A/C and RECIRCULATION buttons pressed. If this
; setting is used for long periods of time, the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
-1 For normal cooling on hot days, use VENT with the
’: temperature knob in the blue area and the A/C button
f pushed in. The system will bring in outside air and cool it.
Heating
On cold days, use FLOOR and the outside air button
I with the temperature knob all the way in the red area.
The system will bring in outside air, heat it and send it
to the floor outlets.
I Your vehicle has heat outlets that are directed toward
I
. : the rear seat. Keep the area under the front seats
’ I clear of obstructions so the heated air can reach the
rear seat passengers.
:If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can
use it to help your system provide warm air faster
when it’s cold outside
(0 OF (- 18 O C) or lower). An
engine coolant heater warms the coolant your engine
and heating system use to provide heat. See “Engine
’ . Coolant Heater” in the Index.
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Defogging and Defrosting Windows
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows.
For each setting, adjust the temperature
control as desired.
To defrost the front window quickly, rotate the
temperature control knob all the way in the red area.
Use DEFROST and adjust the fan to the highest speed.
To warrn passengers while keeping the front window
clean, use DEFOG.
Your vehicle is equipped with side window defogger
vents. The side window defogger vents are located
on the outside of the side instrument panel vents. To
defrost the side windows rotate the temperature control
knob all the way in the red area. Use
FLOOR and adjust
the fan to the highest speed. To control fogging of the
windows rotate the temperature control knob all the
way in the red area. Use DEFOG and adjust the fan
to the highest speed.
To defog the side windows while using air conditioning
use BI-LEVEL and adjust the fan to the highest speed and press the
A/C button. For added airflow to the side
windows aim the side vents toward the windows and
close the center vents.
RECIRCULATION will not work in DEFROST and
DEFOG. This is done to prevent recirculation of humid
inside air and allow the system to work properly.

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-Run
your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for
a while.
' Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
' out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
.. every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your'destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
There are two ways to tow your vehicle from the front.
To tow your vehicle with a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
a Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute
or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD
(3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on, you
, can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for
two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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The coalant level should be at or above FULL COLD
m-ark .or slightly higher.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause
an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
1 NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running.
If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.

I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant.
You can be bmrned if you spill coolant on hot ,
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
1. You can remove the coolant mge tank pressure .cap
when the cooling system, inclu-ding the coalimt surge
tank pressare cap and upper radiatox hose, is no
longer hot. Tm the pressure cap slowly about
one-quafter
turn to the left and then stop.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
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1 I
NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-III, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-I11
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
J
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating,
see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 OF (1 29 O C).
0 Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to the
system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
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