1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA fuel

Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information
in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability, and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires
are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine.
axle
or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear
on your vehicle’s parts.
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@ Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
I I
r
Here you will find information about the care of your
Aurora. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then
it shows how to check important
fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical
information about your vehicle, and a part devoted to its
appearance care.
Service
Your Aurora retailer knows your vehicle best and wants
you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
retailer for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine
GM parts and GM-trained and supported service people. We
hope you’ll want to keep your
GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
@@!I”
n
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want
to get the proper Aurora Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your Aurora than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.
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Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Aurora” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in
the Index.
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if
you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about
it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off.
You could be hurt.
Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet Specifications ASTM
D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada.
Improved gasoline specifications have been developed by
the American Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for better vehicle performance and engine
protection. Gasolines meeting the
AAMA specification
could provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium
is at least 91. If
the octane
is less than 91, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. (In an emergency, you may be
.
able to use a lower octane -- as low as 87 -- if heavy
knocking does not occur.) If you’re using
91 or higher
octane unleaded gasoline and you still hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications.
If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn
on and/or your vehicle
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may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Aurora retailer for diagnosis to determine the
cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause
of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some Canadian gasolines contain an octane enhancing
additive called methlycyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT).
If such fuels are used, your
emission control system performance may be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Aurora retailer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
contain additives that will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system, allowing your
emission control system to function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers
and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that you use these gasolines if they
comply with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Lf you plan on driving in another country outside the United
States or Canada, the proper fuel may
be hard to find.
Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not recommended
in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs caused by use
of improper
fuel wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
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Filling Your Tank
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Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames, and smoking materials away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged d0.w on the left side of
your vehicle.
The
remote fuel door release can help keep your fuel
tank from being siphoned. Always be sure the fuel door
is closed and latched after refueling.
To open the fuel door (on
the left of the vehicle), press
the button next
to the trunk
release button, to the right
of the steering column. The
ignition does not need to be
on. The remote fuel door
release will work in all
transaxle positions.
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The fuel door can be opened
manually in case of an
electrical power failure. To
do so, first open the trunk.
The release mechanism is
on the driver’s side of the
vehicle, at the top of the
trunk compartment. Pull the
tab toward you to release
the fuel door.
NOTICE:
Prying on a locked fuel filler door could damage
it. Use the remote fuel door manual release While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
located in the trunk.
Twist it clockwise to secure it, if necessary.
To take
off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
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I If you get gasoline on yourself and then
i something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside of Your Aurora” in the Index. When you put
the cap back on,
turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks. Make sure you fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This
would
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. See
“Malfunction Indicator Lamp”
in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your retailer can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type, it may not
fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
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Engine Oil
OIL
If the CHECK OIL
LEVEL message or
the oil warning light on the instrument
panel comes on, it
means you need to
check your engine
oil level right away.
For more information,
see “Check Oil Level Message” or
“Oil Pressure Warning Light” in the Index. You should
check your engine
oil level regularly; this is an added
reminder.
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.
Checking 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 down, and check the level.
7
6-10
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