engine coolant Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1993 Owner's Manuals

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How to Use this Manual
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Wehicle Symbols (CONTJ
These symbols are on some of your
controls: These symbols are used on warning
and indicator lights:
Windshield Wipers
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Windshield Washer
Windshield Defroster
Rear Window Defogger Ventilating Fan
Power Window
Here are some other symbols you
may see:
Fuse
Battery Charging
System Trunk Release
Lighter
Fuel
Engine
Oil Pressure
Brake
Anti-Lock Brakes Horn
Speaker
Hood Release
b

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Features & Controls
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Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may
overheat.
See the
Index under Engine Coolant
and have your vehicle serviced as soon
as you can.
Oil Warning Light
(E LE CTRONlC CLUSTER)
If you have a problem with your oil, this
light may stay on after you start your
engine,
or come on when you are
driving. This indicates that oil is not
going through your engine quickly
enough to keep it lubricated. The engine
could be low
on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed right
away. The
oil light could also come
on in three
other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, the light will come on
as a test to show you it is working, but
the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to
Start. If it doesn’t come on
with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it
fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling
at a stop, the light may blink on and
off. This is normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light may
come on for a moment. This is
normal.

3. Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end of each lower
control
arm.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage or the warning light about a hot
engine
on your Oldsmobile’s instrument
panel.
You also have a low coolant
warning light on your instrument panel.
See the
Index under Coolant
Temperature Gage for the gage cluster.
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If Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
CAUTION
A
Steam from an overheated
engine can burn you badly,
even if you just open the hood. Stay
away
from the engine if you see or
hear steam coming
from it. Just
turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down.
Wait until there is no sign of steam
or coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your
engine is overheated, the liquids in
it can catch fire.
You or others
could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out of
the vehicle until the engine is cool.
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Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above
the
COLD mark.
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.
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CAUTION I
Heater and radiator hoses,
and other engine parts, can
1;, ;cry 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
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you drive the vehicle.
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If there seems to be no leak, check to
see
if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running.
If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank:
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above
COLD, add a
50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank.
(See the Index under Engine Coolant
for more information abaut the proper
coolant
mix.)
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Problems on the Road
Adding only plain water to
your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mix. With plain water or the wrong
mix, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn't get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and a proper antifreeze.
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You can be burned if you
spill coolant on hot engine
-I.& Coolant contains ethylene
pdrts are hot enough. Don't spill
ycol
and it will burn if the engine
I I coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant
in the coolant
recovery tank is at or above
COLD,
start your vehicle.
If the overheat
warning continues,
there's one more
thing you can try. You
can add the proper coolant mix directly
to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system
is cool before you do it.
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can blow out and burn you badly.
They are under pressure, and
if you
turn the radiator pressure cap-
even a little-they can come out at
high speed. Never turn the cap
when the cooling system, including
the radiator pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool
if you
ever have to turn the pressure cap.
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator: 1. You can remove the radiator pressure
cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap.
and upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to
the left until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
If you hear
a.hiss, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means there is still some
pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap,
but now push down
as you turn it.
Remove the pressure
cap.
You can be burned if you
spill coolant on hot engine
,&s. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn
if the engine
~ I parts are hot enough. Don’t spill
coolant on
a hot --~ 3ine.
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201

Problems on the Road
202
Engine Overheating (CONTJ
3. After the engine cools, open the
coolant air bleed valve or valves.
3.1L V6 (VIN Code T or M): There
are two bleed valves. They are located
on the thermostat housing and the
thermostat bypass tube.
3.4L V6 (VIN Code X): There are
two bleed valves. They are located on
the thermostat housing and the
heater inlet pipe. 4. Fill the radiator with the proper mix,
up to the base of the filler neck.
If you see a stream of coolant coming
from
an air bleed valve, close the valve.
Otherwise, close the valve(s) after the
radiator is filled.
5. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant
from the engine and compartment.

6. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
the COLD mark. 7. Put the cap back on the coolant
recovery tank, but leave the radiator
pressure cap
off.
8. Start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
fans.
9. By this time, the coolant level inside
the radiator filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add more of the
proper mix through the filler neck
until the level reaches the base of the
filler neck.
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204
Problems on the Road
Engine Overheating (cow.)
IO. Then replace the pressure cap. Be
sure the
arrows on the pressure cap
line up like this.
1 1. Check the coolant recovery tank.
The coolant level should be at
HOT
when the engine is hot and at
COLD when the engine is cold.
Ifa Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to (‘blow out’’
while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But
if you should ever
have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will
create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and
grip the steering
wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane
position, then gently brake to a stop
well out of the trafEic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require
the same correction you’d use in a skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the
way you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the
next section
shows how to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.

Then go to the front of the vehicle and
release the secondary hood release.
Lift the hood. An electric fan
under the
hood can start up and injure
you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and
tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
‘I f. E
F
Things that burn can get on
hot engine parts and start a
fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid,
windshield washer and other fluids,
and plastic or rubber.
You or others
nnuld be burned. Be careful not to
-,3p or spill things that will burn
onto
a hot enqine.
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3efore closing the hood, be sure all the
iller caps are on properly. Then just
~ll the hood down and close it firmly.
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