1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Owner's Manuals

11111 Section 5 Problems on the Road
1111
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press the switch to make your front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and
off. Your hazard warning flashers
work no matter what position your key is in, and even
if
the key isn't in.
5-1

~~
~~~ ~
~~~~~ ~ ~~
~~~~ ~ To turn off the flashers, press the switch again. When
the hazard warning flashers
are on, your turn signals
won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the sid\
e
of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use another
vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your Oldsmobile.
But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
*- ~-
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Trying to start your Oldsmobile by
pushing or pulling it won’t work, and
it could
damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
~~ ~
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
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2. Get the vehicles close.enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they
are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your Oldsmobile, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly
on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in PARK
(P) or a manual
transaxle in NEUTRAL
(N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty. An
electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and
tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
4. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals
on each battery. Your Oldsmobile has a remote
positive
(+) jump starting terminal. The terminal
is on the same side of the engine compartment
as
your battery. You should always use the remote
positive
(+) terminal instead of the positive (+)
terminal on your battery. To uncover the remote
positive
(+) terminal, lift the red plastic cap.
0
5-3

, Ck -ITION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take
care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
~~~ ~~ ~~ ~
~~ ~
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative (-), or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts, too.
once the engines are running.
5-4
r

7. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery., Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
U
it to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative
(-) cable
doesn’t go to the
dead battery.
It goes to
a heavy, unpainted, metal part on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
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9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
the engine for a while.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
~~
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
L
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other
or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have an Oldsmobile retailer or a professional
towing service tow your Cutlass Supreme. See
“Roadside Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed 6.om the front
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructians and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
with
sling-type equipment.
,
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing
it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead. being towed.
5-7

When your vehicle is being towed,. have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clhmped 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.
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 webbiqg, 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.
Don’t have your vehicle tawed 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.