oil OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 2003 Owners Manual

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may have an engine coolant heater. In very
cold weather,
0°F (-1 8°C) or colder, the engine coolant
heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant
prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures above
32°F (OOC), use of the coolant heater is not required.
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To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the eieciricai cord.
The electrical cord is located on the driver’s side
of the engine compartment.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the
wrong kind
of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated
for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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2-35

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview ........................... 3.4
Hazard Warning Flashers
............................ 3.6
Other Warning Devices
............................... 3.6
Horn
............................................................. 3.7
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3-7
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.7
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.14
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.17
Switchbanks
................................................. 3.21
Instrument Panel Switchbank
.......................... 3-21
Overhead Console Switchbank
....................... 3.21
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)
............ 3.22
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.24
Climate Controls
............................................ 3.25
Climate Control System
................................. 3.25
Dual Climate Control System
.......................... 3.28
Rear Climate Control System
Rear Climate Control System (With Entertainment System)
...................... -3-34
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
................... 3.37
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
............. 3.39
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.40
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3.31
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Speedometer and Odometer ........................... 3.41 Safety
Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.42
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-43
Brake System Warning Light
.......................... 3-44
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
............. 3-45
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light
...... 3-46
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3-47
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3-47
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3-51
Message Center
............................................. 3-52
Service Traction System Warning Message
...... 3-52
Traction Active Message
................................ 3-53
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Message
.................................................. 3-53
Charging System Indicator Message
................ 3-54
Low Oil Pressure Message
............................ 3-54
Low Engine Oil Level Message
....................... 3-55
Change Engine Oil Message
.......................... 3-56
Power Sliding Door Warning Message
............. 3-56
Rear Hatch Ajar Warning Message
.................. 3-58
PASS-Key@
I II Security Message ................... -3-58
All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning Message
....... 3-59
Low Fuel Warning Message
........................... 3-59
Driver Information Center (DIC)
....................... 3-60
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3- 1

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven, in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer.
You may wonder what happens
if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then that will
be done.
If it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label must
be put on the driver’s door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was installed.
Dual Trip Odometers
In addition to the standard odometer, the cluster can
also display two separate trip odometers (designated
by the letter
A or B in the display window) as well as
your vehicle’s Engine Oil Life (designated by the
word
OIL in the display window). The display can be
toggled between the odometer, the trip odometers
and engine oil life by quickly pressing and releasing
the tripheset button located to the right of the
temperature gage. The display toggles once each
time the tripheset button is pressed for less than
1.5 seconds. The display toggles in the following
si?qwn~e: Q!km&r - Trip Qdnm~t~r .A. - Trip n&m@er
B - Engine Oil Life. If the engine oil life is left on the
display, it will automatically toggle back to the odometer
after approximately
15 seconds. Each of the two trip
odometers can be used to keep track of different
trip distances (for example, the mileage of
a long trip
and the mileage diiileii oi-i the cui-i-ei-it tank of fuel).
3-4 1

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.
3-54

L,n’t keep driving i, .he oil pressure i, ,ow.
If you do, your engine can become
so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice: Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Low Engine Oil Level Message
I I I
LOW
ENG OIL
LEVEL
I I I
United States Canada
If this message comes on, it means your engine is
low on oil.
You need to check the oil level right away. Have your
vehicle serviced immediately.
3-55

Change Engine Oil Message
I I I
CHANGE ENGINE
OIL c
United States Canada
If this message comes on and stays on after you started
the engine, have the oil changed.
For additional information on when to change the oil
and resetting the system, see
Engine Oil on page 5-14.
Power Sliding Door Warning
Message
DOOR AJAR
L:”
I I I
United States Canada
This message will come on
if the power sliding door is
not completely closed and the ignition is turned to
RUN or START.
3-56

The broken tape detection feature of your cassette
tape player may identify the cleaning cassette as
a damaged tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning
cassette from being ejected, use the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TAPE CD button for five
seconds. READY will appear on the display and
a cassette symbol will flash for five seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
After the cleaning cassette is ejected, the broken tape
detection feature will be active again.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to
clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will
not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type
cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type
cleaning cassette is not recommended. After you
clean the player, press and hold the EJT
button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN indicator.
The radio will display CLEANED to show the indicator
was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen
a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer
edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your CD and DVD Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
3-1 04

When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit,
do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up.
Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
- such as after a day’s
work
- don’t plan to make too many miles that first
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready
and willing to help
if you need it.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
e
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Windshield Washer Nuid: Is the reservior full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checkea
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated
to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
4-23

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
* shift into a gear, and
* release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine
oil, belts, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review these sections before you
start your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle has a trailer wiring harness located at the
rear of your vehicle.
To use the trailer wiring harness
you need a converter kit. Contact your dealer for more
information.
4-43

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