warning Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1995 s User Guide

A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the acce1,erator pedal.
If your. vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the ’’
accelerator pedal and’ quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,.your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if
it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced vvhen water, snow, ice,
gravel,
or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will ,be longer and
vehicle‘ control more limited.
While driving-on
a surface with reduced traction, try .
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may
pot realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid,only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
I ~
Night driving is rnore’dangerous than day driying. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired-
--
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by .
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively. -
’ Don’t drink and drive.
4-13 ,.

City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going.
Get a city map and plan your trip into an unkriown
part of the city just as you would for .a cross-country
trip.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light
hulls green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red
light.
One
of the. biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Oldsmobile in good shape for winter. Be
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
sure your
engine coolant
mix is correct.
your
trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of .windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel,
.a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditidns, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide .traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
4-22

I Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that Your
hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
can occur on the road.
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Press the switch to make your front and rear turn si,gnal
lamps flash on and
off. Your hazard warning flashers
work no matter what position your key is in, and even if
the key isn’t in.
To turn
off the flashers, press the switch again. When
the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
I ’won’t work.
5-1 /

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM retailer or a professional towing
service tow your Oldsmobile. The usual towing
equipment is:
A. Sling-type Tow Truck
B. Wheel-lift Tow Truck
C.
Car Carrier If
your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell
the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When
the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to see them.
5-7

Engine Overheating
You will find a,coolant temperature gage and a w&ng
light about a hot engine on your instrument panel.
See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and “Engine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light” in the Index. You
also have a low’coolant light on your instrument panel.
See
“Low Coolant Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is, Coming From Your Engine
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with
no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would
not be
covered by your warranty.
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.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
’ Tow a trailer.
5-13

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
tw this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
speed and open the window as necessary.
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving
--
DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten 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.
3.1L L82 (Code M) Engine
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
B. Radiator pressure cap
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.
A. Coolant recovery tank ,
C. Electric engine fans
5-14

NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack,,the ... , . i . ar
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.' Use
the recommended coolant.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
COLD mark, 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.
5-17

Brakes
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is filled with
DOT-3 brake fluid. should
have your brake system fixed, since a leak means
that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or
won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ I I
your brake fluid. Adding brake fluid won’t correct a
leak. If you add fluid when your linings are worn, then
you’ll have too much fluid when you get new brake
.linings.
You should add (or remove) brake fluid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
There
are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
your master cylinder might go down. The first
is that the warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
brake fluid goes down to an acceptable level during, Light” in the Index.
normal brake lining wear. When new linings
are put in,
the fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that
fluid is leaking out of the bree system. If
it is, you

Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested.under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can.cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher. levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
Whili: the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with
,
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use
on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned .and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In mo,st cases, you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle 'pulling one way or the other, the
' ,
alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
I
6-45
I . .. I