1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE ESP

Ifa Tire Goes Hat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out”
while you’re driving, especially if
you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if you should ever
have a “blowout:’ here are a few tips
about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire
fails, the flat tire will
create a drag that pulls
the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering
wheel
firmly. Steer to maintain lane
position, then gently brake to a stop well
out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a skid and may require
the same correction you’d use in a skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot
from the accelerator pedal. Get
the
vehicle under control by steering the
way you want the vehicle to go.
It may
be very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next section
shows how
to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Air Inflator
Your vehicle may have an air inflator for
use
in bringing tires up to the proper
pressure.
To learn about it, see the Index
under Air Inflator System.
Inflating something too much
can make it explode, and
you
or others could be injured. Be sure
to read the inflator instructions and
inflate any object only to
its
recommended pressure.
I
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Service & Appearance Care
218
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
That helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working properly. It’s good for your vehicle, and
you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. General
Motors recommends that you use
gasolines with these blending materials,
such as MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially
in those parts of the country that have
high carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines.
These gasolines are specially designed
to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors recommends that you use
reformulated gasoline. By doing
so, you
can help clean the air, especially in
those parts of the country that have high
ozone levels.
You should ask your service station
operators
if their gasolines contain
detergents and oxygenates, and
if they
have been reformulated to reduce
vehicle emissions.
”z
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the
U.S. or Canada,
unleaded fuel may be hard to find.
Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even
one tankful, your emission controls
won’t work well or at all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get
fouled, the exhaust system can corrode,
and your engine oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor
will be damaged. All of that means
costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
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;:-...Too much or too little fluid can
your transaxle.
Too much
that some of the fluid
out and fall on hot
..engine parts, starting a fire. Be
accurate reading if Wait
at least
30 minutes before checking
the transaxle fluid level
if you have been
driving:
When outside temperatures are above
90" F (32 " C) .
At high speed for quite awhile.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot
weather.
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 km) when outside
temperatures are above
50" F (10°C). If
it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may
have to drive longer.
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 shifi lever through each gear
range, pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in P (Park).
five minutes.
Let the engine run at idle for three to
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Service & Appearance Care
234
Automatic mansaxle Fluid (CONK)
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
again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and
read the lower level. The fluid level
must be
in the cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is where it should
be, push the dipstick back
in all the
way.
I
3.1L V6: Checking Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
I
3800 V6: Checking Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind
of transaxle fluid to
use. See the Index under Fluids &
Lubricants.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough
of the proper fluid to bring the level into
the cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less
than a pint (0.5 L). Don’t overfill. We
recommend you use
only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-IIE, because fluids with that
label are made especially for your
automatic transaxle. Damage caused
by
fluid other than DEXRON -DE is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid
level as described under
How to Check.
When the correct fluid level is obtained,
push
the dipstick back in all the way.
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Service & Appearance Care
248
Inflation-Tire Pressure
The CertificatiodTire label which is on
the rear edge of the driver’s door shows
the correct inflation pressures for your
tires, when they’re cold. “Cold’’ means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than a
mile. Don’t
let anyone tell you that
underinflation
or overinflation is
all right. It’s not. If your tires don’t
have enough air (underinflation),
you can get:
Too much flexin1
Too much heat
Tire overloadine
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air
(overinflation), you can get:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road
I
When to Check:
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It
should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check:
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. Simply looking at
the tires will not tell you the pressure,
especially if you have radial tires-
which may look properly inflated even if
they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would
wear one and a half
(1%) times as well
on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction-A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are:
A, B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire
is based on braking (straight-
ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of heat
and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions
on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
the material
of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade
C corresponds to a
level
of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels
of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
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Service & Appearance Care
252
Temperature-A, B, C (CONT)
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 you have the right wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your Oldsmobile model.
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Maintenance Schedule
Section E: Maintenance Record
mter the scheduled services are performed, record the date,
or Schedule I1 maintenance charts which correspond to the
odometer reading and who performed the service in the
maintenance performed.
Also, you should retain all
columns indicated. When completing the Maintenance
maintenance receipts. Your owner information portfolio is a
Performed column, insert the numbers from the Schedule
I convenient place to store them.
DATE
294
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ODOMETER
READING SERVICED BY MAINTENANCE PERFORMED
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