1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE overheating

How to Use this Manual
MANY PEOPLE READ THEIR OWNER t’S
manual from beginning to end when
they first receive their new vehicle.
This
will help you learn about the
features and controls for
your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll find that
pictures and words work together
to explain things quickly.
There are nine
parts with color-tabbed
pages to help you find each of the
parts of this manual. Each part begins
with a brief list of contents,
so you
can usually tell at
a glance if that part
contains the information you want.
YOU can bend the manual slightly to
reveal the color tabs that
help you
find
a part.
Part 1: Seats & Sa fety Belts
This part tells
you how to use your
seats and safety belts properly.
Part 2: Features & Controls
This part explains how to start and
operate your Oldsmobile.
Part 3: Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
This part tells you how to adjust the
ventilation and comfort controls and
how to operate your audio system.
Part 4: Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information
and tips about the road and how
to
drive under different conditions.
Part 5: Problems on the Road
This part tells you what to do if you
have
a problem while driving, such as
a flat tire or engine overheating.
6
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I
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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Your Driving and the Road
Driving with a Trailer (CONT.)
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the
left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider
turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different
turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal
a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to
turn, change
lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 Wh) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating. If
your vehicle has a 3800 V6 engine, you
should also drive in
D instead of
Overdrive when towing a trailer on
fairly level roads. This will help your
engine and transaxle run cooler in
this
condition, too.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more
than 1,000 pounds (454 kg), and
you have an automatic transaxle with Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
D
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to,
a lower gear).
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.....
Here you'll find what to do about
some problems that
can occur on the
road .
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers .... ............................... 186
Jumpstarting .................................................... 187
Towing Your Oldsmobile ........................................... 191
Engine Overheating ............................................... 195
If a Tire Goes Flat ................................................ 203
ChangingaFlatTire
.............................................. 204
Compact Spare Tire
............................................... 212
If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud. Ice or Snow ............................ 213
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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.
I
195
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Problems on the Road
I Enaine overheating (CONT:)
you keep driving with no coolant
your vehicle can be badly
damaged. The costly repairs wou
not be covered bv vour warrantv.
If No Steam is Coming from Your
Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see
or hear no steam, the problem may not
be too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. If you get
the overheat warning with no
sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1 . Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine
runs slower).
If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just
to be safe,
drive slower for about ten minutes.
If
the warning doesn’t come back on, you
can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
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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.)
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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
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