1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA service

I. CAUTION:
--
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components. When
your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transaxle
should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure
to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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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.
0 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 (0)
or THIRD (3).
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 ofSthe engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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The coolant level should be indicated by a CHECK
COOLANT
LEVEL message on the Driver Information
Center.
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.
A C,’ UT’O’‘:
~ Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak.
If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage if you keep running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fan(s) are running. If the engine
is overheating, both fan(s) should be running.
If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-18
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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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When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
0
0
0
0
0
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil
to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first. (See “Change Oil Message” in the Index.)
If
the CHANGE OIL NOW message appears in the Driver
Information Center, you should change your oil.
If none of them is true, change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever occurs first. Driving a vehicle
with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
(See “Change Oil Message” in the Index.) Always reset
the engine oil life
to 100% after every oil change.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle
it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your retailer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
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6. Remove the air filter.
7. Install the new air filter and reverse all steps to
reinstall the cover, electrical wires, duct and clamp.
Be sure the tabs
of the air cleaner cover fit into the
slots of the air cleaner housing. Then make sure both
clamps are fully engaged.
Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace
the air filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
I
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires,
you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when
you’re driving.
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