warning OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1993 Owner's Guide

Problems on the Road
I
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They
also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking. Your
hazard warning flashers switch is
on the steering column below the
ignition switch. Press the button in to
make your front and rear turn signal
lights 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.
L
To turn off the flashers, pull out on the
collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
1 1. Try to start the vehicle with the
dead battery.
If it won’t start after a
few tries, it probably needs service.
-wP
1
1 2. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each other
or any other metal.
X51 O(
Towing Your Oldsmobile
Try to have a GM dealer 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.
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Problems on the Road
I Enaine overheating (CONT:)
you keep driving with no coolant
your vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs wou
not be covered bv vour warrantv.
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. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
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.
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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 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.
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, or fans if you
have the rear climate control system
or the
3800 V6 engine.
I A An electric fan under the hod
L 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.
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery
tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else
until it cools down.
197
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A
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.
I
In cold- weatl , w r can .
and crack the engine, radial
heater core
and other parts. ‘,A
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn
if the engine parts
are hot enough. Don’t spill coolant
on a hot engine.
I
When the coolant in the coolant
recovery
tank is at or above the FULL
HOT 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.
199
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Problems on the Road
204
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly
to a
level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I , c.
k., U6007
I
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Problems on the Road
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully
inflated when your vehicle was new, it
can lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should
be
60 psi (420 Pa). The compact spare is
made to go up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have
your full-size tire repaired or replaced
where you want.
Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. Your spare will last
longer and be
in good shape in case you
need it again.
Your anti-lock brake system warning
light may come on when you are driving
with a compact spare. See the
Index
under Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light.
Don’t use your compact spare on some
Don’t take your compact spare other vehicle.
through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails.
That can damage the tire and
wheel, and maybe other parts
of
your vehicle. And don’t
mix your compact
spare or
wheel with other wheels
or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare
and its wheel
together.
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3
F
3
1
;.1L V6: Adding Automatic Transaxle
Wid
_I
1800 V6: Adding Automatic
Pansaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant when it
is low.
If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
The proper coolant for your Oldsmobile
will:
Give freezing protection down to
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine
Let the warning lights work as they
-34°F (-37°C).
(128” C).
temperature.
should.
What to Use:
Use a mixture of one-half clean water
(preferably distilled) and one-half
antifreeze that meets “GM Specification
1825M,” which won’t damage aluminum
parts. You can also use a recycled
coolant conforming to GM Specification 1825M with a complete coolant flush
and refdl. Use
GM Engine Coolant
Supplement (sealer) with any complete
coolant change. If you use these, you
don’t need to add anything else.
235
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Service & Appearance Care
Engine Coolant (CONT.)
I
fmIlTIfi I I
Adding only plain water to I
L L your cooling system can be
aangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
I
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 mi
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
I
I’
NOTICE
If you use an improper coolant
mix, your engine could overheat
and be badly damaged. The repail
cost wouldn’t
be covered by your
warranty. Too much water
in the
mix can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
I
Adding Coolant
To Check Coolant:
When your engine is cold, the coolant
level should be
at COLD, or a little
higher. When
your engine is warm, the
level should be
up to mJLL HOT, or a
little higher.
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A
If you have too much brake
fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn if the
engine is hot enough. You OT
others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low
level, your brake warning light will
come on. See the
Index under Brake
System Warning Light.
What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid-such as Delco
Supreme
ll@ (GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container
only.
I
image your vehicle. Don’t use it
wrong kind of fluid.
FOI
Don’t let someone put in the
xample, just a few drops
c
mineral-based oil, such as en€
oil,
in your brake system can
damage brake system parts
so
badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
be careful not to spill
hr fluid-:
Brake fluid can damage -int,
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