engine OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1998 Repair Manual

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.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
FULL COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there's one more
thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to the radiator but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
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3. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture, up to the base of the filler neck.
(See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant mixture.)
4. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
5. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper
DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck
until the level reaches the
base of the filler neck.
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If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
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, and 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 part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Air Inflator (Option)
Your vehicle may have an air inflator used to bring tires
up to the proper pressure. See “Accessory Inflator
System” in the Index for more details. If
a tire goes
flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
/:1 CAUTION-
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you
or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. lhrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
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~~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ NOTICE:
When
the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your 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.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method
known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle
or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
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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.
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1
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6-38 Service
Fuel
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Replacement
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement 6-39
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6-64
6-64
6-64
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6-65 Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs Capacities and Specifications
Engine Specifications
Vehicle Dimensions
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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A tlAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you
try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your retailer before adding equipment to the outside
of
your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM
D48 14 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared
to
other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane
or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry if
you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
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If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications.
If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return
to your authorized Oldsmobile retailer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition
is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use
of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
Oldsmobile retailer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system
to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such
as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean
the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode metal parts in your
fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts.
That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
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Checking Things Under the Hood
I
A CAUTION: I
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
I
L
A CAUTION:
I
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull the hood release handle
inside the vehicle.
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Then go to the front of the vehicle and push up on the
underhood release.
Lift the hood.
The hood prop may be hot due to increased engine
temperatures under the hood,
so be careful when
handling it. Use your hood prop sleeve when handling
the hood prop. Pull forward
on the hood
prop to release it from its storage clip. Then put the
end of the hood prop into
the slot in the underside of
the hood.
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When you lift the hood, you'll see these items:
T
A.
B.
C. Underhood Fuse and
D.
Relay Center E.
Remote Positive (+) Terminal E
Windshield
Washer G.
Fluid Reservoir Radiator
Pressure Cap
H. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Brake Master Cylinder
Engine
Oil Fill Location J. Air Cleaner
Engine Oil Dipstick
IS. Engine Coolant Reservoir
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