service OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1998 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: OLDSMOBILE, Model Year: 1998, Model line: INTRIGUE, Model: OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1998Pages: 340, PDF Size: 17.93 MB
Page 176 of 340

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If
you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than
you actually are.
Befi- ~ Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go.
If it needs service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile retail facilities all across
North America.
They’ll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things
you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Page 177 of 340

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with
the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires on
the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Don’t let
it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in
less than a second, and you
could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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Page 191 of 340

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, drive belts, cooling system and brake
adjustment. Each of these
is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you find them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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Page 200 of 340

10. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but
not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is
just as good
there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery
is much less.
11. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
12. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical
shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other
or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Page 201 of 340

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. 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:
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That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front
or rear with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
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
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to
see them.
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I To help avoid injury to you or others:
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Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
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.
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Page 202 of 340

I
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 webbing, 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.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. For front towing,
the transaxle should be in
PARK (P) and the parking
brake released. For rear towing, the transaxle should be
in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake engaged.
Don’t have your vehicle towed 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.
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Page 208 of 340

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.
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 (@)
or DRIVE (D).
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 ofSthe 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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Page 210 of 340

The coolant level should be at or above the GOLD mark
on the overflow hose in the coolant recovery reservoir.
To check the coolant level, remove the cap on the
coolant recovery reservoir.
Make sure to check that the
coolant level
is up to the COLD fill level on the hose
attached
to the cap.
If it isn’t, you my have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the COO& 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.
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Engine damage if you keep 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.
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Page 229 of 340

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how
to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2 Service
6-3 Fuel
6-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6-5 Filling Your Tank
6-
8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6-
8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6-1 1 Engine Oil
6-
16 Air Cleaner
6-18 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6-2
1 Engine Coolant
6-25 Power Steering Fluid
6-26 Windshield Washer Fluid
6- 27 Brakes
6-30 Battery
6-38 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
6-3
1 Bulb Replacement
6-39 Tires 6-47
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6-50
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6-55
6-55
6-56
6-62
6-63
6-64 Appearance
Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care of Safety Belts
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage
Underbody Maintenance Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs Capacities and Specifications
Normal Maintenance Replacement
Parts
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Page 230 of 340

Service
Your retailer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll
go to your retailer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
A 1
Genuine
Parts
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper Oldsmobile Service Manual.
It
tells you much more about how to service your vehicle
than this manual can.
To order the proper service
manual, see “Service and Owner Publications” in the
Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record’’ in the Index.
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