1994 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE service

Your Driving and the Road
146
flow. Try to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your
turn signal, check your mirrors and
glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with
the traffic flow.
Once
you are on the freeway, adjust
your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay in the
right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your
mirrors. Then use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance
quickly over your shoulder to make sure
there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving
on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway,
move to the proper lane well in
advance. If you
miss your exit do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back
up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit
speed
is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at
higher speeds, you may tend to think
you are going slower than you actually
are.
I Before Leaving on a Long
Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you‘re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to go. If
it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Oldsmobile dealerships all
across North America. They‘ll be ready
and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are
all windows clean
inside and outside?
shape?
you checked all levels?
lenses clean?
safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
Tires: They are vitally important to a
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
Highway Hypnosis
Is tbere actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
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There is something about an easy
stretch
of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum
of the tires on the
road, the drone
of the engine, and the
rush
of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in
less than a
second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
ahead and to the sides. Check your
mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
I
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 countly,
or if you’re planning to visit there, here
are some tips that can make your trips
safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know
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.
147
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Your Driving and the Road
156
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 chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
P (Park).
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
Affer 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 transaxle fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each of
these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quicltly. If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
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Problems on the Road
I62
10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and run the engine for a
while.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the
dead battery. If it won’t start after a
few tries,
it probably needs service. w I
12. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don’t touch each
other or any other metal.
A
8
liowing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a
xofessional towing service tow your
3ldsmobile. The usual towing
:quipment
is:
[A) Sling-type tow truck
[B) Wheel-lift tow truck
:C) Car carrier
f your vehicle has been changed or
nodified since it was factory-new by
idding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
tero skirting, or special tires and
vheels, these instructions and
llustrations may not be correct.
3efore you do anything, turn on the
lazard warning flashers.
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When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed
from the front with sling-type
equipment.
drive.
vehicle.
lever. damaged.
That your vehicle has front-wheel
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
If there W~S an accident, what was
When the towing service arrives, let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions
and illustrations. The operator may
want to see them.
I should be clamped in a straight-ahead
When your vehicle
is being towed, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel designed for towing service.
Do not
use
the vehicle’s steering column lock for
this. The transaxle should be in Neutral
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the
front wheels, unless
you must. If the
vehicle must be towed on the front
wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56
l or your transaxle will be damaged.
If these
limits must be exceeded, then the front
wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
1 63
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Problems on the Road
If Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because
you keep driving with no coolant,
your vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
€ngine
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.
If there's still no sign of steam, you can
idle the engine for two or three minutes
while you're parked, to see if the
warning stops. But then,
if you still
have the warning, TURN
OFF THE
ENGINE AND GET EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but
to get service help right away.
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Problems on the Road
1..
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty. If
there seems to be
no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the fan
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
Engine Coolant in
the
Index for more information about
the proper coolant mix.)
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator,
heater core and other parts. Use the
recommended coolant.
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Here you will find information about
the care of
your Oldsmobile . This
part begins with service and fuel
information. and then it shows how
to check important fluid and
lubricant levels
. There is also
technical information about
your
vehicle. and a section devoted to its
appearance care
.
Part 6
Service & Appearance Care
Service ........................................................................\
............................................. 182
Fuel
........................................................................\
.................................................. 183
Hood Release ........................................................................\
................................... 186
Engine Oil ........................................................................\
........................................ 190
Air Cleaner
........................................................................\
...................................... 194
Transaxle Fluid
........................................................................\
................................ 195
Engine Coolant
........................................................................\
................................ 197
Power Steering Fluid
........................................................................\
....................... 199
Windshield Washer Fluid
........................................................................\
................ 200
Brakes
........................................................................\
.............................................. 201
Battery
........................................................................\
............................................. 203
Bulb Replacement
........................................................................\
........................... 203
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
................................................................... 205
Loading Your Vehicle
........................................................................\
..................... 206
Tires
........................................................................\
................................................. 207
Appearance Care ........................................................................\
............................. 212
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.................................................................... 218
Add-on Electrical Equipment
........................................................................\
........ 219
Fuses & Circuit Breakers ........................................................................\
................ 219
Capacities and Specifications
........................................................................\
......... 224
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
............................................................... 226
Fluids
& Lubricants ........................................................................\
........................ 227
Replacement
Bulbs ........................................................................\
.......................... 228
181
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