engine coolant OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 Owners Manual

How to Use this Manual
These symbols are on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
w
Windshield Defroster
Rear Window Defogger
Rear Window Wiper
Rear Window Washer Ventilating Fan
Power Window
10
3f
These symbols are used on warning
and indicator lights:
Engine Coolant Temperature
Battery Charging
System
Fuel
Engine
Oil Pressure
Brake
AntXock Brakes
p3
Here are some other symbols you
may see:
Fuse
Lighter
Horn
Speaker
Hood Release
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Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on
your Oldsmobile. and information on
starting. shifting and braking
. Also
explained are the instrument panel
and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is working properly -
and what to do if you have a
problem
.
Part 2
Features & Controls
Keys ........................................................................\
................................................... 44
Front Doors
........................................................................\
....................................... 45
Remote Lock Control
........................................................................\
........................ 48
Liftgate
........................................................................\
............................................... 56
Starting Your Engine
........................................................................\
........................ 58
Engine Coolant Heater ........................................................................\
...................... 61
Loclts
........................................................................\
.................................................. 45
Sliding Door
........................................................................\
...................................... 51
Ignition ........................................................................\
.............................................. 58
Shifting the Transaxle
........................................................................\
....................... 62
Parking Brake
........................................................................\
.................................... 65
Shifting into Park
........................................................................\
.............................. 66
Horn ........................................................................\
................................................... 69
Tilt Steering Wheel
........................................................................\
............................ 69
Windows
........................................................................\
............................................ 69
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
.................................................................. 71
Cruise Control ........................................................................\
................................... 72
Headlights
........................................................................\
.......................................... 74
Interior Lights
........................................................................\
................................... 76
Windshield Wipers
........................................................................\
............................ 77
Windshield Washer
........................................................................\
........................... 78
Mirrors
........................................................................\
............................................... 86
Glove
Box and Storage Compartments .................................................................... 88
Luggage Carrier ........................................................................\
................................. 92
Instrument Panel
........................................................................\
............................... 96
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
................................................................... 100 43
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Engine Cooknt Heater
(Engine
Block Heater)
(OPTION)
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or
colder, the engine coolant heater can
help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine
warm-up. 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
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-
electrical cord.
volt outlet.
NOTICE:
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 weather, the kind
of oil you
have, and some other things. Instead
of
trying to list everything here, we ask
that
you contact an Oldsrnobile dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.
41
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18 ‘I I
Voltmeter
Your charging system gage will show
:he rate
of charge when the engine is
running.
The reading will change as the rate of
:barge changes (with the engine speed,
?tc.), but readings between the red
warning zones indicate the normal
3perating range. Readings in either red
zone indicate a possible problem with
your charging system. Have your
Oldsmobile serviced immediately.
When the engine is not running but the
ignition
is on (in the Run position), the
display measures the voltage output of
your battery.
I’ 260
1
‘
1
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gage
rhis gage shows the engine coolant
Iemperature. If the gage pointer moves
.nto the red area, your engine is too hot
[t means that your engine coolant has
werheated. If you have been operating
{our vehicle under normal driving
:onditions, you should pull off the road
;top your vehicle and turn off the
mgine as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
[n
Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do. See the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
LOW
BAG
E SOON
Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake
system is divided into two parts.
If one
part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good
braking, though, you need both parts
working well.
If the warning light comes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start
the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are
driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully.
You may notice that the pedal
is harder to push.
Or, the pedal may go
103
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I Climate Control System
Your vehicle’s heater and air
conditioner work best if you keep your
windows closed. Your vehicle also has
flow-through ventilation, described late]
in this section, to bring outside air into
your vehicle.
If you have the optional engine coolant
heater and use it during cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quicldy provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Coolant Heater.
OFF: Press to turn the system off. Press
any climate control setting to turn the
system on.
8: Slide the lever to the right to increase
fan speed,
decrease fan speed. to the left
to
Temperature Control Lever: Slide
the
lever to the right for warmer, heated air;
slide it to the left for cooled air.
Air Conditioner
When the temperature outside is above
freezing, the air conditioner compressor
will automatically condition the air
when
you press RECIRC (the A/C
indicator light will glow), DEFOG or
DEF (the A/C indicator light will not
Press
A/C (the A/C indicator light will
glow) to condition the air when you
press
UPPER, BI-LEV or LOWER. To
turn off the air conditioner compressor
in these settings, press
A/C again (the
indicator light will go off).
glow).
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
air conditioner will default to the setting
you had selected before last turning off
the ignition.
When the air conditioner compressor is
on, you may sometimes notice slight
changes in your vehicle’s engine
performance and power. This is normal, because
the system is designed to help
fuel economy while it maintains the
desired cooling level.
The air conditioner removes moisture
from the air,
so you may sometimes
notice water dripping from under your
vehicle when it
is idling or after it has
been turned off. This is normal.
On very hot days, your vehicle will cool
down more quickly and economically if
you open the windows long enough to
let hot inside air escape. For all settings,
adjust the temperature control lever and
fan speed as desired.
Directional Controls
RECIRC (Recirculate): Press to get
maximum cooling or quick cool-down
on very hot days. This setting
recirculates much of the air inside your
vehicle. It should not be used for long
periods of time because the air may
become too cold and dry.
Slide the temperature control lever
down to the coolest setting and adjust
the fan speed as desired.
UPPER: For normal cooling on hot
days, press
A/C along with UPPER.
1
111
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Your Driving and the Road
148
Ihow how to go uphill. You may
want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving
on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own
lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be
alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on
mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Oldsmobile in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or
broom, a supply
of windshield washer
fluid,
a rag, some winter outer clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth,
and a couple of reflective warning
triangles. And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small
bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a
couple of burlap bags to help provide
traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where
your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice
between your tires and the road, you
can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a lot less traction
or “grip”
and will need to be very careful.
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet
ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be slick
and hard to drive
on. But wet ice can be
even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get
“wet ice” when it’s about freezing
(32°F; O’C) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until
salt and sand crews can get there.
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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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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
3800 V6 engine.
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down. The coolant
level should be at or above
the
FULL HOT mark. 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.
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Problems on the Road
1..
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty. If
there seems to be
no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above the
FULL HOT mark, add a 50/50 mixture
of
clean water (preferably distilled) and
a proper antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See
Engine Coolant in
the
Index for more information about
the proper coolant mix.)
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core and other parts. Use the
recommended coolant.
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