
Comfort Controls &Audio Systems 
110 
Climate Control  System 
Quick Reference Guide 
Your Climate Control System  has been 
designed  to provide  an expanded range 
of comfort  options. Use this diagram  as 
a  quick reference guide  for operating  the 
controls. 
For a complete  explanation of this 
system, 
see Climate  Control System. 
SUGGESTED OPERATlNG MODES: REAR FAN 
FOR HEAT,  USE 
FOR VENT  (OUTSIDE  AIR),  USE 
FOR MAX COOLING,  USE 
FOR OTHER  A/C  OPTIONS,  USE 
[Y] RECiRC 
R. DEF (Rear Defog) 
Press  to defog the 
rear  window. 
DIRECTIONAL 
CONTROLS 
A lighted button lets 
you know  that  a 
selected  control 
is on. 
/ I 
/ 
These  positions  allow the 
driver  to adjust  the rear 
fan  speed. 
This 
position transfers  control  of the  rear  fan to 
the  second  row passenger  (for vehicles  with the 
Rear  Climate  Control  option  only). 
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![OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994  Owners Manual I Climate  Control  System 
Your vehicle’s heater  and air 
conditioner  work best if you  keep your 
windows closed. Your vehicle  also  has 
flow-through  ventilation, described late] 
in  this  s OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994  Owners Manual I Climate  Control  System 
Your vehicle’s heater  and air 
conditioner  work best if you  keep your 
windows closed. Your vehicle  also  has 
flow-through  ventilation, described late] 
in  this  s](/manual-img/31/58207/w960_58207-112.png)
I Climate  Control  System 
Your vehicle’s heater  and air 
conditioner  work best if you  keep your 
windows closed. Your vehicle  also  has 
flow-through  ventilation, described late] 
in  this  section,  to  bring outside  air into 
your vehicle. 
If you  have  the optional  engine coolant 
heater  and  use it during  cold weather, 
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your  heating 
system  will more quicldy provide  heat 
because  the engine  coolant  is already 
warmed.  See the 
Index under Engine 
Coolant  Heater. 
OFF: Press  to  turn  the  system off. Press 
any  climate  control  setting  to  turn  the 
system  on. 
8: Slide the lever  to  the  right to  increase 
fan speed, 
decrease  fan speed.  to  the  left 
to 
Temperature  Control Lever: Slide 
the 
lever  to  the  right for warmer,  heated  air; 
slide  it to  the  left  for  cooled  air. 
Air Conditioner 
When the temperature  outside  is above 
freezing,  the air  conditioner  compressor 
will  automatically  condition the air 
when 
you press RECIRC (the A/C 
indicator  light will glow), DEFOG or 
DEF (the A/C indicator  light  will not 
Press 
A/C (the A/C indicator  light will 
glow)  to condition  the air when  you 
press 
UPPER,  BI-LEV or LOWER. To 
turn  off the  air conditioner  compressor 
in  these  settings,  press 
A/C again (the 
indicator  light will  go  off). 
glow). 
Each  time you turn  on  the  ignition, the 
air  conditioner  will default  to  the setting 
you  had  selected before last  turning off 
the  ignition. 
When  the air conditioner  compressor  is 
on,  you  may  sometimes  notice slight 
changes  in your vehicle’s engine 
performance  and power.  This is normal,  because 
the system  is designed  to help 
fuel  economy while  it  maintains  the 
desired cooling  level. 
The  air conditioner  removes moisture 
from  the  air, 
so you  may  sometimes 
notice  water dripping from  under your 
vehicle when  it 
is idling or after  it has 
been  turned  off. This  is normal. 
On  very  hot days,  your vehicle  will  cool 
down  more quickly  and economically  if 
you  open  the windows long enough  to 
let  hot  inside  air escape. For  all settings, 
adjust  the temperature  control lever and 
fan speed  as desired. 
Directional  Controls 
RECIRC  (Recirculate): Press  to get 
maximum  cooling or quick cool-down 
on  very  hot days.  This  setting 
recirculates  much of the  air inside your 
vehicle. It  should not be used for long 
periods  of time because  the air may 
become  too cold  and dry. 
Slide  the  temperature  control  lever 
down  to  the  coolest  setting  and  adjust 
the  fan  speed  as desired. 
UPPER: For  normal cooling  on  hot 
days, press 
A/C along  with UPPER. 
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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. 
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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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Cooling System 
When you decide  it’s safe to lift the 
hood,  here’s  what  you’ll see: 
(A) Coolant  recovery  tank 
(B) Radiator  pressure  cap 
(C) Electric engine  fan,  or fans  if you 
have  the 
3800 V6 engine. 
If  the  coolant  inside  the coolant 
recovery  tank is boiling,  don’t do 
anything  else until  it cools  down.  The  coolant 
level should  be  at  or  above 
the 
FULL HOT mark.  If it  isn’t,  you 
may  have a leak  in the  radiator  hoses, 
heater  hoses,  radiator,  water  pump  or 
somewhere  else in  the  cooling  system. 
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When the  coolant  in the  coolant 
recovery  tank is 
at or above  the FULL 
HOT mark,  start  your vehicle. 
If the  overheat  warning  continues, 
there's  one  more thing  you can  try. 
You 
can  add  the proper  coolant  mix directly 
to  the  radiator,  but  be  sure  the  cooling 
system  is cool before  you 
do it. 
Yow to Add  Coolant to the  Radiator 
I. You can  remove  the radiator  pressure 
cap  when  the cooling  system,  including 
the  radiator  pressure  cap and  upper 
radiator  hose,  is 
no longer hot.  Turn 
the  pressure  cap slowly  to  the left 
until  it first  stops.  (Don't  press down 
while  turning  the  pressure  cap.) 
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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. 
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have been approved for  use on General 
~ Motors  vehicles.  All passenger type 
(P Metric)  tires  must  conform to 
Federal safety  requirements  in  addition 
to  these  grades. 
Wheel  Alignment  and  Tire 
Balance 
The  wheels  on your  vehicle  were 
aligned  and balanced  carefully at  the 
factory  to give  you  the longest  tire  life 
and  best  overall performance. 
In  most  cases,  you  will  not need  to have 
your wheels aligned  again. However, 
if 
you notice  unusual  tire  wear  or  your 
vehicle  pulling one way  or the  other,  the 
alignment  may need  to be  reset.  If you 
notice  your vehicle  vibrating  when 
driving  on a smooth  road,  your wheels 
may  need 
to be rebalanced. 
Wheel  Replacement 
Replace  any wheel  that is bent, cracked 
or  badly  rusted.  If wheel  nuts keep 
coming  loose, the wheel, wheel  bolts, 
and  wheel  nuts should  be  replaced. 
If 
the wheel  leala  air,  replace  it  (except 
some  aluminum  wheels, which  can 
sometimes  be  repaired).  See your  Oldsmobile dealer 
if any  of these 
conditions  exist. 
Your dealer  will know  the kind  of wheel 
you  need. 
Each new wheel  should have the same 
load carrying  capacity,  diameter,  width, 
offset,  and be mounted  the same  way as 
the  one  it  replaces. 
If you need  to replace  any of your 
wheels,  wheel bolts, or wheel  nuts, 
replace  them only with  new GM 
original  equipment  parts.  This  way, you 
will  be sure  to  have the right  wheel, 
wheel  bolts,  and  wheel nuts  for  your 
Oldsmobile  model. 
NOTICE: 
The wrong  wheel can also  cause 
problems  with bearing  life, brake 
cooling,  speedometer/odometer 
calibration,  headlight aim,  bumper 
height,  vehicle ground  clearance, 
and  tire  or tire  chain  clearance  to 
the  body  and  chassis. 
Used Replacement Wheels 
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