maintenance OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 User Guide

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Appearance Care ............................................ 5.87
Care of Safety Belts ...................................... 5-90
Weatherstrips
............................................... 5-90
Sheet Metal Damage
..................................... 5.92
Finish Damage
............................................. 5.92
Underbody Maintenance
................................ 5.93
Chemical Paint Spotting
................................. 5.93
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
........... 5.93
Cleaning
the Inside
of Your Vehicle ................. 5-87
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle ................. 5-90 Vehicle
Identification
........................ ...... 5.95
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
... ...... 5.95
Service Parts Identification Label
... ...... 5.95
Electrical System
.......................... .......... 5.96
Add-on Electrical Equipment
...................... 5.96
Headlamp Wiring
.......................................... 5.96
Windshield Wiper Fuses
................................ 5.96
Power Windows and Other Power Options
....... 5.96
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
............................ 5.96
Capacities and Specifications
........................ 5.103
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......... 5.105
5-2

You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See Part
E: Maintenance Record on page 6-18.
-.- I
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 dealer before adding equipment
to
the outside of your vehicle.
5-4

Gasoline Specifications
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of
the proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
of
87 or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may
get a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher
as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might damage
your engine.
A little pinging noise when you accelerate
or drive uphill is considered normal. This does not
indicate a problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel is
necessary. If you are using
87 octane or higher-octane
fuel and hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. It
is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice”
label on the pump.
Canada Only
5-5

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83
000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles (1 66 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services
on page
6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice: Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the fluid
could come out and fall
on hot engine or exhaust
system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid could
cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check your transaxle fluid.
Wait at least
30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic - especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which
is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(1 0°C). If it's colder than 50°F (1 OOC), you may have to
drive longer.
5-20

1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at
the dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than
one pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label
is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
described
under “How to Check.”
dipstick back in all the way.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The fluid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
dipstick back in all the way.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See
Pat? D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
5-22

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

All-Wheel Drive How to Check Lubricant
If you have an all-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure to
perform the lubricant checks described in this section.
However, they have two additional systems that
need lubrication.
Transfer Case (Power Transfer Unit)
When to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant. See
Part C: Periodic
Maintenance Inspections on page 6- 14.
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug
hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-16.
5-50

Carrier Assembly-Differential
(Rear Drive Module)
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4.
How to Check Lubricant
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level
to the bottom of the filler plug hole.
A fluid loss could indicate a problem; check and have it
repaired,
if needed.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See Part D: Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page
6-16.
To get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on a
level surface.
5-51

Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear or cracking. See “Wiper Blade
Check
in At Least Twice a Year on page 6-10 for
more information.
Replacement blades come
in different types and are
removed in different ways. For proper type and length,
see
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page
5- 105.
To remove the windshield wiper blade(s):
1. Turn the wipers on to the lowest intermittent setting.
2. Turn the ignition to OFF while the wipers are at
3. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from the
the outer position
of the wipe pattern.
windshield or backglass.
4. While holding the
wiper arm away from
the glass, push
the release clip from
under the blade.
5-58

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page
5-63 and Wheel Replacement
on page
5-66 for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire,
If it moves, use the
folding wrench to tighten the cable. See
Changing a Flat
Tire on page
5-70.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. See “Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,” in Section
6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
I,‘
/I
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
5-62