1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA check engine

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country,
or
if you’re planning to visit there, here
are some tips that can make your trips
safer and more enjoyable. (See
Off-
Road Driving in the Index for
information about driving off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check
all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work
hard on mountain roads.
how how to go down hills. The most
important thing to how is this: let
your engine do some
of the slowing down.
Shift to
a lower gear when you
go
down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may
want to shift
down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb
the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains.
Don’t swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at speeds that
let you stay in your
own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be
alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on
mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and tale appropriate action.
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Your Driving and the Road
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 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more than
3,000 pounds (1 350 kg), it’s
best to drive in
D instead of Overdrive
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). This
will minimize heat build-up and extend
the life of your transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of
the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt,
cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual,
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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 basic 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. 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.
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Sewice & Appearance Care
I
164
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
deposit control additives and
oxygenates, and if they have been
reformulated to reduce vehicle
emissions.
Fuels in Forei’ 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.
To check on fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can
also write us at the following
address for advice. Just tell us where
you’re going and give your Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN)
.
General Motors Overseas Distribution
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Corporation
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Service & Appearance Care
168
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
every time you get fuel. In order to get
an accurate reading, the oil must be
warm and the vehicle must be on level
ground.
Turn off the engine and give the oil a
few minutes to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
To Check Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a
paper towel or cloth, then push it back
in all the way. Remove it again, keeping
the tip lower.
When to Add Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line,
then you’ll need to add some oil. But
you must use the right kind. This
section explains what kind of oil to use.
For crankcase capacity, see
Capacities
G. Specifications in the Index.
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil. If your
engine has
so much oil that the oil
level gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be damaged.
~~
Just fill it enough to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
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I Air Cleaner
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine when to replace the air filter
and the crankcase ventilation filter.
See
Scheduled Maintenance Services in
the
Index.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can easily get into your
engine, which will damage it.
Always have the air cleaner in place
when you’re driving.
To Check or Replace the Air Cleaner
Filter:
1. Loosen the two wing screws.
2. Lift the air cleaner filter housing.
3. Unsnap the two clips on the housing
cover and remove the cover.
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Service &Appearance Care
4. Remove the air cleaner filter from the
5. Install a new air cleaner filter and
housing.
reverse steps
1-3.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
4 good time to check your automatic
transmission fluid level is when the
:ngine oil is changed. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to change your fluid. See
Scheduled Maintenance Services in
the
Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have this
done at an Oldsmobile dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow
all the instructions here, or you could
get a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can
damage your transmission.
Too
much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot
engine parts or exhaust system,
starting a fire. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least
30 minutes before
checking the transmission fluid level if
you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are abovc
At high speed for quite a while.
90°F (32°C).
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).
To Check Transmission Fluid Hot:
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 ( 10°C), drive the
vehicle in
D (3rd Gear) until the engine
temperature gage moves and then
remains steady for ten minutes. Then
follow the hot check procedures.
To Check Transmission Fluid Cold:
A cold check is made after the vehicle
has been sitting for eight hours or more
with the engine off and is used only as a
reference. Let the engine run at idle for
five minutes if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or more. If it's colder than
50°F (lO"C), you may have to idle the
engine longer. Should the fluid level be
low during a cold check, you
must
perform a hot check before adding fluid.
This will give you a more accurate
reading of the fluid level.
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To Check the Fluid Hot or Cold:
Park your vehicle on a level place.
With the parking brake applied, place
With your foot on the brake pedal,
the
shift lever in
P (Park).
move the shift lever through each gear
range, pausing for about three
seconds in each range. Then, position
the shift lever in
P (Park).
minutes or more.
Let the engine run at idle for three Then, Without Shutting off the
Engine, Follow These Steps:
1. Flip the handle up and then 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
COLD area for a cold
check or in the
HOT area or cross-
hatched area for a hot check.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable
range, push the dipstick back in all
the way; then flip the handle down to
lock the dipstick in place.
How to Add FIuid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine what kind
of transmission
fluid to use. See
Recommended Fluids
G Lubricants in the index.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough
of the proper fluid to bring the level up
to the COLD area for a cold check or
the HOT area for a hot check. It doesn’t
take much fluid, generally less than a
pint
(OSL) . Don’t overfill. We
recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRONB-I11 or DEXRONB-IIE,
because fluids with that label are made
especially for your automatic
transmission. Damage caused by fluid
other than DEXRONB-I11 or
DEXRONB-IIE is not covered by your
new vehicle warranty.
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