tow OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 Owner's Guide

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur
on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ..................... .. ................................................................ 158 .
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
.................................. 158
Towing Your Vehicle
........................................................................\
....................... 162
Engine Overheating
........................................................................\
......................... 165
If a Tire Goes Flat
........................................................................\
........................... 172
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
........................ 172
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
........................ 178
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ......................................................... 179
157
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Problems on the Road
I62
10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the
dead battery. If it won’t start after a
few tries,
it probably needs service. w I
12. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each
other or any other metal.
A
8
liowing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a
xofessional towing service tow your
3ldsmobile. The usual towing
:quipment
is:
[A) Sling-type tow truck
[B) Wheel-lift tow truck
:C) Car carrier
f your vehicle has been changed or
nodified since it was factory-new by
idding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
tero skirting, or special tires and
vheels, these instructions and
llustrations may not be correct.
3efore you do anything, turn on the
lazard warning flashers.
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When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle.
lever. damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there W~S an accident, what was
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.
I should be clamped in a straight-ahead
When your vehicle
is being towed, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel designed for towing service.
Do not
use
the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transaxle should be in Neutral
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the
front wheels, unless
you must. If the
vehicle must be towed on the front
wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56
l or your transaxle will be damaged.
If these
limits must be exceeded, then the front
wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
1 63
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Problems on the Road
164
Towing from the Front-Vehicle
Hook-up
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure
to read all the information on
Towing
Your Vehicle earlier in this section.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascia 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.
NOTICE:
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
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.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides
in the slotted holes in the bottom of
the frame rails, about
2 feet behind
the front wheels.
2. Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end of each control arm.
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Towing from fhe Rear-Vehicle
HOOk-Up
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be
sure to read all the information
on
Towing Your Vehicle earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides
in the slotted holes in the frame rails
just ahead
of the rear wheels.
I
2. Position the lower sling crossbar
directly under the rear bumper. No
4x4 wood beam is needed.
3. Attach a separate safety chain around
the end of each axle inboard
of the
spring.
4. Be certain your vehicle is towed no
faster than
35 rnph (56 ltm/h) and no
farther than
50 miles (80 ltm) to
avoid damage to your transaxle.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage on your Oldsmobile's instrument
panel. See the
Index under Coolant
Temperature Gage.
1
165
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Problems on the Road
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
€ngine
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.
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.
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Problems on the Road
1 72
Ifa Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out”
while you’re driving, especially if
you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But
if you should ever
have a “blowout,” here are a few tips
about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will
create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel firmly. Steer
to maintain lane
position, then gently brake to a stop
well
out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require
the same correction you’d use in a skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get the
vehicle under control by steering the
way
you want the vehicle to go. It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows
how to
use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
Air Inflator
Your vehicle may have an air inflator
for use in bringing tires up to the proper
pressure.
To learn about it, see the
Index under Air Inflator System.
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.
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14. Replace the wheel nuts with the
rounded end of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut by hand until
the wheel is held against the hub.
I
15. Lower the vehicle by attaching the
folding wrench to the jack and
rotating the wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack
completely.
I
16. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a
crisscross sequence as shown.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and
have the nuts tightened with a torque
wrench. The torque setting should be
100 pound-feet (140 Nmm).
177
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I NOTICE:
Don’t take your compact spare
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.
~
Don’t use your compact spare on some
other vehicle.
And don‘t mix your compact spare or
wheel with other wheels or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare and its whec
together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact
spare. Using them will damage your
vehicle and destroy the chains too.
Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
IfYou%e Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your
vehicle is stuck is to spin your wheels.
The method known as “rocking” can
help
you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts
of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your
transaxle.
Rocking Yowr Vehicle to Get it Out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels.
If you have the
optional traction control system, you
should turn it off. (See
Traction CorztroZ
System in the Index.) Then shift back
and forth between
R (Reverse) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the
transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be
towed out, see
Towing Your Vehicle in
the
Index.
1 79
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Service &Appearance Care
190
Underhood Light
Your underhood light will go on when
you open the hood.
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
every time you get fuel. In order to get
an accurate reading, the oil must be
warm and the vehicle must be on level
ground.
Turn off the engine and give the oil a
few minutes to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
To Check Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a
paper towel or cloth, then push it back
in all the way. Remove it again, keeping
the tip lower, and check the level.
3100 V6: Checking Engine Oil
3800 V6: Checking Engine Oil
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