1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme engine overheat

How to Use this Manual
MANY PEOPLE READ THEIR OWNJ3R’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 explainthings quickly.
There
are nine parts with thumb-
tabbed pages in
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 manuaI slightly to
reveal the tabs that help you
find a
part.
Part 1: Seats & Restraint Systems
This part tells you how to use your
seats and safety belts properly.
Part 2: Features & Controls
Ths 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.

Features & Controls
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in 2 (Second Gear) for
more than
5 miles (8 km) , or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 kwh), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use
D or 3 as much as possible.
Don’t
shift into 2 unless you are
going slower than
65 mph (105
krn/h), or you can damage your
engine.
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow
or
mud. If the shift lever is put in 1, the
transaxle won’t shift into first gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate,
don’t
try to drive. This might
happen if you were stuck in very
deep sand or mud or were up
against a solid object. You could
damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill,
don’t hold your vehicle there with
only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift
into
P (Park) to hold. your vehicle.
in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
The parking brake uses the brakes on
.the rear wheels.
To Set the Parking Brake:
Hold thexegular brake pedal down with
your right .foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. If the
ignition is
on, the brake system warning
light will come on.

Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how
much fuel you have left, when the
ignition is on. When the indicator nears
E (Empty), you still have a little fuel left,
but yonshould get more soon.
Here arethree things that some owners
ask about. None of these show a
problem
with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, with your ignition
on, the gas pump shuts
off before the
gage reads
F (Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill
up than the gage indicated. For
example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half the
tank’s capacity to fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn
a corner or speed up.
For your fuel tank capacity, see
Service
Station Information
on the last page of
this manual.
qBAG
1..
PES \/
Engine Coolant Temperafure
Gage
You have a gage that shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the gage pointer
moves into the red area, your engine is
too hot!
That reading means the same thing as
the warning light. 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.
93

94
P
,w 0I.L LOW
EVEL COOLANT I
I
Low Coolant Wa-mjng Light
If this light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may
overheat.
See .the
Index. under Engine Coolant.
and have your vehicle serviced as.soon
as you can
...
LOW 'OIL .
LEV-E L; COOLA
Low Engine Oil- Level Warning
Light
(omorv)
Your engine may be equipped with an
oil level monitoring system. When. the
ignition key is turned on, the
LOW OIL
LEVEL light will briefly flash. If the
light stays
on, stop the vehicle on a level
surface and turn the engine off. Check
the oil level using the engine oil
dipstick. (See the
Index under Engine
Oil.) If the light does not flash, have the
low oil level sensor system repaired
so it
will be ready to warn you if there's a
problem.
NOTIC E:
The oil.leve1 monitoring system
only checks oil level during the
brief period between key on and
engine crank. It does not monitor
engine oil level when the engine is
running. Additionally, an oil level
check is only performed if the
engine has been turned off for a
considerable peri.od of time
allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the
oil pan.

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 ltm/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have
an automatic transaxle with Overdrive,
you may want to drive in
3 instead of D
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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 choclts under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel choclts are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
choclts 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
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
147

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 ........................................................................\
............... 150
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
.................................. 150
Towing
Your Oldsmobile ........................................................................\
............... 154
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
........................ 158
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
........................... 165
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
....................... 166
Compact Spare Tire
........................................................................\
........................ 172
If You’re Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow ......................................................... 173
c
149

Twin Dual Cam 3.4L V6: Ad,ding
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
I Engine .Coolant
The follciwing explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant when it
is low. If
you have a problem with
engine overheating or
if y0.u need to add
coolant to your radiator,
see Engine
Overheating in the Index.
The proper coolant for your Oldsmobile
will:
Give freezing protection down to-34”F
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect againstrust and corrosion.
(-37°C).
(128°C).
Help keep the proper engine
Let the warning lights work as they
What to Use
temperature.
should.
Use
a mixture of one-half dean-water
(preferably distilled) and one-half
antifreeze that meets
“GM Specificatkm
1825-M,” which won’t damage
aluminum parts.
You can also use a
recycled coolant conforming
to GM
Specification 1825-M with
a complete coolant
flush and refill.
If you use this
mixture, you don’t need to add
anything
else.

NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix,
your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the
mix can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Adding Coolant
To Check Coolant
When your engine is cold, the coolant
level should be at the
COLD mark or a
little higher. When your engine is warm,
the level should be up to the
HOT mark
or a little higher.
1 SECURITY I
P
w OIL LOW
EVEL COOLANT I
If this light comes on, it means you’re
low on engine coolant.
To Add Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the
proper mix
at the coolant recovery
tank.
If the coolant recovery tank is
completely empty, add coolant to the
radiator. (See
Engine Overheating in
the
Index.)
191