1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme engine overheat

How to Use this Manual
MANY PEOPLE READ THEIR OWNER’S Part 1: Seats & Safety Belts
manual from beginning to end when This part tells you how to use your
they first receive their new vehicle. seats and safety belts properly.
This will help you learn about the
features and controls for your vehicle.
Part 2: Features & Controls
In this manual, you’ll find that This part explains how to start and
pictures and words work together operate your Oldsmobile.
to explain thhgs quickly.
There are nine
parts with color-
tabbed pages
in this manual.
Each part begins with
a brief list of
contents,
so you can usually tell at a
glance if that part contains the
information you want.
Part 4: Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information
and tips about the road and how to
Part 3: Comfort Controls & Audio Systems drive under different conditio%
This part tells you how to adjust the
ventflation and comfort controls
and
how to operate your audio system.
Part 5: Problems on the Road
This part tells you what to do if you
have
a problem while driving, such as
a flat tire or engine overheating.
You can bend the manual slightly to
reveal the color tabs that help you
find a part.
6

i-
Features & Controls
96
Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may
overheat.
See the
Index under Engine Coolant
and have your vehicle serviced as soon
as you can.
Oil Warning Light
(E LE CTRONlC CLUSTER)
If you have a problem with your oil, this
light may stay on after you start your
engine,
or come on when you are
driving. This indicates that oil is not
going through your engine quickly
enough to keep it lubricated. The engine
could be low
on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed right
away. The
oil light could also come
on in three
other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, the light will come on
as a test to show you it is working, but
the light will go out when you turn the
ignition to
Start. If it doesn’t come on
with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it
fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling
at a stop, the light may blink on and
off. This is normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light may
come on for a moment. This is
normal.

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).

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
............... 188
Jump Starting
........................................................................\
.................................. 189
Towing Your Oldsmobile
........................................................................\
............... 193
Engine Overheating
........................................................................\
........................ 197
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
........................... 204
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
....................... 205
Compact Spare Tire ........................................................................\
........................ 211
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ......................................................... 212
187

3. Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end of each lower
control
arm.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature
gage or the warning light about a hot
engine
on your Oldsmobile’s instrument
panel.
You also have a low coolant
warning light on your instrument panel.
See the
Index under Coolant
Temperature Gage for the gage cluster.
r
If Steam is Coming from Your Engine:
CAUTION
A
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 engine is cool.
197

Probkms on the Road
Engine Overheating (CONTJ
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.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
198
If you get the overheat warning with no
sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in
a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for ab& 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.
f there's still no sign of steam, you can
dle the engine for two or three minutes
vhile you're parked, to see if the
varning stops.
3ut then,
if you still have the warning,
KJRJNOFFTHEENGINEANDGET
WERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE
Inti1 it cools
down.
(ou may decide not to lift the hood but
o get service help right away.

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant
recovery tank is boiling, don’t do
anything else until it cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above
the
COLD mark.
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.
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CAUTION I
Heater and radiator hoses,
and other engine parts, can
1;, ;cry hot. Don’t touch them. If
you do,
you can be burned.
Don’t run 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 fixed before
I
you drive the vehicle.
I
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see
if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running.
If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
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
COLD, add a
50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank.
(See the Index under Engine Coolant
for more information abaut the proper
coolant
mix.)
199

Problems on the Road
Adding 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.
I
200
You can be burned if you
spill coolant on hot engine
-I.& Coolant contains ethylene
pdrts are hot enough. Don't spill
ycol
and it will burn if the engine
I I coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant
in the coolant
recovery tank is at or above
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.
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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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