Page 189 of 323
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your Oldsmobile.
But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
MU I IUIV
I; Batteries can hurt you. They
h can be dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn
They contain gas that can
They contain enough electricity
If you don’t follow these steps
exactly, some or all
of these things
can hurt you.
you.
explode
or ignite.
to burn you. Ignoring
these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that
wouidn’t becovered by your
warranty.
Trying to start your Oldsmobile
b
pushing or pulling it won’t work,
and it could damage your vehicle
To Jump Start Your Oldsmobile:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
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Problems on the Road
i
I
I
I
I88
Jump Starting (CONT.)
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start your
Oldsmobile, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured
if the
L vehicles roll. Set the parking
brake
firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transaxle in
P (Park)
or a manual transaxle
in N (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles.
Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios.
This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the
batteries.
r An electric fan can start up
even when the engine is not
I
I uming and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Find the positive
(+) and negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
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Page 191 of 323

Your Oldsmobile has a remote positive
(+) jump starting terminal. The terminal
is in the red box on the same side
of the
engine compartment as your battery.
You should always use the remote
positive
(+) terminal instead of the
positive
(+) terminal on your battery.
To open the remote positive (+)
terminal box, pull the tab and open the
cover.
A
Using a match near a battery
can cause battery gas to
explode. People have been
hurt
doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a flashlight if you
need more light.
You don’t need to add water to the
Delco Freedom@ battery installed
in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the
right amount of fluid is there. If
it
is low, add water to take care of
that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can
bum you. Don’t get it on
you. If
you accidentally get it in your eyes
or
on your skin, flush the place
with water and get medical help
immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t
have loose or missing insulation. If
they do, you could get a shock. The
vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and negative
(-) will go to negative (-) or a metal
engine part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts, too.
Fans
or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly.
Keep your hands away bm
moving parts once the engines are
running. I
I89
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Jump Starting (CONT.)
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to
the positive
(+) terminal of the
vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
0
7. Don’t let the other end touch metal.
Connect
it to the positive (+)
terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (-)
cable to the good battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end
of the
negative cable
doesn’t go to the dead
battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part on the engine of the vehicle
with the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as
good there, but the chance of sparks
getting back to the battery is much
less.
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Sewice & Appearaj
The braking system on a modern vehicle
is complex. Its many parts have to be of
top quality and work well together if the
vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-
quality GM brake parts
in them, as your
Oldsmobile does when it is new. When
you replace parts of your braking
system-for example, when your brake
linings wear down and you have to have
new ones put in-be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you
don’t, your brakes may no longer work
properly. For example, if someone puts
in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes can change, for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve
come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts
in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Oldsmobile has a Delco
Freedom@ battery. You never have to
add water to one
of these. When it’s
time for a new battery, we recommend a
Delco Freedom@ battery. Get one that
has the catalog number shown on the
original battery’s label.
Jump Starting
For jump starting instructions, see the
Index under Jump Starting.
Vehide Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle
for
25 days or more, take off the black
negative
(-) cable from the battery.
This will help keep your battery
from
running down.
II
- Batteries have acid that can
1 burn you and gas that can
plode. You can be badly hurt if
u aren’t careful. See the Index
der Jump Starting for tips on
Irking around a battery without
tting
hurt.
- -
”
Contact your dealer to learn how to
prepare your vehicle for longer storage
periods.
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