1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme brake fluid

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.

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

Then go to the front of the vehicle and
release the secondary hood release.
Lift the hood. An electric fan
under the
hood can start up and injure
you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and
tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
‘I f. E
F
Things that burn can get on
hot engine parts and start a
fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid,
windshield washer and other fluids,
and plastic or rubber.
You or others
nnuld be burned. Be careful not to
-,3p or spill things that will burn
onto
a hot enqine.
I
3efore closing the hood, be sure all the
iller caps are on properly. Then just
~ll the hood down and close it firmly.
223

224
P P
3,IL V6 Engine (CODE TI
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
1. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
2. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
3. Brake Fluid Reservoir
4. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
5. Battery
6. Air Cleaner
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap
8. Engine Oil Dipstick
9. Radiator Pressure Cap
IO. Engine Coolant Reservoir
W6118

Twin Dual Cam (DOHC) 3.41 V6
Engine (CODE x)
When you open the hood, you'll see:
1. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
2. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
3. Brake Fluid Reservoir
4. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
7. Engine Oil Fill Cap
8. Engine Oil Dipstick
9. Radiator Pressure Cap
. I$?. .- .. Engine . Coolant Reservoir . ,,- ,. . ~- ...%... J: L....'. Il,i ... ii I/ i.2:. ,
i

Automatic Transaxle Fluid (CONT.)
Wait at least 30 minutes before
checking the transaxle fluid level
if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above
At high speed for quite awhile.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid
should be at normal operating
temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about
15 miles (24 lm) when outside
temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If
it's colder than 50°F
(lO"C), you may
have to drive longer.
90°F (32°C).
weather.
To Check the Fluid Level:
Park your vehicle on a level place.
Place the shift lever in P (Park) with
With your foot on the brake pedal,
the
parking brake applied.
move the shift lever through each gear
range, pausing for about three
seconds in each range. Then, position
the shift lever in
P (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for three to
five minutes.
Then, Without Shutting off the
Engine, Follow These Steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three
seconds and then pull it back out
must be in the crosshatched area.
4. If the fluid level is where it should be,
push the dipstick back in all the way.
-

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.

If you have too much brake
fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn
if the
engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle
could be damaged. Add brake fluid
only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
? I
When your brake fluid falls to a low
level,
your brake warning light will
come on. See the Index under Brake
System Warning Light.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid-such as Deko
Supreme
11* (GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container
only.