battery OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 User Guide

Charging System Indicator Message
The charging system
battery symbol will come
on in the message
center when you turn on
the ignition as a check
to show you it is working.
It will remain on as long as the engine is not running.
It should go out once the engine is running.
If it stays on,
or comes on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the charging system. It could indicate that
you have problems with a generator drive belt,
or another electrical problem. Have it checked right
away. Driving while this indicator appears in the
message center could drain your battery.
Low Oil Pressure Message
LOW
OIL
PRESSURE
LL
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a low oil pressure warning
message.
Your oil pressure message lets you know when you
may have a problem with your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running and this message appears,
the engine oil level may be too low. There may also
be another problem causing low oil pressure.
If you must drive a short distance with the message on,
be certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as
the radio and air conditioner.
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Headphones
The entertainment system includes dual channel,
wireless headphones.
The headphones have
an ON/OFF switch,
a channel
A/B switch
and a volume control.
To use the headphones, turn the switch located on the
left side to ON. An indicator light located on the right
side will illuminate. If the light does not illuminate,
the batteries may need to be replaced. See “Battery
Replacement” later in this section for more information.
Switch the headphones to OFF when not in use. If
you move too far forward, step out of the vehicle or
break the “line of sight” between the headphones
and the display above the video screen, the sound in
the headphones will be degraded
or will cut out entirely.
If the system is shut off, or the headphones are out
of the “line of sight” for more than three minutes,
the headphones will shut
off automatically to preserve
battery life.
If the channel switch located on the right side is on
A,
the headphones will play the DVD or auxiliary device.
See “Stereo RCA Jacks” later in this section for
more information.
If the channel switch is on B, the
headphones will play the rear seat audio system.
See
Rear Seat Audio (RSA) (Without Entertainment
System) on page
3-98 or Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
(With Entertainmenf System) on page 3-100
for more
information.
To adjust the volume on the headphones, use the
volume control located on the right side.
Notice: Do not store the headphones in heat or
direct sunlight. This could damage the headphones
and would not be covered by your warranty.
Keep the headphones stored in a cool place.
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Battery Replacement
To change the batteries, do the following:
1. Slide open the battery door located on the left side
2. Rplace the two AAA batteries in the compartment.
3. Sde the battery door shut.
of
the headphones.
Make sure that they are installed correctly.
If the headphones are to be stored for a long period of
time, remove the batteries and keep them
in a cool,
dry place.
Stereo RCA Jacks
The RCA jacks are located on the faceplate of the DVD
player. They allow you to hook up an auxiliary device
such as a camcorder or a video game unit. You may
require adapter connectors or cables to connect
your auxiliary device to the RCA jacks. Refer to the
manufacturer’s instructions for proper usage.
To use the auxiliary function, connect a camcorder or a
video game unit to the RCA jacks and turn on the
auxiliary device. If you want to view a DVD, insert the
DVD into the DVD player. The system will automatically
switch to DVD and start
to play. To switch between
the auxiliary device and the DVD, press the SOURCE button
on the DVD player or on the remote control.
See “DVD Player” and “Remote Control’’ later in
this section for more information. When the auxiliary
device is the source for the entertainment system,
TRACK
99 will appear on the radio display. This
is normal.
Audio Speakers
Only one audio source can be heard through the
speakers at one time.
Audio from the radio, cassette or
CD player will be
heard through all speakers when the front audio system
is being used and the rear seat audio system is
off.
Sound from the DVD player or an auxiliary device can
be heard through all speakers when the front audio
system and rear seat audio are
off and a DVD or
auxiliary device
is playing.
When the front audio system
is on, to hear the DVD,
auxiliary device or the rear seat audio system you must
use the headphones. With the rear seat audio system
rear speakers are muted.
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The speaker in the overhead console is set at a low
level and is not intended to be heard at a high volume.
3-93

b Fwd/( Rev (Fast Forward/Reverse): Press the
right or left arrow once to fast forward or reverse
the DVD. To resume play, press the button again or
press the Play/Pause button. Pressing and holding an
arrow will fast forward or fast reverse the DVD and play
will resume when the arrow is released. These buttons
may not work when the DVD is playing the copyright
or the previews.
A NexVV Prev (NexVPrevious): Press the up or the
down arrow to select the next or the previous chapter.
These buttons may not work when the DVD is playing
the copyright or the previews.
Menu: Press this button to view the media menu.
The media menu is different on every disc. Use the up
and the down and the right and the left arrow buttons to
move the cursor around the media menu. After making
your selection, press Enter. Some discs may contain a
short skit leading up to the media menu.
Source: Press this button to switch the source for the
(connected to the RCA jacks) and the DVD player.
Pressing this button has no effect when there is
no auxiliary device connected.
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Battery Replacement
To change the batteries, do the following:
1. Remove the screw and open the battery door
located on the back of the remote control.
2. Replace the two AAA batteries in the compartment.
Make sure that they are installed correctly.
3. Replace the battery door and screw.
If the remote control is to be stored for a long period of
time, remove the batteries and keep them in a cool,
dry place.
3-97

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get
and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle
and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour
or
so until help comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don’t want 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.
If you let your tires spin at high spe ~ ~, ~ rey
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.
4-30

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service ............................................................ 5.3
Doing Your Own Service Work
......................... 5.3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of
Your Vehicle .............................................. 5-4
Fuel
.............................................................. -5-5
Gasoline Octane
............................................ 5-5
Gasoline Specifications
................................... 5-5
California Fuel
............................................... 5-6
Additives
....................... .... ......... 5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
........... ..... 5-7
Filling Your Tank
............................ ..... 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
.................... 5-9
Checking Things Under the
Hood .................. -5-1 0
Hood Release .............................................. 5-10
Engine Compartment Overview ....................... 5-12
Engine Oil
................................................... 5-14
Engine Air CleanedFilter
................................ 5-19
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
.............................. 5-20
Radiator Pressure Cap
............................... 5-26
Engine Overheating
.................................... 5-26
Cooling System
............................. , ....... 5-29
Power Steering Fluid .................. , ....... 5-37
Windshield Washer Fluid
................. , ....... 5-38
Brakes
.......................... .... ........ 5-39
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Battery ........................................................ 5.43
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-44
All-Wheel Drive
.............................................. 5-50
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-52
Halogen Bulbs
.............................. ......... 5-52
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Headlamps
...................................... ..... 5-52
Parking Lamps
.............................. ..... 5-54
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-57
Back-up Lamps
......................................... 5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.............. 5-58
Tires
.............................................................. 5-60
Inflation
- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-61
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-62
When It
Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-63
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-66
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-66
Tire Chains
.................................................. 5-67
Accessory Inflator
......................................... 5-68
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-69
Changing a Flat Tire ..................................... 5-70
Compact Spare Tire ...................................... 5-86
5- 1

Battery Vehicle Storage
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery,
get one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco@ battery. See
Engine Comparfment Overview on
page
5-72 for battery location.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
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.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt
if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” next 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
Theft-Deterrent
Feature
on page 3- IO 1.
5-43

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to
do it safely.
On vehicles equipped with the optional power sliding
door, a low-voltage battery or replacing a battery may
cause the system
to become inoperative. See Power
Sliding Door (PSD) on paae 2-76for more information.
Batteries can
.. -.rt you. The, :an ._ 5 d-.. .gerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
They contain enough electricity to
ignite.
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all
of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
5-44

Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3.
4.
Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet. Turn
off
the radio and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!
Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminal locations on
each vehicle.
You will not need to access your battery for jump
starting. Your vehicle has a remote positive
(+)
jump starting terminal for that purpose. The terminal is located
under a tethered cap at
the front of the underhood
fuse block. See
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page
5- 12 for more
information on location.
Squeeze the tabs and pull up
on the cap to access
the remote positive
(+) terminal. You should always
use the remote positive
(+) terminal instead of the
positive (+) terminal on your battery.
An electric fan can start up ever !hen the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
5-45

--
1
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@ battery
installed
in your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water to take care of
that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could be
present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin,
flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you
will get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
5-46