1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA oil change

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.
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Fuel Range
RANGE calculates the remaining distance you can drive
without refueling. It’s based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining
in the tank. The’display will show a
reading such as:
FUEL RANGE 235 MI or
FUEL RANGE 378
KM
If the range is less than 50 miles (80 km), the display
will read
LOW FUEL RANGE.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range is
an average of recent driving conditions. As your driving
conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
Resetting fuel range causes the fuel economy data to
be
updated immediately. To reset fuel range, press
RANGE, then RESET.
Average Speed
The calculation for average speed begins when SPEED
is reset. Press SPEED to display the average speed,
such as:
AVG SPEED
56 MPH or
AVG SPEED
90 KM/H
To reset the average speed, press SPEED and then RESET.
Engine
The ENG button scrolls through the following functions:
Oil pressure such as:
OIL PRESSURE
40 PSI or
OIL PRESSURE
276 kPa
Battery voltage such as:
BATTERY 13.8
VOLTS
Transaxle fluid life, such as:
TRANS FLUID LIFE
40%
This is an estimate of the transaxle fluid’s remaining
useful life. It will show
100% when the system is reset
after a transaxle fluid change. It will alert you to change
your transaxle fluid on
a schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
Engine oil life, such
as:
OIL LIFE 30%
This is an estimate of the oil’s remaining useful life. It
will show
100% when the system is reset after an oil
change.
It will alert you to change your oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving conditions.
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When the remaining oil life or transaxle fluid life is low,
the system will alert you with a message:
CHANGE OIL SOON or
CHANGE TRNS
FLUID SOON
When the oil or transaxle fluid life is down to zero, you
will receive the message:
CHANGE
OIL NOW or
CHANGE TRNS FLUID NOW
To reset the
OIL LIFE reminder after an oil change
or the
TRNS FLUID LIFE reminder after a transaxle
fluid change:
With the ignition on, press the ENG button
so the OIL
LIFE percentage or the TRNS LIFE percentage is
displayed.
Press RESET and hold for five seconds. The word
RESET will appear, then OIL LIFE 100% or TRNS
FLUID 100%.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE or TRNS
FLUID yourself after each oil or transaxle fluid change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be careful not to reset the
OIL LIFE or TRNS FLUID accidentally at any time
other than when the oil or transaxle fluid
has just been changed.
It can’t be reset accurately until the next oil or
transaxle fluid change.
The Driver Information Center does not replace the need
to maintain your vehicle as recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. Also, the oil
change reminder will not detect dusty conditions or
engine malfunctions that may affect the oil.
If you drive
in dusty areas, change your oil after every
3,000 miles
(5 000 km) or three months, whichever occurs first,
unless the DIC instructs you to do
so sooner. Also, the
oil change reminder does not measure how much oil you
have in your engine.
So, be sure to check your oil level
often. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
Check Oil Level Warning
When CHECK OIL LEVEL appears, it indicates that the
engine oil level is
1 to 1 1/2 quarts (0.9 L to 1.4 L) low.
The message will appear only if the engine is running
and it’s been at least eight minutes since the engine was
last running. If the message appears, check the oil
dipstick level. If
it reads low, your oil level should be
brought up to the proper level (see “Engine Oil” in the
Index). After bringing the oil to the proper level, the
ignition must be off for eight minutes to allow the
majority of oil to drain into the oil pan.
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Attach a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of each lower control
arm.
Engine Overh -. hg
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Aurora’s instrument panel.
Your information center will
also display messages about engine overheating. See
“Coolant Temperature Gage” in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode
Should a low coolant condition exist and the message
HOT STOP ENGINE is displayed, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of four
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. This operating
mode allows your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in
an emergency; you may drive up to
50 miles (80 km).
Towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode should
be avoided.
Y
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine
to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil may be severely degraded. Change
the oil and reset the oil life indicator. See “Engine
Oil, When to Change” in the Index.
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When to Add Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need to
add some oil. But you must use the right kind.
This part
explains what
kind of oil to use. For crankcase capacity,
see “Capacities and Specifications”
in the Index.
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range,
your engine could be damaged.
Just fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the
proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
What Kind of Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the “Starburst” symbol. This symbol
indicates that the oil has been certified by the American
Petroleum Institute
(API). Do not use any oil which
does not carry this Starburst symbol.
If you change your
own oil, be sure you
use
oil that has the
Starburst symbol on
the front of the oil
container. If you have
your oil changed for
you, be sure the oil put
into your engine is
American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil
for your
vehicle,
as shown in the following chart:
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RECOMMENOEO SAE VISCOSITY GRADE ENGINE OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COUl STARTING, SELECT THE LOWEST
SAE VISCOSITY GRADE
011 FOR ME EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANBE.
HOT
WEATHER I "F
+ 100
t 20
:::
-
OI
+3
+i
+l
t4
-7
-1 ,- SAE I 1UW-30
PREFERRED above 0°F 1-18"Q . ~, SAL 5w-30
WEATHER
DO NOT USE SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER GWE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
As shown in the chart, SAE 1OW-30 is best for your
vehicle. However, you can use
SAE 5W-30 if it's
going to be colder than
60" F (1 6 O C) before your
next oil change. When it's very cold, you should use
SAE 5W-30. These numbers on an oil container show
its viscosity,
or thickness. Do not use other viscosity
oils, such as
SAE 20W-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines "Starburst" symbol. Failure to use the
recommended oil can result in engine damage
not covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
Engirn v~l AUUlLl V GI -.
Don't add anything to your oil. Your Aurora retailer is
ready to advise if you think something should be added.
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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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Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level
is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90 OF (32 O C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your Aurora retailer
Service Department.
If
you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or
you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading
if you check your
transaxle fluid.
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