
During your trip, check occasionally  to 
be  sure  that  the  load is secure,  and  that 
the  lights  and 
any trailer  brakes  are  still 
working. 
Following  Distance 
Stay  at least twice  as far  behind  the 
vehicle  ahead  as  you would  when 
driving your vehicle  without  a trailer. 
This  can  help you avoid  situations  that 
require  heavy braking  and  sudden 
turns. 
Passing 
You’ll  need more passing  distance  up 
ahead  when  you’re towing  a  trailer. 
And,  because  you’re  a  good deal longer, 
you’ll  need  to  go much  farther  beyond 
the  passed vehicle before  you can  return 
to  your  lane. 
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 lwh)  to reduce  the possibility  of 
engine  and  transaxle  overheating. 
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).  This  will  minimize  heat 
build-up  and  extend  the  life of your 
transaxle. 
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Problems on the Road 
158 
I Hazard Warning Flashers 
Your hazard warning flashers  let you 
warn others.  They also let  police  know 
you  have  a problem.  Your front and rear 
turn  signal  lights will flash on  and off.  Your 
hazard warning flashers switch  is 
on  the  steering column  below the 
ignition switch. Press  the  button in to 
make  your front  and rear  turn signal 
lights flash  on  and off. 
Your hazard warning flashers work  no 
matter  what  position your  key 
is in,  and 
even 
if the  key  isn’t  in. 
To turn  off the  flashers,  pull out on the 
collar. 
When  the  hazard  warning flashers  are 
on,  your  turn signals  won’t work. 
Other  Warning  Devices 
If you  carry  reflective  triangles, you can 
set  one  up at  the  side of the  road  about 
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle. 
I Jump Starting 
If your battery has  run  down, you  may 
want  to  use  another  vehicle and some 
jumper cables 
to start  your Oldsrnobile. 
But  please  follow  the  steps  below to do 
it  safely. 
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NOTICE: 
Ignoring these  steps  could result  in 
costly  damage  to your vehicle  that 
wouldn’t be covered  by your 
warranty.  Trying to  start  your 
Oldsmobile  by pushing  or pulling  it 
won’t  work,  and  it could damage 
your vehicle. 
To Jump  Start  Your Oldsmobile: 
1. Check  the  other  vehicle. It  must have 
a  12-volt battery  with  a negative 
ground system. 
NOTICE: 
If  the  other  system isn’t  a 12-volt 
system  with  a negative  ground, 
both  vehicles  can be damaged. 
2. Get  the  vehicles close enough so the 
jumper  cables  can  reach,  but  be sure 
the  vehicles  aren’t  touching  each 
other.  If they  are, it could cause  a 
ground  connection 
you don’t  want. 
You  wouldn’t  be  able to  start  your 
Oldsmobile,  and  the bad grounding 
could damage  the electrical systems. 
You  could  be  injured  if the  vehicles 
roll.  Set the  parking  brake firmly  on 
each vehicle.  Put an automatic 
transaxle  in 
P (Park)  or  a  manual 
transaxle  in 
N (Neutral). 
3. Turn  off the  ignition on both 
vehicles.  Turn off all lights  that  aren’t 
needed,  and  radios.  This will  avoid 
sparks  and help  save both  batteries. 
And  it  could save your radio! 
NOTICE: 
If you  leave  your radio  on, it could 
be  badly  damaged.  The repairs 
wouldn’t  be  covered by your 
warranty. 
4. Open  the  hoods  and  locate  the 
batteries. 
Find  the positive 
(+) and  negative (-) 
terminals  on each  battery. 
159 
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How to Add Fluid 
Refer to  the  Maintenance  Schedule  to 
determine  what  kind of transaxle  fluid 
to  use.  See 
Recommended  Fluids and 
Lubricants 
in  the Index. 
If the  fluid  level  is  low, add only  enough 
of  the  proper  fluid to bring  the level  into 
the  cross-hatched  area 
on the dipstick. 
1. Pull  out  the  dipstick. 
2. Using a long-neck  funnel:  add 
enough  fluid at  the  dipstick hole  to 
bring  it to  the  proper level. 
It  doesn’t  take  much fluid, generally  less 
than  a  pint 
(OSL). Don’t  overfill. We 
recommend  you  use only  fluid  labeled 
DEXRONo-I11  or DEXRON@-IIE, 
because fluids with  that label  are made 
especially  for your automatic  transaxle. 
Damage  caused by fluid  other  than 
DEXRONo-I11  or DEXRONB-IIE  is  not 
covered  by your  new vehicle  warranty. 
After adding fluid, recheck  the fluid 
level  as described  under 
How to 
Check. 
obtained,  push  the dipstick back in  all 
the  way. 
When  the correct  fluid  level  is 
3100 V6: Adding  Automatic  Transaxle 
Fluid 
3800 V6: Adding  Automatic  Transaxle 
Fluid 
Engine Coolant 
The  following  explains your cooling 
system  and how  to add  coolant  when  it 
is 
low. If  you  have  a problem  with 
engine  overheating,  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 against rust  and  corrosion. 
Help keep  the proper engine 
Let  the  warning  lights work as they 
What to Use 
Use a mixture  of one-half clean  water 
(preferably distilled)  and one-half 
antifreeze  that meets 
“GM Specification 
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. 
(-37°C). 
( 12SoC). 
temperature.  should. 
197 
ProCarManuals.com 

4. Pull off the  entire  taillight  housing. 
5. Pinch the lever  and twist  the bulb 
assembly 
M turn  countercloclwise  to 
remove. 
~ 6. Remove  the bulb  by pressing in  and 
1 turning % turn counterclockwise. 
7. Line up  the small  retainer  bumps  on 
the  replacement bulb 
so that  the 
1 lower bump  slides  into  the  deepest 
' slot in  the  housing.  Press in  and  twist 
the  bulb 
!4 turn  clockwise. Reposition 
the  bulb assembly in  the taillight 
housing.  Turn  the  assembly 
M turn 
clockwise  to lock  in place. 
' 8. Replace  the  entire  taillight housing 
and  screws. 
9. Attach  the spring  clips to  the 
taillight  housing  and  secure  them. 
liftgate. 
signals  and taillights. 
IO. Close  the  rear  side windows  and 
11. Test the bulbs  by using your  turn 
Windshield  Wiper  Blade 
Replacement 
Replacement blades  for your vehicle  are 
24 inches in length. They come in 
different types  and  are removed  in 
different  ways. Here's  how to remove 
the  type  with  a  release clip: 
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away 
from  the windshield. 
2. Lift  the release  clip with  a 
screwdriver  and pull  the blade 
assembly  off the  wiper arm. 
the  wiper  arm. 
3. Push the new  wiper blade securely  on 
205 
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Injector 3365 Fuse 
(3800 V6 ENGINE ONLY) 
This 20-amp fuse is located  underhood, 
on  a  bracket  just  behind the passenger 
side headlight.  It is mounted  on the  face 
of  the  bracket  in the  position closest  to 
the  passenger side  of the  vehicle.  The 
fuse services  the  injectors,  fuel pump, 
oil  pressure  sender  and  fuel pump 
switch. 
To access  the fuse,  pry back  the  latch 
with  a  screwdriver,  then pull down on 
the  base 
of the  unit.  If you  need  to 
replace  the  fuse,  be  sure  to use  a  20- 
amp  fuse. 
Push the  base  of the  unit  firmly up  into 
the  cover  until  the  latch  snaps  into  the 
locked  position. 
Headlight  Wiring 
The headlight wiring  is protected  by a 
circuit  breaker  in the  light switch.  An 
electrical overload  will cause  the  lights 
to  go  on  and  off: or 
in some cases  to 
remain  off. If this  happens,  have your 
headlight system checked right away. 
Windshield  Wipers 
The windshield wiper  motor is 
protected by a circuit  breaker  and  a 
fuse. 
If the  motor  overheats  due  to 
heavy  snow,  etc.,  the wiper  will stop 
until  the  motor  cools. 
If the overload is 
caused  by some electrical problem, have 
it fixed. 
Power  Windows  and  Other  Power 
Options 
Circuit  breakers  in the  circuit 
breakerhelay  panel protect the power 
windows  and  other  power accessories. 
When  the  current  load is too  heavy,  the 
circuit breaker  opens  and closes, 
protecting  the  circuit until the problem 
is  fixed. 
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~ Service & Appearance .... Care 
228 
Replacement Bulbs 
OUTSIDE LIGHTS 
Back-up 
Lights ........................................................................\
.... 
Center High-Mounted  Stop Light .............................................. 
Front  Parkinflurn  Signal Lights .............................................. 
License Plate Light ...................................................................... 
Halogen Headlights 
Outer 
........................................................................\
................. 
Inner ........................................................................\
................. 
Fog Lights ........................................................................\
............ 
Front  Side Marker Lights ........................................................... 
Stop/Tail/Turn  Signal Lights 
Upper 
2 Positions ..................................................................... 
Lower 2 Positions ..................................................................... 
Underhood  Light ........................................................................\
. 
BULB 
3057 
577 
3357 
194 
9006 
9005 
HI-55W  194NA 
194 
2057 
561 
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ProCarManuals.com 

INSIDE LIGHTS 
Courtesy Lights 
BULB 
Cargo Area ........................................................................\
........ 562 
Front  Floor 
........................................................................\
....... 194 
Sliding 
Door Stepwell 
.............................................................. 562 
Reading  Light 
(s) 
Front ........................................................................\
................. 562 
Rear 
........................................................................\
................... 906 
Dome  Light 
(s) 
Front ........................................................................\
................. 561 
Rear 
........................................................................\
................... 561 
Glove  Compartment  Light 
.......................................................... 194 
Indicator  Lights 
........................................................................\
... 74 
Turn  Signal  Indicators 
................................................................ 74 
229 
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