jump start Oldsmobile Silhouette 2004 Owner's Manuals

When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each wheel.
The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and
road conditions. This can help you steer around
the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-7

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-19
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-25
Engine Overheating.......................................5-25
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-37
Brakes........................................................5-38Battery........................................................5-41
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Parking Lamps..........................................5-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-58
In¯ation - Tire Pressure.................................5-67
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-68
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-70
Buying New Tires.........................................5-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-73
Wheel Replacement......................................5-73
Tire Chains..................................................5-74
Accessory In¯ator.........................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-76
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-76
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-91
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Underhood Fuse Block.
SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-101.
B. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
See
Jump Starting on page 5-42.
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir.
See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-37.
D. Radiator Pressure Cap.
See
Radiator Pressure Cap on page 5-25.
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir.
See
Power Steering Fluid on page 5-36.
F. Engine Oil Fill Cap.
See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Engine Oil Dipstick.
See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
H. Transaxle Fluid Dipstick.
See
Automatic Transaxle Fluid on page 5-19.
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir.
See
Brakes on page 5-38.
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter.
See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
K. Coolant Recovery Tank.
See
Cooling System on page 5-28.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is 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 handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
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.
5-13

Vehicle Storage
If you are 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.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
are not careful. See
Jump Starting on page 5-42
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 3-96.
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 page 2-17for more information.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
·They contain acid that can burn you.
·They contain gas that can explode
or ignite.
·They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
5-42

Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not 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 vehicle's system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not 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 ®rmly 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.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5-43

·Emergency Tow:Tow to the nearest dealership
for warranty service or in the event of a
vehicle-disabling accident. Assistance when the
vehicle is mired in sand, mud or snow.
·Flat Tire Change:Installation of a spare tire will be
covered at no charge. (The customer is responsible
for the repair or replacement of the tire if not
covered by a warrantable failure.)
·Jump Start:No-start occurrences which require a
battery jump start will be covered at no charge.
·Dealer Locator Service
·Trip Routing:Your Roadside Assistance
Representative can provide you with speci®c
information regarding this feature.
·Trip Interruption Expense Bene®ts:Your
Roadside Assistance Representative can provide
you with speci®c information regarding this feature.
In many instances, mechanical failures are covered
under Oldsmobile's Bumper-to-Bumper warranty.
However, when other services are utilized, our Roadside
Assistance Representatives will explain any payment
obligations you might incur.For prompt and efficient assistance when calling,
please provide the following to the Roadside Assistance
Representative:
·Your name, home address, and home telephone
number
·Telephone number of your location
·Location of the vehicle
·Model, year, color, and license plate number
·Mileage, Vehicle Identi®cation Number and delivery
date of the vehicle
·Description of the problem
While we hope you never have the occasion to use our
service, it is added security while traveling for you and
your family. Remember, we are only a phone call away.
Oldsmobile Roadside Assistance: 1-800-442-OLDS
(6537), text telephone (TTY) users, call 1-888-889-2438.
Oldsmobile reserves the right to limit services or
reimbursement to an owner or driver when, in
Oldsmobile's judgement, the claims become excessive
in frequency or type of occurrence.
Roadside Assistance is not part of or included in the
coverage provided by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Oldsmobile reserves the right to make any changes
or discontinue the Roadside Assistance program at any
time without noti®cation.
7-7

I
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine..........5-27
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine...............5-26
If the Light Is Flashing.....................................3-50
If the Light Is On Steady.................................3-50
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard.........................4-28
If You Are Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow.......4-30
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer.....................4-39
Ignition Positions.............................................2-31
Infants and Young Children, Restraints...............1-48
In¯ation - Tire Pressure...................................5-67
Instrument Panel
Cluster.......................................................3-42
Overview..................................................... 3-4
Switchbank.................................................3-23
Instrument Panel Brightness.............................3-18
Instrument Panel Fuse Block..........................5-102
Interior Lamps................................................3-18
Interior Lamps Control.....................................3-18
Interior Lamps Override...................................3-19
JJump Starting.................................................5-42
KKeyless Entry System....................................... 2-4
Keys............................................................... 2-3
L
Lamps
Exterior......................................................3-16
Interior.......................................................3-18
Lamps on Reminder........................................3-16
Lap Belt........................................................1-38
Lap-Shoulder Belt...................................1-28, 1-39
Last Door Closed Locking................................2-12
Last Door Locking...........................................2-63
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-59
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System..............................1-61
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-13
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running.....................................................2-40
Liftgate..........................................................2-21
Light
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-45
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-47
Brake System Warning.................................3-46
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-49
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-44
TCS Warning Light......................................3-47
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning..................................................3-47
Lighted Vanity Mirror.......................................2-25
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-33
8