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Engine Cooknt  Heater 
(Engine 
Block Heater) 
(OPTION) 
In  very  cold  weather, 0°F (-18°C) or 
colder,  the engine  coolant  heater  can 
help.  You’ll  get easier  starting  and 
better  fuel economy  during engine 
warm-up.  Usually, the coolant  heater 
should  be  plugged  in  a minimum  of four 
hours  prior to starting  your vehicle. 
To use  the  coolant  heater: 
1. Turn off the  engine. 
2. Open  the hood  and unwrap  the 
3. Plug it  into  a  normal,  grounded 110- 
electrical  cord. 
volt  outlet. 
NOTICE: 
After you’ve used  the coolant 
heater,  be sure  to  store  the  cord as 
it  was before  to keep  it away  from 
moving  engine parts. If you  don’t,  it 
could  be damaged.  How 
long should  you keep  the  coolant 
heater  plugged  in?  The  answer  depends 
on  the  weather,  the  kind 
of oil  you 
have,  and some  other  things.  Instead 
of 
trying to list everything  here, we ask 
that 
you contact  an Oldsrnobile dealer 
in  the  area  where  you’ll be parking your 
vehicle.  The dealer  can give  you  the best 
advice for  that particular  area. 
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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. 
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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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        Page 188 of 276
Service & Appeurunce  Care 
186 
Checking  Things  Under  the 
Hood 
The following  sections tell  you  how  to 
check fluids,  lubricants  and  important 
parts  underhood. 
Hood Release 
To  open  the  hood,  first pull the handle 
inside  the vehicle.  Then 
go to  the  front of the  vehicle and 
pull  up  on  the  hood release. 
Lift  the  hood. 
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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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        Page 224 of 276
Service  &Appearance  Care 
222 
I 
1- 
9 0 
U 
Circuit  BreakerlRelay  Panel 
Circuit breakers and  relays are located  in  the circuit  breakerhelay  panel. This is 
located  behind  the panel  under  the  glove box, near  the passenger's door. 
Position  Rating 
(AMP.) 
1 
2 
3 
I 
5 
6 
7 
3 
3 
10 
15 
30 
30 
30 
Circuitry 
Hazard  Flasher 
With 
3800 V6 engine  only: Canister  Purge  Solenoid,  A/C 
Clutch Control  Relay,  Cruise Control 
Not  Used 
Power  Windows  Circuit  Breaker 
Power  Seat/Power  Sliding 
Door Motor  Circuit  Breaker 
Rear  Defogger  Circuit  Breaker 
Air  Conditioning  Blower  Relay 
Horn  Relay 
Chime  Module 
Defogger  Timer  Relay 
Anti-Lock  Brake  System (ABS) 
Junction  Block  Fuse 
You'll  find this fuse  under  the  hood  in 
the 
ABS junction  block,  located  next to 
the  remote  positive 
jump starting 
terminal. 
To  open  the junction  block, press in on 
both  sides  of the  cover. 
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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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