1995 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE overheating

HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
A computer monitors
operation
of your fuel,
ignition and emission
controls systems. This light
should come on when the ignition is on but
the engine is not running, as a check to show you it is
worlung.
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right
away.
If it stays on, or it comes on while you are
driving, the computer is indicating that you have a
problem. You should take your vehicle in for service
soon.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while the emission controls won’t
work as well, your fuel economy won’t be as good
and your engine may not run as smoothly. This
could lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty.
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Making Turns
1 NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
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 extra
wiring and a different turn signal flasher (included in the
optional trailering package). The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
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 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxie overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than
1,000 pounds (454 kg), and you have an automatic
transaxle with OVERDRIVE
(GO), you may prefer to
drive
in THIRD (D) instead of OVERDRIVE (0)
(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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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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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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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:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 262 OF ( 128 ” C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights work as they should.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled)
and one-half antifreeze that meets “GM
Specification
1825M,” which won’t damage aluminum
parts. You can also use a recycled coolant conforming to
GM Specification 1825M with a complete coolant flush
and refill. Use GM Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer)
with any complete coolant flush and refill.
If you use
this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix, your engine
could overheat and be badly damaged.
The
repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mix can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
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To Add Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper mix at the
cnolclnt recoverv tank.
Add coolant mix at the recovery tank, but be careful not
to spill it.
Radiator Pressure Cap
NOTICE:
Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. Be sure the arrows on the cap
line up with the overflow tube on the radiator
filler neck.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an AC@
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches
a preset temperature.
When you replace your thermostat, an
AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
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To Resume a Set Speed ........................ 2-46
ToSet
..................................... 2-45
Traction Control
............................. 2-45
UseonHills
................................ 2-48
Cupholders
................................. 2.65. 66
Customer Assistance for the Hearing or
SpeechImpaired
............................... 8-2
Customer Assistance Information
................... 8- 1
Customer Satisfaction Procedure .................... 8- 1
Damage. Finish ............................... 6-48
Dead Battery ................................... 5-2
Defects. Reporting
............ i .................. 8-4
Defensive Driving
............................... 4- 1
Defogging ..................................... 3-6
Defrosting
..................................... 3-6
Directional Controls
.............................. 3-2
Dolby@
B Noise Reduction ....................... 3- 13
Dome Lamp ................................... 2-55
Door Lock. Sliding .............................. 2- 12
Door Lock. Sliding Door Child Security ... ......... 2- 17
DoorLocks ..................................... 2-3
Doors. Front
.......................... I ......... 2-3
Driver Position
................................. 1 - 1 8
Driver’s 4-Way Manual Seat
....................... 1 - 1
Driver’s 6-Way Power Seat ......................... 1-3
Driving On..Grades. With a Trailer .................. 4-37
Driving
AtNight
................................... 4-15
Defogger. Rear Window .......................... 3-7 City
....................................... 4-19
Defensive
................................... 4-1
Drunken
.................................... 4-2
Freeway
.................................... 4-20
In a Blizzard
................................ 4-27
In Foreign Countries
........................... 6-4
In the Rain
.................................. 4-17
OnCurves .................................. 4-11
On Hill and Mountain Roads ................... 4-23
OnSnowandIce
............................. 4-25
Through Deep Standing Water
.................. 2-27
Winter
..................................... 4-24
With a Trailer
............................... 4-35
Drunken Driving
.......... ..................... 4-2
Dump and
Stow Feature ........................... 1-6
Electrical Equipment. Adding .......... 2.25. 3.21. 6-51
Electronic Level Control
......................... 2-68
Enginecoolant
................................. 6-22
Adding
.................................... 6-23
Checking ................................... 6-23
Heater
................................ 2.27. 6. 16
Temperature Gage
............................ 2-80
Exhaust
.................................... 2-37
Identification ................................ 6-51
Running it While You’re Parked
................. 2-37
Specifications
.. :’. ........................... 6-60
Starting
.................................... 2-24
Engine
Overheating
................................. 5-15
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