Oldsmobile Silhouette 1999 Owner's Manuals

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6-29 Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built
-in wear indicators that make
a high
-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come
and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving
(except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don't have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected immediately. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and inspected each time
the tires are removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brake pads replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7
of this manual under Part C ªPeriodic
Maintenance Inspections.º

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6-30 Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top
-quality GM brake
parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If you
don't, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change
-- for the worse. The braking
performance you've come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with an ACDelco Freedom

battery. When it's time for a new battery, we recommend
an ACDelco Freedom battery. Get one that has the
replacement number shown on the original battery's label.
Vehicle Storage
If you're not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or more,
remove the black, negative (
-) cable from the battery. This
will help keep your battery from running down.
CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren't careful. See ªJump Startingº in the Index
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see ªTheft
-Deterrent
Featureº in the Index.

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6-31 Jump Starting
For jump starting instructions, see ªJump Startingº in
the Index.
Bulb Replacement
For the type of bulb, see ªReplacement Bulbsº in
the Index.
Halogen Bulbs
CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the front turn signal/parking lamp assembly.
See ªFront Turn Signal/Parking Lampsº later in
this section.
3. Remove the two wing nuts located on top of the
headlamp assembly.
4. Unscrew the black retainer ring that holds the bulb
assembly in place.
5. Pull the bulb assembly straight up from the
lamp housing.

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6-32
6. Unhook the electrical connector by lifting up the
blue tabs and pulling the bulb out.7. Replace the new bulb through the black retainer ring
and into the electrical connector. Push the bulb
firmly enough so that the blue tabs hook over the tab
on the bulb.

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6-33
8. Carefully put the bulb assembly back into the lamp
housing and tighten the black retainer ring in place.
Be careful not to damage the bulb on the headlamp
aiming bar.9. Align the pins on the bottom of the headlamp
assembly with the holes in the lamp support bracket
while placing the holes in the assembly over the
bolts where the wing nuts attach.
10. Replace and tighten the wing nuts.
11. Replace the parking/turn signal lamp assembly by
lining up the tabs at the back of the assembly with
the holes in the fender.
12. Tighten the bolt connecting the parking/turn signal
lamp assembly. Be sure the tab from the
parking/turn signal lamp assembly is inboard of the
tab from the headlamp assembly.

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6-34 Front Turn Signal/Parking Lamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the thumb screw attaching the parking/turn
signal lamp assembly to the headlamp assembly.
3. Pull the parking/turn signal lamp assembly away
from the vehicle.
4. Unscrew the bulb socket from the lamp assembly by
pressing the tab while turning it counterclockwise.
5. Replace the bulb by pulling the old one out and
gently pushing the new one into the lamp socket.
6. Line up the tabs on the sockets with the gaps in the
socket holes and screw the bulb socket back into the
lamp housing until a click is heard (the tab popping
back out).

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6-35
7. To replace the lamp assembly, line up and insert the
tabs on the back of the assembly with the slots in the
fender. Engage the lower clip on the front of the
lamp assembly, keeping the upper tab on the
parking/turn signal lamp assembly inboard of the
headlamp bracket tab.
8. To align the parking/turn signal lamp assembly with
the headlamp assembly, lift up the parking/turn
signal lamp assembly until the upper edge is
contacting the fender.
9. Fasten the parking/turn signal lamp assembly to the
headlamp assembly with the thumb screw removed
in Step 2.
Front Sidemarker
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the thumb screw attaching the parking/turn
signal lamp assembly to the headlamp assembly.
3. Pull the parking/turn signal lamp assembly away
from the vehicle.
4. Unscrew the bulb socket from the lamp assembly by
turning it counterclockwise.

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6-36
5. Replace the bulb by pulling the old one out and
gently pushing the new one into the lamp socket.
6. Line up the tabs on the sockets with the gaps in the
socket holes and screw the bulb socket back into the
lamp housing.7. To replace the lamp assembly, line up and insert the
tabs on the back of the assembly with the slots in the
fender. Engage the lower clip on the front of the
lamp assembly, keeping the upper tab on the
parking/turn signal lamp assembly inboard of the
headlamp bracket tab.
8. To align the parking/turn signal lamp assembly with
the headlamp assembly, lift up the parking/turn
signal lamp assembly until the upper edge is
contacting the fender.
9. Fasten the park/turn signal lamp assembly to the
headlamp assembly with the thumb screw removed
in Step 2.

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6-37 Taillamps
1. Open the liftgate.
2. Remove the two screws from the taillamp housing
on the inboard side.
3. Pull off the entire taillamp housing. The locator/retaining
pins on the outboard side are part of the lamp assembly
and will remain intact during removal.
4. Remove the bulb holder by pressing the four retaining
tabs and pulling the holder away from the assembly.
5. Replace the bulb(s) by pulling the old one(s) out and
gently pushing the new one(s) into the bulb holder socket.
A. Taillamp Bulb
B. Back
-Up Lamp BulbC. Turn Signal Lamp Bulb
D. Stop/Taillamp Bulb
6. Snap the bulb holder back into place, making sure all
retaining tabs are properly over the bulb holder tabs.
7. Reinstall the taillamp assembly by inserting the
outboard locating/retaining pins until the lamp is
seated. Secure with the inboard screws.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer's service department.

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6-38
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear and cracking. See ªWiper Blade
Checkº in Section 7 of this manual under Part B ªOwner
Checks and Servicesº for more information.
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
see ªNormal Maintenance Replacement Partsº in
the Index.
Here's how to remove the Sheperd's Hook type:
1. Turn the wipers on to the lowest intermittent setting.
2. Turn off the ignition while the wipers are at the outer
positions of the wipe pattern. The blades are more
accessible for removal/replacement while in
this position.
3. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from the
windshield or backglass.
4. While holding the wiper arm away from the glass,
push the release clip from under the blade
connecting point and pull the blade assembly down
toward the glass to remove it from the wiper arm.
5. Push the new wiper blade securely on the wiper arm
until you hear the release clip ªclickº into place.