How to Use this Manual
Vehicle Symbols (CONT.)
These symbols are on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wipers
These symbols are used on warning Here are some other symbols you
and indicator lights: may see:
Engine Coolant
Temperature Fuse
Windshield Washer
Lighter
Battery Charging
System
w Windshield Defroster
p3
Horn
Fuel
Engine Oil Pressure
Rear Window
Defogger
Wh
Speaker
Windshield Defogger
and Heater Hood Release
Anti-Lock Brakes
Rear Window Wiper
Rear Window
WasherlWiper
Ventilating Fan
Power Window
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Features & Controls
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your engine is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating
your vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should pull off the road,
stop your vehicle and
turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do. See the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake
system is divided into two parts. If one
part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking,
though, you need both parts working
well.
If the warning light goes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start
the vehicle.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
This light will
also come on when you
set your parking brake, and will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
I
If the light comes on while you’re
driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service.
(See the Index
under Towing Your Oldsrnobile.)
Your brake system may not be
h working properly if the brake
-kg light is on. Driving with
cllu ,,&e warning light on can lead
to
an accident. If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the
vehicle towed for service.
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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
114
Climate Control System
Your vehicle’s heater and air conditioner
work best
if you keep your windows
closed. Your vehicle also has
flow-
through ventilation, described later in
this section, to bring outside air into
your vehicle.
If you have the optional engine block
heater and use it during cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quickly provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Block Heater.
OFF Press to turn the system off. Press
any climate control setting to turn the
system
on.
3f : Slide the lever to the right to
increase fan speed, to the left to
decrease fan speed.
Temperature Control Lever: Slide the
lever to the right for warmer, heated air;
slide it to the left for cooled air.
Air Conditioner
When the temperature outside is above
freezing, the air conditioner compressor
will automatically condition the air
when you press
RECIRC (the AIC
indicator light will glow), DEFOG or
DEF (the A/C indicator light will not
Press
A/C (the A/C indicator light will
glow) to condition the
air when you
press
UPPER, BI-LEV or LOWER.
To turn off the air conditioner
compressor in these settings, press
A/C
again (the indicator light will go off).
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
air conditioner will default to the setting
you had selected before last turning off
the ignition. glow).
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3. Attach a separate safety chain around
the end of each axle inboard of the
spring.
4. Be certain your vehicle is towed no
faster than
35 mph (56 km/h) and no
farther than
50 miles (80 km) to
avoid damage to your transaxle.
damaging a vehicle
luring a tow over rough surfaces,
Install a towing dolly beneath the
wheels that would otherwise be on
the ground during the tow. This
will increase clearance between
the
wheel lift equipment and the
underbody of the towed vehicle.
Engine Overheating If Steam is Coming from Your Engine
You will find a coolant temperature gage
on your Oldsmobile's instrument panel.
See the
Index under Coolant
Temperature
Gage.
A Steam from an overheated
r - n engine can bum 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.
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F
3
1
;.1L V6: Adding Automatic Transaxle
Wid
_I
1800 V6: Adding Automatic
Pansaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant when it
is low.
If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
The proper coolant for your Oldsmobile
will:
Give freezing protection down to
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine
Let the warning lights work as they
-34°F (-37°C).
(128” C).
temperature.
should.
What to Use:
Use a mixture of one-half clean water
(preferably distilled) and one-half
antifreeze that meets “GM Specification
1825M,” which won’t damage aluminum
parts. You can also use a recycled
coolant conforming to GM Specification 1825M with a complete coolant flush
and refdl. Use
GM Engine Coolant
Supplement (sealer) with any complete
coolant change. If you use these, you
don’t need to add anything else.
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Service & Appearance Care
238
Radiator Pressure Cap
(105 kPa) pressure-type cap and
must be tightly installed to prevent
$3
coolant loss and possible engine +-
damage from overheating. Be sure
the arrows on the cap line up with
the overflow tube on
the radiator
filler neck.
When
you replace your radiator pressure
cap, an
AC@ cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled
by a thermostat
in the engine coolant
system. The thermostat stops the flow
of
coolant through the radiator until the
coolant reaches a preset temperature.
When
you replace your thermostat, an
AC@ thermostat is recommended.
Power Steering Fluid
How to Check Power Steering Fluid:
Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick
with a clean rag. Replace the cap
and
completely tighten it. Then remove the
cap again and look at the fluid level on
the dipstick.
When the engine compartment is hot,
the level should be at the
H (Hot)
mark.
the level should be at the
C (Cold)
mark.
When the engine compartment is cool,
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ITEM
NO.
5
6
7
SERVICE
Engine Accessory Drive Belt Inspection-
Inspect the drive belt for cracks, hying, wear and
proper tension. Replace as needed.
Cooling
System Service*-Drain, flush and refill
the system with new or approved recycled coolant
conforming to
GM Specification 1825M. Keep
coolant at the proper mixture as specified. See the
Index under Coolant. This provides proper freeze
protection, corrosion inhibitor level and engine operating temperature.
Inspect hoses and replace if they
are cracked,
swollen or deteriorated. Tighten screw-type hose
clamps. Clean the outside of the radiator and air
conditioning condenser. Wash the pressure cap and
neck.
To help ensure proper operation, we recornmend a
pressure test of both the cooling system
and the
pressure cap.
Transaxle Service-Change both the fluid and
filter every
15,000 miles (25 000 km) if the vehicle
is mainly driven under one or more
of these
conditions:
ITEM
NO. SERVICE
In heavy city traffic where the outside tem-
perature regularly reaches
90" F (32" C) or
higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police car or delivery
If you do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, change both the fluid and filter
every
100,OOO miles (160 000 km).
with the proper type. See the Index under
Replacement Parts.
9 Spark Plug Wire Inspection*-Inspect for burns,
cracks
or other damage. Check the boot fit at the
distributor or coils and at the spark plugs. Replace
wires as needed. service.
8 Spark Plug
Replacement*-Replace spark plugs
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312
Center Passenger Position (see Safety
Chains. Safety ................. 180
Chains. Tire
.............. .2l2. 253
Changing a Flat Tire
............ 204
Checking Brake Fluid
.................. 240
Engine Coolant
............... 236
Engine Oil
.................. 225
Power Steering Fluid
.......... 238
Things Under the Hood
........ 220
Transaxle Fluid
.............. 232
Child Restraints
................. 35
How to Install ................. 35
Where to Put
................. 36
Children and Safety Belts
..... .34, 40
Cigarette Lighter ................ 94
Circuit BreakerIRelay Panel
....... 267
Circuit Breakers
& Fuses ......... 264
City Driving
................... 165
Cleaner. Air
.............. .230. 271
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
............ 260
Cassette Tape Player
........... 135
Belts)
Safety Belt Systems ............ 42
Chemical Paint Spotting
.......... 262 Compact Discs
............... 136
Finish Care
.................. 259
Foreign Material
.............. 261
Glass
...................... 258
Inside of Your Vehicle
......... 255
Leather or Vinyl
.............. 257
Outside of the Windshield
and Wiper Blades
........... 259
Outside
of Your Vehicle ....... -259
Safety Belts
.................. 258
Special Problems
............. 257
Stains. Removing
............. 257
Top of the Instrument Panel
..... 258
Underbody Maintenance
........ 261
Vinyl or Leather
.............. 257
Warnings
................... 254
Weatherstrips
................ 260
White Sidewall Tires
.......... 260
Windshield
.................. 259
Climate Control System
...... .114, 117
Clock, Setting the
............... 122
Cluster, Instrument Panel
......... 102
Comfort Controls
............... 113
Air Conditioner
............... 114
Heater
...................... 115
Fabric .................. .255. 256 Rear
........................ 116
Ventilation
................... 120
Compact Disc Player (seeAudio Systems)
Compact Overhead Console ....... 99
Compact Spare Tire
............. 212
Compass Display
................ 87
Console, Overhead
.............. 85
Control of a Vehicle
............ -147
Convenience Net
................ 96
Convex Outside Mirror
........... 92
Coolant
...................... 235
Checking
& Adding ........... 236
Proper Mixture to Use
......... 198
Safety Warnings About
.. .199. 200, 236
Temperature Gage
............. 108
Cruise Control
.................. 75
Cup HoldedAshtray, Front ......... 94
Curves. Driving on
.............. 154
Customer Assistance Information
. . 297
Dead Battery: What
to Do ....... 187
Defensive Driving
.............. 144
Defogger. Rear Window
.......... 119
Defogging and Defrosting
......... 118
Delco LOC
II@ ................. 132
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