1995 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

Towing from the Front -- Vehicle Hookup
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information
on “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
I NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or fascia
damage will occur. Use wheel-lift or car carrier
equipment. Additional ramping may be required
for car carrier equipment. Use safety chains and
wheel straps.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install
a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment.
Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides, in the slotted
holes in the bottom
of the frame rails, about two feet
behind the front wheels.
6
L
2. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard
end of each control
arm.
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Towing from the Rear -- Vehicle Hookup
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information on “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides, in the slotted
holes in the frame rails, just ahead
of the rear wheels.
2. Position the lower sling crossbar directly under the
rear bumper.
No 4x4 wood beam is needed.
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4. Be certain your vehicle is towed no faster than
35 mph (56 km/h) and no farther than 50 miles
(80 km) to avoid damage to your transaxle.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise the vehicle until adequate clearance is
obtained between the ground and/or wheel-lift
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots. Never use J-hooks. They will
damage drivetrain and suspension components.
3. Attach a separate safety chain around the end of each
axle inboard
of the spring.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Oldsmobile’s instrument panel. See “Coolant
Temperature Gage” in the Index.
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.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving --
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a) or THIRD (D) for
automatic transaxles.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 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.
Cooling System
3.1L V6: Cooling System
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3800 V6: Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see: If
the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan (or fans if you have the 3800 V6
engine).
3.1L V6: Recovery Tank Level
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3800 V6: Recovery Tank Level
l I I
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.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, 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.
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