engine coolant Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 1996 Owner's Manuals

J
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example, these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
BURNS AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
UNLOCK w.
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e3
TURN
RUNNING
* 0
DAYTIME
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
# 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
I@
FUEL la

Yneine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (- 18 O C) or colder,
the engine coolant heater
can help. You’ll get
I
easier starting and better
fuel economy during
engine warm-up.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the
could 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.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the 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.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.. If 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 Oldsmobile retailer in the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The retailer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.

Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come
on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
HOT
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
there to
tell you when the system is active. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
2-49

'- .
You have a gage that
(shows the engine coolant
temperqture. If 'the gage
pointer'moves into the red
. - .
area, your engine is too hot!
.. , _.
That reading means the sanie thing as the warning iight.
It nieans that your engine coolant. has Overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving
conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle kd
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In "Problems on the Road," this manual sh0w.s what to
do.-See "Engine Overheating" in the Index.
, ',

Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to’let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot days, use
MAX with
the temperature knob all
the way in the blue area. If this
setting is used for long periods of time, the air in your
vehicle may become too
dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use VENT with the
temperature knob in the blue area and the A/C button
pushed in. The system will bring in outside air and
cool it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI-LEVEL with the temperature knob set
for comfort and the A/C button pushed in. The system
will bring in outside air and direct it to your upper body,
while sending slightly warmed air
to your lower body.
You may notice this temperature difference more at
some times than others.
Heating
On cold days, use FLOOR 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 ducts.
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°F (-18°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.
Ventilation
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the
flow-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, use
DEFROST with the temperature knob all the way in the
red area. To warm passengers while keeping the
windows clean, use DEFOG.
3-3

Manual Control
If you prefer to manually control the heating, cooling and ventilation in your vehicle, set the system to the
temperature and fan speed you want. Next, push the
desired airflow direction pushbutton. The system will
try to maintain the temperature you set using the mode
you select. The following suggestions will help the
system run more efficiently in manual mode.
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to
let hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot. days, use RECIRC.
If this setting is used for long periods of time, the air
in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use UPPER with the
A/C button pushed in. The system will bring in outside
air and cool
it.
Heating
On cold days, use LOWER. The system will bring in
outside air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
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°F (-18°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.
Ventilation
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use UPPER to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the
.
flow-through ventilation system, described later in
this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows.
To defrost the windows quickly, use DEF.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows clean,
use DEFOG.
On
cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use
BI-LEV with the A/C button pushed in.
I The system will bring in outside air and direct it to your
upper body, while sending slightly warmed air
to your
3-6

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

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

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean
water
(preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery
tad. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index ’for
more information.)
I
A CAUTION:
- -
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
DEX-COOL antifreeze.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
5-17