1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme brakes

Your Driving and the Road
1 70
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep
country, or if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to laow is this: let
your engine
do some of the slowing
down. Don’t make your brakes do it
all. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill. That way,
you will slow down without excessive
your
trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
I
Coasting downhill in N
(Neutral) or with the ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will
have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get
so hot that
they wouldn’t work well. You could
crash. Always have your engine
running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
use of your brakes.
I --
Know how to go uphill. You may
want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving
on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own
lane. That way, you won’t be
surprised by a vehicle coming toward
It takes longer to pass another vehicle
when you’re going uphill. You’ll want
to leave extra room to pass.
If a
I you in the same lane.
vehicle is passing you and doesn’t
have enough room, slow down to
make it easier for the other vehicle to
get by.

1 76
If You're Caught in a Blizzard
(CONT.)
Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, male it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel
for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle and possibly for signaling later
on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close
the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. But do it as little
as possible.
Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly
vigorous exercises every half-hour or
so until help comes.
If You're Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the
vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging it. See the
Index under
Rocking Your Vehicle. I
I
tiAUIIUN
I A If vou don't use the correct "
, equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when
you pull
a trailer. For example, if
the trailer is too heavy, the brakes
may not work well-or even at all.
You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer
only
if you have followed all the steps in
this section.

Your Driving and the Road
If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
(CONT.)
The bumpers on your vehicle are not
intended for hitches.
Do not attach
rental hitches or other bumper-type
hitches to them. Use only a frame-
mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road
if it becomes
separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by
the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s
recommendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And,
never allow safety chains to drag on the
ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000
pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its
own brakes-and they must be
adequate.
Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes,
do not try to tap into your vehicle’s
brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Even if your vehicle doesn’t have anti-
lock brakes, don’t tap into your
vehicle’s brake system if the trailer’s
brake system will use more than
0.02
cubic inch (0.3 cc) of fluid from your

Your Driving and the Road
Driving with a Trailer (CONT.)
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal.
Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have
a different turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows
on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change
lanes or stop. When towing a
trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your
signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the
trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and
no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 lm/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have
an automatic transaxle with Overdrive,
you may want to drive in
D instead of
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).

238
Service & Appearance Care
Windshield Washer Fluid (CONT.)
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is
filled with DOT-3 brake fluid.
Your vehicle is equipped with either Standard Power Brakes or the Anti-
Lock Brake System.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in your master cylinder
might go down. The first
is that the
brake fluid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear.
When new linings are put in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other
reason is that fluid is leaking
out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later
your brakes won’t work well, or won’t
work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your
brake fluid. Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If you add fluid when
your linings are worn, then you’ll have
too much fluid when you get new brake
linings. You should add (or remove)
brake fluid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.

CHECK
OR SERVICE
Steering Column Lock
Parking Brake and
Automatic Transaxle
P (Park) Mechanism
Check
Underbody Flushing
WHAT TO DO
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn the key to Lock in each shift lever
position.
The key should turn to Lock only when the shift lever is in P (Park).
The key should come out only in
Lock.
When you are doing this check, your vehicle could begin to move. You or others could be
injured and property could be damaged. Make sure there is room in front
of your vehicle
in case it begins
to roll. Be ready to apply the regular brake at once should the vehicle begin to
move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing downhill. Keeping your fool
un the regula1
brake, set the parking brake.
To check the parking brake: With the engine running and transaxle in N (Neutral), slowly
remove foot pressure from the regular brake pedal.
Do this until the vehicle is held by the
parking brake only.
To check the P (Park) mechanism’s holding ability: Shift to P (Park). Then release all brakes.
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any corrosive materials from the underbody. Take
care
to clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris can collect. 1 301

Maintenunce Schedule
Section C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections
Listed below are inspections and services which should be performed at least twice a year (for instance, each spring and fall).
You should let your GM dealer’s service department or other qualified service center do these jobs. Make sure any necessary
repairs
are completed at once.
302
INSPECTION
OR SERVICE
Steering, Suspension
and Front-Wheel-Drive
Axle Boot and Seal
Inspection
Exhaust System
Inspection
Throttle Linkage
Inspection
Brake System
Inspection
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
Inspect the front and rear suspension and steering system for damaged, loose or missing parts,
signs of wear, or lack of lubrication. Inspect the power steering lines and hoses for proper
hookup, binding, leaks, cracks, chafing, etc. Clean and then inspect the drive axle boot seals for
damage, tears or leakage. Replace seals if necessary.
Inspect the complete exhaust system. Inspect the body near the exhaust system. Look for broken,
damaged, missing or out-of-position parts as well as open seams, holes, loose connections, or
other conditions which could cause a heat build-up in the floor
pan or could let exhaust fumes
into the vehicle. See the
Index under Engine Ekhaust.
Inspect the throttle linkage for interference or binding, and for damaged or missing parts.
Replace parts as needed.
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and hoses for proper hookup, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors for surface condition. Inspect
other brake parts, including calipers, parking brake, etc. Check\
parking brake adjustment. You
may need to have your brakes inspected more often if your driving habits or conditions result
in
frequent braking.
NOTE: A low brake fluid level can indicate worn disc brake pads whi\
ch may need to be
serviced. Also, if the brake system warning light stays on or comes on, something may be wrong
with the brake system. See the
Index under Brake System Warning Light. If your vehicle is
equipped with anti-lock brakes and the anti-lock brake system w\
arning light stays on, comes on
or flashes, something may be wrong with the anti-lock brake system. See the
Index under Anti-
Lock Brake System Warning Light.

Index
326
Brake System Warning Light Anti-Lock Brake System
................. 99
Standard Brakes
............................... 98
Brakes. Anti-Lock
........................... 149
Warning Light
.................................. 99
Braking
in Emergencies ................... 153
Braking Technique ........................... 148
Break.Tn. New Vehicle
Normal Driving
............................... 54
When Towing a Trailer
.................. 177
Braking
............................................. 148
Buckling Up (see
Safety Belts)
Bulb Replacement
Center High-Mounted
Stoplight
.............................. 263. 280
Fog Lights
..................................... 249
Taillight
................................. 247. 280
Headlight
............................... 243. 280
Capacities and Specifications
....... 276
Carbon Monoxide
in Exhaust ............ 66
Cassette Tape Holder
........................ 83
Cassette Tape Player
(see
Audio Systems)
Center Lap Belts (see Safety Belts)
Chains. Tire ............................. 212. 258
Changing a Flat Tire
......................... 205
Checking Aim
of the Headlights .................... 241
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
............................................. 231
Brake Fluid
.................................... 238
Engine Coolant
............................. 235
Engine Oil
..................................... 226
Power Steering Fluid
.................... 237
Safety Belt Systems
.......................... 42
Things Under the Hood
................. 222
Child Restraints
.................................. 31
Children
............................................. 30
Cigarette Lighter
................................ 84
Circuit Breakers
& Fuses ................ 270
City Driving
..................................... 165
Cleaner, Air
.............................. 230, 283
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
........................ 265
Antenna
......................................... 135
Cassette Player and Tapes
............ 134
Compact Discs
.............................. 135
Fabric .............................................. 260 Fiberglass Springs
......................... 268
Glass
............................................... 263
HUD (Head-Up Display)
............. 104
Inside
of Your Vehicle ................... 260
Leather and Vinyl
.......................... 262
Outside
of Your Vehicle ............... 265
Safety Belts
................................... 262
Special Problems
........................... 261
Underbody Maintenance
.............. 267
Warnings
........................................ 259
Weatherstrips
................................ 266
White Sidewall Tires
..................... 266
Windshield
.................................... 264
Clock, Setting the
............................. 118
Clusters. Instrument Panel ................ 90
Coin Holder ....................................... 83
Comfort Controls
Climate Control
.............................. 110
Electronic Climate Control
............ 113
Steering Wheel Touch Controls
.... 116
Ventilation ..................................... 111
Compact Disc Player
(see
Audio Systems)
Compact Spare Tire ......................... 211
Compartments, Storage
............... 83, 84