Page 190 of 276
Service &Appearance  Care 
3100 V6 Engine 
1. Engine  Coolant  Reservoir 
2. Power  Steering  Fluid  Reservoir 
3. Air  Cleaner 
4. Brake Fluid Reservoir 
5. Windshield  Washer  Fluid  Reservoi 
6. Battery  r 
7. Automatic 
Transaxle  Fluid  Dipstick 
8. Engine  Oil  Dipstick 
9. Engine  Oil  Fill Cap 
10. Radiator Cap 
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P 
3800 V6 Engine 
1. Engine Coolant Reservoir 
2. Power Steering  Fluid Reservoir 
3. Automatic  Transaxle  Fluid Dipstick 
4. Brake  Fluid  Reservoir 
5. Windshield Washer  Fluid Reservoir 
6. Battery 
7. Air Cleaner 
8. Engine Oil Dipstick 
9. Engine  Oil  Fill Cap 
10. Radiator Cap 
189 
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Service  &Appearance  Care 
190 
Underhood  Light 
Your underhood  light  will  go  on when 
you  open  the  hood. 
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, and check  the level. 
3100 V6: Checking  Engine  Oil 
3800 V6: Checking  Engine Oil 
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When to Add Oil 
If the  oil  is at or below  the ADD  mark, 
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 
and  Specifications 
in the Index. 
NOTICE: 
3100 V6:  Adding  Engine  Oil What Kind of Oil to Use 
3eginning  midyear 1993, oils of the 
)roper  quality for your  vehicle  will be 
dentified  with  this  new “starburst” 
iymbol.  The  “starburst”  symbol 
ndicates  that  the oil has  been  certified 
)y the American Petroleum  Institute 
IAPI), and is preferred for  use in your 
;asoline engine. 
(ou  should 
look for this  on  the front of 
he oil  container,  and  use  only oils that 
lisplay  this new  symbol. 
(ou  should  also use  the  proper  viscosity 
)il for your vehicle,  as shown  in the 
ollowing  charts. 
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. 
I’ 
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. 
 
3800 V6:  Adding  Engine Oil 
191 
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3100 V6: Replacing  Air  Cleaner  Filter 
2. Remove the air cleaner filter. 
3. Be sure  to  install the air cleaner filter, 
replace  the cover  and  tighten  the 
wing  nut securely. 
3800 V6 Checking Air Cleaner  Filter 
To Check  or  Replace: . 
1. Loosen  the four wing  nuts. 
3800 V6: Replacing Air Cleaner  Filter 
2. Pull the  top  of the  air cleaner  toward 
the  front  of the  vehicle  and remove 
the  air cleaner filter. 
3. Be sure  to  install the air cleaner filter, 
replace  the cover  and tighten  the 
wing  nuts securely. 
Automatic  Transaxle  Fluid 
When to Check and Change 
A good time to check your  automatic 
transaxle  fluid  level  is  when the engine 
oil  is  changed.  Refer 
to the  Maintenance 
Schedule  to determine  when to change 
your fluid.  See 
Scheduled Maintenance 
Services 
in  the Index. 
How to Check 
Because  this  operation  can be a  little 
difficult,  you may  choose  to have  this 
done  at  an Oldsmobile dealership 
Service  Department. 
If  you  do it yourself, be  sure  to follow 
all  the  instructions  here,  or  you could 
get  a false  reading  on  the dipstick. 
NOTICE: 
Too much or  too  little fluid  can 
damage your  transaxle. 
Too much 
can  mean  that some  of the  fluid 
could come  out  and fall on  hot 
engine  parts  or  exhaust  system, 
starting  a  fire. Be sure  to  get an 
accurate  reading if you  check your 
transaxle  fluid. 
Wait  at least 
30 minutes  before 
checking  the transaxle  fluid  level 
if you 
have  been  driving: 
When  outside  temperatures  are  above 
At high speed for  quite  a while. 
In heavy  traffic-especially  in hot 
While  pulling  a trailer. 
90°F (32°C). 
weather. 
195 
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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 
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Service & Appearance  Care 
224 
Capacities  and  Specifications 
Engine  Crankcase (All Models) ......................................... 4 quarts 
When  changing  filter, up to 112 quart (1/2 liter) more  oil  may be needed. 
Use 
your dipstick to measure. 
Automatic Transaxle .......................................................... 
When  draining or replacing  torque  converter,  more  fluid  may be needed. 
Pan  Removal  and Replacement .......................................... 4 quarts 
After  Complete  Overhaul 
.................................................. 7 quarts 
3-Speed: 
4-Speed: 
Pan Removal  and Replacement .......................................... 6 quarts 
After  Complete  Overhaul 
.................................................. 8 quarts 
Cooling  System 
3100 V6 Engine: 
3800 V6  Engine: 
With  Air Conditioning ........................................................ 12.50  quarts 
With Air Conditioning ........................................................ 11.50 quarts 
With  Rear Climate  Control 
................................................ 13 .OO quarts 
3.75 L 
3.80 L 
6.60 L 
5.70 L 
7.60 L 
12.00 L 
10.75 
L 
12.25 L 
NOTE: All  capacities  are approximate. When adding,  be sure  to fill to  the  appropriate  level, as recommended in  this manual. 
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