oil OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 User Guide

Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
Filling Your Tank
Fue. . -.,~r i- .lighly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don3
smoke ii you‘re near iuei or reiueiing
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from fuel. The
fuel door is located on the driver’s side of the
vehicle.
When the fuel door is opened on a vehicle with dual
sliding doors, the driver’s side sliding door will only
open partway.
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Checking Things Under
the Hood Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
I
A'CAUTION:
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.
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L
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start
a fire. These include liquids like fuel,
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.
1. Pull the hood release handle, located on the
driver's side under the instrument panel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle and push up on the
underhood release, located near the center under
the grille.
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A. Underhood Fuse Block
B. Remote Positive (+) Terminal
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
D. Radiator Pressure Cap
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap
G. Engine Oil Dipstick
H. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
J. Engine Air CleanedFilter
K. Engine Coolant Reservoir
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Engine Oil
LOW
ENG OIL
LEVEL
United States
Canada
If the low engine oil level message appears on the
instrument cluster, it means you need to check your
engine oil level right away. For more information,
see
Low Engine Oil Level Message on page 3-55.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick is
located at the front of the
engine compartment,
near the center. The
dipstick handle has a
bright, yellow loop design
for easy identification. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page
5- 12
for more information on location.
Turn
off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not
show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push
it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
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Notice: Don’t add too much oil. If your engine
has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine
could be damaged.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the cross-hatched area at the tip 01
the dipstick, then you’ll need to add at least one quart of
oil. But you must use the right kind. This part explains
what kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity.
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SAE 5W-30
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The engine oil fill cap is
located behind the engine
oil dipstick. See
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page
5- 72 for more
information on location.
Be sure to
fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the
proper operating range in the cross-hatched area. Push
the dipstick all the way back in when you’re through.
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What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Do not use
any
oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
If you choose to perform
the engine oil change
service yourself, be sure
the oil you use has the
starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
If you have your oil
changed for you, be sure
the oil put into your engine
is American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the viscosity chart.
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
HOT
WEATHER
~~
COLD
WEATHER
DO NOT USE SAE 1OW-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER VISCOSITY GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
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As in the chart shown previously, SAE 5W-30 is the
only viscosity grade recommended for your vehicle.
You should look for and use only oils which have the
API Starburst symbol and which are also identified
as SAE 5W-30. If you cannot find such SAE 5W-30 oils,
you can use an SAE
1OW-30 oil which has the
API Starburst symbol,
if it's going to be 0°F (-18°C)
or above. Do not use other viscosity grade oils, such as
SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
Notice: Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below -20°F (-29"C), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good pe;formance and engifie prs:ection.
When to Change Engine Oil
(GM Oil Life System)
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This is based
on engine revolutions and engine temperature, and
not on mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage
at which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil
is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has
been diminished,
it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A change engine oil message will come on.
Change your oil as soon as possible within the next
two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
may not indicate that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, your engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. It is also important to check
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If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must change
your oil at 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) since your last oil
change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
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How to Reset the Change Engine
Oil Message
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change your
engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime your
oil is changed, reset the system
so it can calculate when
the next oil change is required.
If a situation occurs where
you change your oil prior to a change engine oil message
being turned on, reset the system.
1. With the ignition key in RUN but the engine off,
repeatedly push the tripheset button until OIL is
displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
2. Once OIL is displayed, push and hold the tripheset
button for five seconds. The number will disappear
and be replaced by
100 (indicating 100% oil life
remaining).
3. Turn the key to OFF.
If the change engine oil message comes back on,
the engine oil life monitor has not reset. Repeat the
procedure.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don’t let used oil stay on your skin for very long.
Clean your skin and nails with soap and water, or a
good hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of
clothing or rags containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from
the filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers,
or into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it
by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If you
have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
5-1 8

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

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL@ engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only DEX-COOL@ extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low.
If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page
5-26.
A 5060 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F
(129°C).
0 Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning messages and gages work as they
should.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
-- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the use
of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@
is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.
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