oil OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 Owner's Manual

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts.
If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need
to add anything else.
Adding on
, plain wa ~ ~ * to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
reservoir is located on the
driver’s side
of the vehicle,
above the engine air
cleanedfilter. See
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page
5- 12 for more
information on location.
5-24

Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your radiator cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
Be sure the arrows on the cap line
up with the
overflow tube on the radiator filler neck.
The radiator pressure cap is located at the front of the
engine compartment on the passenger’s side of the
vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-72 for more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on
your vehicle’s instrument panel cluster. See
Engine
Coolant Temperature Gage
on page 3-47. You also
have an engine coolant temperature warning message
on your instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Message
on page 3-53.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode,
you will notice a significant
loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will indicate
an overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles
(km) and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
Notice: After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause
of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the
oil life system. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
5-26

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
C. Coolant Recovery Tank An electric
engine cooling far. -..-er the hood
can start up even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
5-29

Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.
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.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant
level isn’t at
or above the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable waterand DEX-COOL@
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. See Engine
Coolant on page
5-23 for more information.
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Vn~lr en~ine mt1ld catch fire and YOU or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX
COOL@ coolant.
5-31

h the wrong kind of fluid in ur brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
Notice:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil,
in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
Don’t let someone
put in the wrong kind of fluid.
0 If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake fluid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash
it off immediately.
See “Appearance Care” in the Index.
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).
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.
5-41

I
Nev,. use oil or grease on st,,s or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel
could fall
off, causing a serious accident.
7. Install the compact spare tire and put the wheel
nuts back on with the rounded end
of the nuts
toward the wheel. Tighten each nut by hand until
the wheel is held against the hub.
8. Lower the vehicle by attaching the folding wheel
wrench to the jack and turning the wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
5-79

Here are some cleaning tips:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can - before
Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
they
set.
* Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often. A soft brush may be used
if stains are
stubborn.
If a ring forms on fabric after spot cleaning, clean
the entire area immediately or it will set.
Using Cleaner on Fabric
1. Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
2. Always clean a whole trim panel or section.
Mask surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
3. Follow the directions on the container label.
4. Apply cleaner with a clean sponge. Don’t saturate
5. As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a
6. Wipe cleaned area with a clean, water-dampened
7. Wipe with a clean cloth and let dry.
the
material and don’t rub it roughly.
sponge to remove any excess cleaner.
towel or cloth.
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems
Stains caused by such things as catsup, coffee (black),
egg, fruit, fruit juice, milk, soft drinks, vomit, urine
and blood can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with cool water.
2. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
3. If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
described earlier.
treat the area with a water/baking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
4. Let dry.
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. Clean with cool water and allow to dry completely.
3. If a stain remains, follow the cleaner instructions
described earlier.
5-88

Vinyl Top of the Instrument Panel
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
e Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt.
You may have to do this more than once.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don't get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and vinyl/leather cleaner. See your dealer for
this product.
Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe
dry with a soft cloth. Then, let
the leather dry naturally.
Do not use heat to dry.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.
0 Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish
on leather. Use
only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones
or waxes may cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult
to see through
the windshield under certain conditions.
Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft cloth
or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner or
a liquid household glass cleaner will remove normal
tobacco smoke and dust films on interior glass.
See
GM Vehicle CardAppearance Materials on
page 5-93.
Notice: Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass,
because they may cawe s~~ratches. bvnIc! p!scing
decals on the inside rear window, since they
may have to be scraped
off later. If abrasive
cleaners are used on the inside
of the rear window,
an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached
across
the defogger grid.
5-89

Cleaning Exterior LarnpdLenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and a
car washing soap to clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under “Washing Your Vehicle”
previously.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint finish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. See
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials on page
5-93.
If your vehicle has a “basecoaflclearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoaflclearcoat
paint finish.
Notice: Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may
dl!!! the finish nr !!%!
e rwIr! marks-
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc.,
can damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain
on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicte as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that
are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove
foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a
period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish
looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Windshield, Backglass and Wiper
Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or
if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade or
windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean
if beads
do not form when you rinse
it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
?l‘i(3!b&g l/klrlm~!y yjth 3 ++h svhcd +I!! sbr,gt,G;
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
5-9 1

Fuse Usage
5 Ignition
Switch to Fuses (Instrument
Panel): ABS/TCS Ignition, Cruise,
DRL, Electronic PRNDL, Ignition 1,
AWD, PSD, Air Bag, Turn Signal
and Powertrain Control Module
[IGN MAIN Relay (Underhood Fuse
Block: A/C Clutch, Electronic
Ignition, Ignition
l-U/H, INJ, TCC)]
I 6 I Coolant Fans I
Fuses (Instrument Panel): ABS
Module Battery, Cigarette Lighter,
Courtesy Lamps, Front Power
Socket, Power Locks, Power Mirrors
and Right Rear Power Socket,
OnStar, RAP
Ignition Switch to Fuses (VP): Body
Control Module Program, Front
Comfort Controls Low/Medium
Blower, Front WiperANasher,
HVAC/DRL, MALURadio/DIC,
Puwer Guarier iierri, Zear nvnb,
Rear Wiper/Washer. SWC
Accessory and Power Window Circuit Breaker, RAP
I I. ,n -
I 18 I Fuel Injectors 1-6 I
Fuse Usage
21 Evaporative Emissions (EVAP)
Canister Purge Valve, Heated
Oxygen Sensors 1 and 2, Mass Air
Flow (MAF) Sensor
I 22 I Not Used I
23 I Not Used
I 24 I Not Used I
I 25 I Ignition Control Module (ICM) I
I
26 I Not Used I
I 27 I
Transaxle Range Switch to
Back-up Lamps
I 28 I
A/C Clutch Relay to A/C
Compressor Clutch Oil
29
I I’ *ulc CQr?!!3!, !?.ldiQ, Re2r !L!-! 2nd , I
Driver Information Display, Heater
RH) Side Door Actuator Control
Motor, Remote Control Door Lock
Receiver (RCDLR), Security
Indicator Lamp and Theft-Deterrent
Shock Sensor
5-1
01