1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA engine

Part 6
Sewice &Appearance Care
Service ........................................................................\
............................................. 162
Fuel
........................................................................\
.................................................. 163
Hood Release
........................................................................\
................................... 165
Engine Oil
........................................................................\
........................................ 168
Air Cleaner
........................................................................\
...................................... 171
Transmission Fluid ........................................................................\
.......................... 172
Axles/Transfer Case
........................................................................\
........................ 174
Engine Coolant
........................................................................\
................................ 174
Power Steering Fluid
........................................................................\
....................... 176
Windshield Washer Fluid ........................................................................\
................
177
Brakes ........................................................................\
.............................................. 178
Battery ........................................................................\
............................................. 180
Bulb Replacement
........................................................................\
........................... 181
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ................................................................... 182
..
Loading Your Vehicle ........................................................................\
..................... 183
Tires ........................................................................\
................................................. 185
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
............................. 190
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.................................................................... 195
Add-on Electrical Equipment
........................................................................\
........ 196
Fuses
& Circuit Breakers ........................................................................\
................ 196
Capacities
& Specifications ........................................................................\
............ 199
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
............................................................... 200
Fluids & Lubricants ........................................................................\
........................ 201
Replacement Bulbs
........................................................................\
.......................... 202
.
161
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Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher. Use premium
unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher for high power performance,
when towing a trailer or with a high
payload requirement. But when
operating with a light load as
a normal
condition, you may use middle grade or
regular unleaded gasolines.
The gasoline you use should meet
specifications ASTM D4814 in the U.S.
and CGSB
3.5-92 in Canada. These
fuels should have the proper additives,
so you should not have to add anything
to the fuel.
In the
U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be
sure you get the right kind of gasoline
(unleaded). You’ll see “UNLEADED” right
on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler
neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 91
for premium, 89 for middle grade and
87 for regular.
If the octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise
when you drive. If it’s bad enough, it
can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 91 octane or
higher and you still hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry
if you hear a little
pinging noise when you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal, and
you don’t have to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid of it. It’s the heavy,
constant knock that means you have a
problem.
What about gasoline with blending
materials that contain oxygen
(oxygenates), such as MTBE or
alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.”
Fuel that
is no more than 15% MTBE is
fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol.
Properly-blended fuel that is no more than
10% ethanol is
fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5%
methanol is bad for your vehicle.
Don’t use it. It can corrode metal
parts in your fuel system and also
damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage wouldn’t be covered
under your warranty. And even at
5% or less, there must be
“cosolvents” and corrosion
preventers in this fuel to help avoid
these problems.
GasoUnes for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit
control 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
oxygenates. General Motors
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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
Then go to the front of the vehicle and
pull up on the underhood release.
Lift the hood. The
prop rod may be hot due to
increased engine temperatures under
the hood. Use the prop rod sleeve when
handling the prop rod.
Press down on the prop rod to release it
from its storage clip. Then put the end
of the prop rod into the slot in the
underside of the hood. Before closing
the
hood, be sure all the
filler caps are on properly. Then lift the
hood to relieve pressure on the prop
rod. Remove the prop rod from the slot
in the hood and return the prop to its
retainer. Then just let the hood down
and close it firmly.
Underhood Light
Your underhood light will come on
whenever
you open the hood.
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4.3L V6 Engine (CODE w)
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
1. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Automatic Transmission Dipstick
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir
5. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
6. Air Cleaner
7. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
8. Engine Oil Dipstick
9. Radiator Pressure Cap
IO. Battery
a
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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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What Kind of Oil to Use
Beginning midyear 1993, oils of the
proper quality for your vehicle will be
identified with this new “starburst”
symbol. The “starburst” symbol
indicates that the oil has been certified
by the American Petroleum Institute
(API), and is preferred for use in your
gasoline engine.
You should look for this on the front of
the oil container, and use only oils that
display this new symbol.
You should also use the proper viscositJ
oil for your vehicle, as shown in the
following chart:
I RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COLD STARTING,
SELECT THE LOWEST SAE VISCOSITY GRADE OIL
FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANGE.
Y
HOT
WE
-
“F
k100
+so
+SO
+40
+20
0
ATHER __
COLD
-
“C
t38
t 21
t16
t4
-7
-18

LOOK FOR
ONE OF THESE
LABELS
SAE 5W-30 PREFERRED
IF NEITHER SAE 5W-30 NOR SAE 1OW-30 GRADE OILS ARE AVAILABLE, SAE 30 GRADE MAY BE USED AT TEMPERATURES WEATHER ABOVE 40 DEGREES F (4 DEGREES c).
DO NOT USE SAE 1OW-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED.
Is shown in the chart, SAE 5W-30 is
lest for your vehicle. However, you can
Ise
SAE 1OW-30 if it’s going to be 0°F
:-lS.C)
or above. These numbers on an
)il container show its viscosity, or thickness.
Do not
use other viscosity oils,
such as SAE
IOW-40 or SAE 20W-50.
If you cannot find oils with the new
“starburst” symbol on the front of the
container, you should look for and use
oils containing the following three things:
SH or SG
“SH”
or “SG” must be on the oil
container, either by itself or combined
with other quality designations, such as “SH/CD,” “SH,SG,CD,” “SG/CD,” etc.
These letters show American Petroleum Institute (API) levels of quality.
SAE 5W-30
Energy Conserving I1
Oils with these words on the
container will help you save fuel.
These three things are usually included
in a doughnut shaped logo (symbol) on
most containers.
If you cannot find oils
with the “starburst” symbol, you should
look for oils with the doughnut shaped
symbol, containing the three things
noted above.
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Service & Appearance Care
1 70
NOTICE:
If you use oils that do not have
either the “starburst” symbol or an
API SH or SG designation, you can
cause engine damage not covered
by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil (in Canada, GM
Engine Oil) meets all the requirements
for your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your
Oldsmobile dealer is ready to advise
if
you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
Most trips are less than 4 miles (6
It’s below freezing outside and most
trips are less than
10 miles (16 km) .
The engine is at low speed most of the
time (as in door-to-door delivery, or in
stop-and-go traffic).
You tow a trailer often.
Most trips are through dusty places.
The vehicle is frequently operated off-
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your
oil and filter every 3,000 miles (5 000
ltm) or 3 months - whichever comes
first.
lm) .
road.
Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block Heater)
An engine coolant heater can be a big
help if you have to park outside in very
cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or colder. If
your vehicle has this option, see Engine
Coolant Heater
in the Index.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you laow that used engine oil
contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even
cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your skin
and nails with soap and water, or a
good hand cleaner. Wash or properly
throw away clothing or rags containing
used engine oil. (See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of
oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the
environment.
If you change your own
oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t
ever dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies
of
water. Instead, recycle it by taking it to a
place that collects used oil.
If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used
oil, ask your dealer, a service station or a
local recycling center for help.
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