Page 249 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ENGINE 0VERH.EATING
YOU will find the two warning lights about a hot engine on your Cadillac
instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you badly, even if
you just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see or
hear steam coming from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until there is no
sign
of steam or coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the I
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engine is cool.
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Page 250 of 406

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine --
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
-- . If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot
when you:
- Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
-
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
- minute or so:
- 2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N” (Neutral).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
-
-
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right
away.
237
e. If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine for two or three
minutes while you’re parked,
to see if the warning stops. But then, if you
still have the warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.
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Page 251 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine COOLING SYSTEM
. .. .. .
-6’ - ..... .3 c. .- c
t ‘I
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what you’ll see:
Coolant recovery tank
7 Radiator pressure cap
7 Electric engine fans
’ A CAUTION: I
An electric fan under 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.
238
Page 252 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The coolant level should be at or above near “FULL COLD.” If it isn’t,
you may have
a leak in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine parts, can be very
hot. Don’t touch them. If you do, you can be burned.
Dodbrun the engine if there is a leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak Pied before you drive the vehicle.
ng your engine witrwut coularr~ isn’t
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric engine fans are
running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
239
Page 253 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
near
“FULL COLD.” add a 50/50 mixture of clean water (preferably
distilled) and a proper antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See
“Engine Coolant”
in the Index for more information about the proper
coolant mix.)
1
A CAUTION: i
Jding only plain water to your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid like alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant mix. With plain
water
or the wrong mix, 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 mix of clean
water and
a proper antifreeze.
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iL ,&
r-
c-
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Page 254 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine c-
A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol and it will burn if the engine
parts are hot enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
I
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or above near “FULL
COLD,” start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant mix directly to the radiator, but be sure
the cooling system is cool before you do it.
241
Page 255 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling system can blow
out and
burn you badly. They are under pressure, and if you
turn the radiator pressure'cap
-- even a little -- they can come
out at high speed. Never turn the cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap,
is hot. Wait for the cooling
system
and radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
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Page 256 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap and upper radiator hose, is
no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly to the left until it first stops.
(Don’t press down
while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait
for that to stop. A hiss means there is still some
pressure left.
1
i
2. Then keep turning
the pressure cap,
but
now push
down
as you turn
it. Remove the
pressure cap.
243