1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA brake fluid

Driver Inf rmation Cent
The Driver Information Center (DIC) displays
information in either English or metric. When the
system is on or off, hold the
OFF button down for five
seconds to change the display between English and
metric. This will also change the digital screen for the
climate control system between English and metric.
In addition to the functions described in this part, the
DIC also displays various warning messages under
appropriate conditions. Turn
on the system
by pressing any button except
RESET, ENTER or
OFF. When you turn on the ignition,
the Driver Information Center will be in the mode last
displayed when the engine was turned off. Keep in mind
that this also applies to the
OFF mode.
To turn off messages on the DIC (except LOW
OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings), press any button on
the DIC.
You will need to open the cover to access the control
buttons. To open the cover, push the button located to
the right
of the cover.
To close the cover, push it down to its closed position.
2-74
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I. .
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check alkfluid
levels and
also the brakes, tires., cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain
roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down.
Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a
hill. You could crash.. Shift down to let your
engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill
slope.
L
a
a
a
a
a
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Know how to
go uphill. Shift down to THIRD (3).
This will help cool your engine and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
In hilly terrain, you-may want to switch to the
POWER mode for better performance. '
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at.speeds that
let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing
zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads.
Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1.
2.
3.
4.
Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
Let up on the brake pedal.
Drive slowly until the trailer
is clear of the chocks.
Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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Check'-g Thiry Under the Hood
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
I
Things that burn can L on hot engine parts and
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto
a hot engine.
I
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important parts underhood.
Hood Release
To open the hood, first pull
the hood release handle
inside the vehicle, located to
the left
of the steering wheel
under the instrument panel.
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When you open the hood, you’li see:
A. Remote Positive Battery Terminal
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Brake Fluid Reservoir
G. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
(behind air cleaner)
H. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
I. Air Cleaner
6-9
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Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if
you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32 " C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to
200" F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24
km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK
(P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK
(P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow
these steps:
1. Pull out the
dipstick and wipe
it with a clean rag
or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
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Open the cap labeled WASHER FLUID ONLY.
Add washer fluid until the tank is full.
NOTICE:
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only 3/4 full
when it’s very cold. This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
Brake-
Brake Flr -’
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasor
why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid
is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should have
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your brake system fixed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or won’t
work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done
on the brake hydraulic system.
I ’
A CAUTION:
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. A chime will sound if you
try
to drive with this warning light on. See “Brake
System Warning Light” in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing
it.
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is hot
enough.
You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work is done on the brake hydraulic system. With the wrong kind of fluid in
your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at
all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
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