OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1996 Owners Manual

Low Coolant Light
I i LOW
If this light comes on,
your system is low on
coolant and the engine
may overheat.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine
Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Your Oldsmobile is
equipped with a computer
which monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and
emission control systems.
To prevent damage to your engine, immediate action
is required.
See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced
as soon as possible. This
system is called
OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and
is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce
a cleaner
environment. The
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
ProCarManuals.com

I NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be
as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have
it repaired.
This light will also come on during
a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0
0
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system
on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required. The
following
may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon
as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your retailer
or
qualified service center for service.
ProCarManuals.com

If 3 Light Is On Steady
IOU may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel
cap has been
left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently
as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure
to install the fuel cap properly.
It will take
a few driving trips to turn the light off. Have
you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently
as designed. You may
notice this
as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
ProCarManuals.com

Oil Pressure Indicator
Your vehicle is equipped with an oil pressure indicator.
Your oil pressure indicator lets you know when you may
have
a problem with your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running, readings
within the white
area indicate the normal operating range. Readings
in or
below the red area indicate that the engine's oil level
may be dangerously low, or there may be another
problem causing low
oil pressure. Driving your vehicle
with low
oil pressure can
cause extensive engine damage. Have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
' A CA"T1ON:
I-
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil problems
can be costly and is not covered by your warranty.
2-80
ProCarManuals.com

Low OilLi -
LOW
OIL
If this light comes on, it
means your engine is low
on oil.
Power Sliding Door Warning Light
With the optional power
sliding door, the sliding
door ajar symbol on your
instrument panel will come
on
if your sliding door is
not completely closed.
You need to check the
oil level right away. Driving your
vehicle without enough oil can cause extensive engine
damage. Have your vehicle serviced immediately. If you shift the transaxle out of PARK (P) while the
sliding door is open or
in the process of closing, and the
power sliding door
ON/OFF switch is in the ON
position, the power sliding door warning light will flash
and a buzzer will sound. This is
a warning that the
sliding door is not completely closed.
ProCarManuals.com

If you shift the transaxle out of PARK (P) and
accelerate before the power sliding door latches
closed, the door may reverse to the open position.
A child or others could fall out of the vehicle and
be injured. Always make sure the power sliding
door
is closed and latched before you drive away.
If you manually slam the power sliding door shut when
the ignition is on, the power sliding door warning light
may come
on and stay on. To turn the light off, reopen
and close the door using either power door switch, or
manually open and close
the door again more slowly.
Lift,. ~ Aja:-- Wan 19 Light
-1
The liftgate ajar symbol on
your instrument panel will
come on if your liftgate is
not completely closed.
ProCarManuals.com

Fuel Gage
*y l/2
%
_E
FUEL
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left (when the ignition
is on). When the gage first
indicates
EMPTY (E), you still have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon. Here
are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
0 It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
the
gage reads
FULL (F).
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half
full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
brake or speed
up.
0 The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn
off the ignition.
2-83
ProCarManuals.com

Low Fuel Warning Light
I
‘F
1/2
This light will also come on when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine
is not running, to show you it is
working. If
it doesn’t come on as you start your vehicle,
have it fixed right away.
When there
is between 3 gallons (1 1 L) and 0.5 gallon
(1.8 L) of fuel left in the tank, the warning light next to
the fuel symbol will go
on.
ProCarManuals.com

Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section you’ll find out how to operate the comfort
control and audio systems offered with your Oldsmobile.
Be sure
to read about the particular systems supplied with
your vehicle.
Comfort Controls
This section tells you how to make your air system
work for you. Your comfort control system uses
ozone-friendly
R- 134a refrigerant.
With these systems you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your Oldsmobile. Your vehicle also
has a flow-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
rii
BI - LEV I
Your vehicle’s heater and air conditioner will work best
if you keep your windows closed.
3-1
ProCarManuals.com

Slide the lever to the right to increase fan speed. To
decrease fan speed, slide this lever to the left.
I 1 *_I.
Slide this lever to the right for warmer, heated air. For
cooled air, slide this lever to the left.
Mode B.
OFF: Press this button to turn the system off. Press any
climate control setting to turn the system
on.
A/C: This setting cools the air entering your vehicle
and directs it through the instrument panel outlets.
The air conditioning compressor operates
in all air
conditioner positions.
RECIRC: Press this button to limit the amount of fresh
air entering your vehicle by recirculating much
of the air
inside your vehicle.
You may use this setting to limit
odors entering your vehicle.
UPPER: This setting directs outside air through the
instrument panel outlets. Adjust the temperature of the
air with the temperature control lever.
BI-LEV: The BI-LEV setting directs outside air into
your vehicle
in two ways. Cooler air is directed toward
your upper body through the front instrument panel
outlets, while warmed air is directed through the heater
ducts at your feet. At times, this temperature difference
may be more apparent than others.
LOWER: This setting brings in most of the air through
the floor ducts and some through the defroster vents.
DEFOG: This mode is particularly useful during cola
or inclement weather, because of your Oldsmobile
Silhouette’s larger windshield area. Press this button to
direct air to the windshield and through the floor ducts.
DEF: Press this button to direct most of the air to the
windshield and side window vents.
3-2
ProCarManuals.com