1996 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA brake

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Lift the hood, release the hood prop from its retainer and
put the hood prop into the slot
in the hood. You may
have a lamp that comes on when you lift the hood.
Things that burn can get 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.
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When you lift the hood, you’ll see these items:
A. Transmission Dipstick
B. Engine Oil
Fill
C. Brake Master Cylinder D.
Coolant Recovery Tank
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Power Steering Reservoir
G. Battery
H. Air Cleaner
I. Windshield Washer Fluid
6-8
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Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
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), drive the
vehicle in THIRD
(3) until the engine temperature gage
moves and then remains steady for
10 minutes. Then
follow the hot check procedures.
Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine off and
is used
only
as a reference. Let the engine run at idle for
five minutes
if outside temperatures are 50°F (10°C)
or more. If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have
to idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low
during a cold check, you must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give
you a more accurate
reading of
the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK
(P).
0 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 minutes or more.
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~~ ~ NOTICE:
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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
three-quarters full when it’s very cold. This
allows for expansion, which could damage
the tank if it is completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze
in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid.
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There are only two reasons 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
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.
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.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
check your brake fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections”
in the Index.
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Checking Brake Fluid What
to Add
You can check the brake fluid without taking off the cap.
Just look at
the windows on the brake fluid reservoir.
The fluid levels should be above MIN. If they aren’t,
have your brake system checked to see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system, make
sure the levels are above MIN and below the
top of
each window. 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.
A CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may nott 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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~ NOTICE:
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0 Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a few
drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle%
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not
to spill brake fluid
on your vehicle.
If you do, wash.it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
Brake Wear
Your Oldsmobile has front disc brakes and rear
drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads
are needed. The sound may
come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is
moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
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The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well.
That could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
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1 NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong
with
your brakes.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but
if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When you have
the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is
a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing up and firmly applying the brakes a few times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts
in them, as your Oldsmobile does when it is new.
When you replace parts
of your braking system -- for
example, when your brake linings wear down and
you
have to have new ones put in -- be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your
brakes
may no longer work properly. For example, if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways
someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts. if
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