Luggage .Cartier (OPTION)
If you have the optional luggage carrier,
you
can load things on the deck lid of
your vehicle.
The luggage carrier has
slats attached to
the deck lid, a rear rail, and tiedowns. Don’t exceed
the maximum vehicle
capacity when loading your Oldsmobile.
For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see the
Index
under Loading Your Vehicle.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo as
you’re driving, check now and then
to
make sure the luggage carrier and cargo
are still securely fastened.
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Do not tow a trailer if you have a
convertible with the 3.4L VIN Code X
engine.
Your Oldsmobile can tow a trailer. To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in
Weight of the
Trailer that appears later in this section.
But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering
means changes in handling, durability,
and fuel economy. Successful, safe
trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and that
of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the drag of the added weight. The
engine
is required to operate at
relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat.
What’s more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig
will be legal, not oplly where you
live but also where you’ll be driving.
A
good source for this information can
be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the
first
500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is
an important weight to measure
because it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity
weight includes the curb weight of the
vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it,
and the people who
will be riding in
the vehicle. And
if you will tow a
trailer, you must subtract the tongue
load
from your vehicle’s capacity
weight because your vehicle
will be
carrying that -weight, too. See the
Index under Loading Your Vehicle for
more information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity. The
trailer tongue
(A) should weigh
10% of the total loaded trailer weight
(B) . After you’ve loaded your trailer,
weigh the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see
if the weights are
proper.
If they aren’t, you may be able
to get them right simply by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s
Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated
to the limit for cold tires.
You will find
these numbers
on the Certification
label at the rear edge of the driver’s
door or on the inside
of the trunk lid.
See the
Index under Tire L0adin.g.
Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when
you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when
you remove the hitch.
If you don’t
seal them, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO)
from your exhaust can get into
your vehicle. (See the
Index under
Carbon Monoxide in Exhaust. Dirt
and water can, too.
179
Sewice & Appearance Care
Windshield Wper Blade
Replacement
Replacement blades come in different
types and are removed
in different
ways. Here’s how to remove the type
with a release clip:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away
2. Lift the release clip with a
from the windshield.
screwdriver and
pull the blade
assembly
off the wiper arm.
the wiper m.
3. Push the new wiper blade securely on
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight it may properly carry. The
Tire-Loading Information label found on the inside
of the trunlc lid tells you
the proper size, speed rating and
recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It
also gives
you important information about the
number
of people that can be in your
vehicle and the total weight that you
can carry. This weight is called the
Vehicle Capacity Weight and includes
the weight
of all occupants, cargo, and
all nonfactory-installed options.
The other label is the Certification label,
on the rear edge
of the driver’s door. It
tells you the gross weight capacity
of
your vehicle, ded the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR
includes the weight of the vehicle,
all
occupants, fuel and cargo. Never exceed
the
GVWR for your vehicle, or the
Gross Axle~Weight Rating (GAWR) for
either the front
or rear axle.
And,
if you do have a heavy load, you
should spread it out. Don’t cany
more
than 167 lbs, (75 kg) in your trunk.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately
or
in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and
have been approved for use on General
Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to
Federal safety requirements in addition
to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and
Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have
your wheels aligned again. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear
or your
vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you
notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked
or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts,
and wheel nuts should be replaced. If
the wheel leaks air out, replace it
(except some aluminum wheels, which
can sometimes be repaired). See your
Oldsmobile dealer if any of these
conditions exist. Your dealer will know
the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have
the same
load carrying capacity, diameter, width,
offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts,
replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you
will be sure to have the right wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your
Oldsmobile model.
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