1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Owner's Manuals

Compact
Although the compact spare tire. was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose
air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 Wa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, you
should stop as soon as.possible and make sure your
spare tire
is correctly inflated. The compact sphe is
made to perform well at posted speed limits for
distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so ydu can
finish your trip and have your full-size tire repaired or
replaced where
you want. Of course, it’s best to replace
your spare w.ith a full-size’tire as soon as you can. Your
spare will last longer and be
in good shape in case you
need it again.
When the ‘compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught
on
the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
. ‘ ~
..
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles. ’
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
otherwheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your sp&e
tire and its wheel together.
-
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too.
Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
.. .. ,

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin
at high speed, they can
.explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or othen damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains
on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get it Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed
out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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NOTES
5-35

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1 Section 6 Service-and Appearance Care
I-
Here you will find information about the care of your
Oldsmobile. 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 Oldsmobile 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.
i
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
Delco
6-1

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
,want to get the proper Oldsmabile Service Manual.
It tells you much more about how to service your
Oldsmobile than this manual can.
To order the proper
service manual, see “Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.
,Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile” 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.
,:,c :>:. 5
iY.,;..;.2 , .
A CAUTION:
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.
0
0
Be sure you have suffkient 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.

Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 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 is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when you’re
accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal, and you d\
on’t
have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’\
s the
heavy, constant knock that means you have a problem. 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
may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return
to your authorized Oldsmobile 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.
In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on. If this happens, return to your authorized Oldsmobile dealer 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
If 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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