Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1996 Owner's Manuals

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have an Oldsmobile retailer or a professional
towing service tow your Cutlass Supreme. See
“Roadside Assistance” in the Index.
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 6.om the front
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructians and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
with
sling-type equipment.
,
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing
it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead. being towed.
5-7

When your vehicle is being towed,. have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clhmped in
a straight-ahead position; with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transaxle
should be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the parking
brake released.
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbiqg, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted
in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
Don’t have your vehicle tawed on the drive wheels,
unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in
this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.

NOTICE:
Do not tow 'ivith sling type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage
will oceur. Use wheel-lEt
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for
car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheehtraps.
. '
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could .
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment.
To helg .avoid damage, raise the
vehi.cle until adequate clearance is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook
slots.

Attach T-hook chains on
both ides,
irr the slotted
holes
irr the bottom of the
frme rails, behind the
front wheels.
These slots we to be used when loading and securing to
ear carrier equipment. Additional mphg may be
required for car carrier equipment. Use safety chains and
wheel straps.
Attach
a separate safety chain around the outboardend
of each lower control arm.
5-10

Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (56 kdj, 50 miles (80 km)
A towing dolly must be used under the drive wheels
when towing from the rea7:
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install
a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-11

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a warning
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
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.
~
I 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.
5-13

If No Steam,Is Coming From Your Engine If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
If you get the overheat waning but
see or hear no
the engine can get a little too hot when you: drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
~ steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes drive normally.
I Y Y
’ Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
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. 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
1
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.
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 (@)
or THIRD (3).
5-14

When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
3.1 L L82 Engine
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Fans
I
3.4L LQ 1 Engine
-
A CAUTION:
I
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
5-15

j If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything
else until it cools down.
.. - ”r -+
Heater and radiator hoses, and otherengine
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 fiie,
and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
’
I NOTICE:
The coolant level should be at or above the COLD mark
on a cold engine. The coolant level should be at or
above the HOT mark on a hot engine. 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.
r
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 fan(s) are running. If the engine
is overheating, both fan@) should be running; If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-16