1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE radiator

Features & Controls
I
Rear Window Wiper and Washer
To Use Your Rear Wiper: Slide the
lower control
to [\J for steady wiping
cycles.
For a Delayed Wiper Cycle: Slide the
lower control to
DELAY.
To Wash
the Rear Window: Slide the
lower control to
a and hold it. The
washer and wiper will operate only as
long as the control is held in that
position. Then the wiper will return
to
DELAY.
Driving without washer flui
A can be dangerous. A bad
mud splash can block
you]
vision. You could hit another
vehicle or go off the road. Chec.
your washer fluid level
oftc --
In freezing weather, don’t use
your washer until the windshielc
is warmed. Otherwise the
washer fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your
vision.
II
Don’t mix water with ready-to
use washer fluid. Water
can
cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer fluid
tank
and other parts of the washer
g+z] 1
system. Also, water doesn’t cleag?‘i
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
% hll when it’s very cold. This
allows for expansion, which
could damage the
tank if it is
completely
fi
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in
your windshield washer. It can
, = .%
damage your washer system and
paint.
,.
? .:~.;l I
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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, or fans if you
have the rear climate control system
or the
3800 V6 engine.
I A An electric fan under the hod
L 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.
197
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Overheating (CONTI)
The coolant level should be at or above
the
FULL HOT 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.
I, rn Heater and radiator hoses, and
b other engine parts, can be
VGI~ 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
cou
be burned. Get any leak fix
before you drive the vehicle Engine damage from running your
: engine without coolant isn’t
i.: covered
by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan(s) is
running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan(s) 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 the
FULL HOT mark, add a 50/50 mixture
of
clean water (preferably distilled) and
a proper antifreeze at the coolant
recovery
tank. (See the Index under
Coolant for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
ProCarManuals.com

A
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
In cold- weatl , w r can .
and crack the engine, radial
heater core
and other parts. ‘,A
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 the FULL
HOT mark, 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.
199
ProCarManuals.com

Problems on the Road
Engine Overheating (CONX)
I A Steam and scalding liquids I
I from a hot cooling system can
blow out and bum you badly. They
I
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.
~ I Vow to Add Coolant to the Radiator:
I. 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.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap,
but now push down as you turn it.
Remove the pressure cap.
~ 200
ProCarManuals.com

3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix,
up
to the base of the filler neck.
4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
the
FULL HOT mark.
5. Put the cap back on the coolant
recovery tank, but leave
the radiator
pressure cap
off.
201
ProCarManuals.com

Problems on the Road
202
P
Engine Overheating (CONI)
6. Start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting
hot. Watch out for the engine
fan(
s) .
7. By this time, the coolant level inside
the radiator filler neck may be lower.
If
the level is lower, add more of the
proper
mix through the filler neck
until the level reaches the base
of the
filler neck.
8. Then replace the pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows
on the pressure cap
line up like this.
ProCarManuals.com

P P
3,lL V6 Engine (CODE D)
1. Engine Coolant Reservoir
2. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
3. Air Cleaner
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir
5. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
6. Battery
7. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
8. Engine Oil Dipstick
9. Engine Oil Fill Can
1 0. Radiator Cap
@ U6084
223
ProCarManuals.com