Page 3 of 356

The 1996 Oldsmobile  Cutlass  Supreme  Owner’s  Manual 
Seats  and  Restraint  Systems ............................................................. 
This section tells you  how  to  use  your seats and  safety  belts  properly.  It also explains  the  “SRS”  system. 
This  section  explains  how to 
start and  operate  your  Oldsmobile. 
This  section  tells  you  how to  adjust  the  ventilation  and  comfort  controls  and  how to operate  your 
audio  system. 
Here  you’ll  find  information  and  tips  about  the  road  and  how to drive  under  different  conditions. 
This  section  tells  you  what  to  do 
if you  have  a  problem  while  driving,  such  as  a  flat  tire  or 
overheated  engine,  etc. 
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 
Here  the  manual  tells  you  how  to keep  your  Oldsmobile  running  properly  and  looking  good. 
Maintenance  Schedule .................................................................. 
This  section  tells  you  when to perform  vehicle  maintenance  and  what  fluids  and  lubricants to use. 
Customer  Assistance  Information ........................................................ 
This section  tells  you  how  to  contact  Oldsmobile  for  assistance  and \
 how to get  service  and owner publications. 
It also gives  you  information.on  “Reporting  Safety  Defects”  on  page\
 8-7. 
Index ........................................................................\
.......... 
Here’s  an  alphabetical  listing  of almost  every  subject  in  this  manual.  You can  use  it to quickly  find 
something  you  want  to read. 
FeaturesandControls .................................................................. 
Comfort  Controls  and  Audio  Systems .................. ’. .................................. 
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 
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        Page 183 of 356
When You Are  Ready to  Leave  After 
Parking  on  a  Hill 
1. Apply  your regular brakes  and  hold the pedal  down 
while you: 
Start  your engine; 
Shift  into  a gear;  and 
Release  the parking brake. 
2. Let  up on  the brake pedal. 
3. Drive  slowly until the trailer  is clear  of the  chocks. 
4. 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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        Page 236 of 356
1. Air  Cleaner 
To check  or  replace  the air filter, remove  the  four screws 
and  pull 
off the  cover.  Pull 
out the  filter.  Be  sure to install  the  air  filter and 
install  the  cover  tightly  when  you  are finished. 
Refer  to  the  Maintenance  Schedule to  determine  when  to 
replace  the air  filter. 
See  “Scheduled  Maintenance  Services” in  the  Index. 
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        Page 237 of 356

I 
Operating the.engine wi4.h the air cleaner  oi’fcan 
cause  you or .others to  be burned.  The 
air cleaner 
not  only  cleans  the 
air, it stops flame if the  engine 
backfires.  Hit isn’t  there,  and the engine 
backfires,  you  could 
be burned. Don’t drive with 
it off, and be careful  working  on  the engine  with 
the 
air cleaner off. 
NOTICE: 
If  the  air cleaner is off, a backfii  can cause  a 
damaging  engine  fire.  And,  dirt can easily  get 
into 
your engine, which will damage it. Always 
have  the 
air cleaner in  place  when  you’re  driving. 
-1 -. .. .. 
Automatk Transaxle’ Fluid 
When to Check and Change 
A good time to check  your automaticdransaxle  fiui,d 
level  is when  the engine 
oil is changed. 
Change  both the fluid  and. filter ,every 
30,000 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. 
When  doing frequent trailer  towing. 
Uses such as  found  in :taxi, polide 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. 
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How ,to Add Fluid Engine Coolant 
I 
Refer to the  Maintenance  Schedule to  determine  what 
Fluids  and Lubricants”  in the Index. 
If  the  fluid level  is low,  add  only  enough  of  the proper 
fluid  to  bring  the level into  the  cross-hatched  area on 
the dipstick. 
~ kind  of transaxle  fluid  to  use.  See “Recommended , 
1. Pull out  the  dipstick. 
.2. Using a long-neck  funnel, add  enough  fluid at the 
dipstick  hole to  bring  it  to the proper  level. 
It  doesn’t  take much  fluid, generally  less than  a pint 
(0.5 L). Don’t ove@ZZ. We  recommend  you  use  only 
fluid  labeled  DEXRON@-111,  ‘because fluid with  that 
label is  made  especially  for your  automatic  transaxle. 
Damage  caused  by fluid other  than  DEXRON-I11  is 
not  covered  by your  new  vehicle warranty. 
After  adding  fluid, recheck  the  fluid level as 
described  under  “How  to Check.” 
0 When  the correct fluid level  is obtained,  push  the 
dipstick  back  in  all  the way. 
6-20 
The  cooling  system  in  your  vehicle  is filled  with  new 
DEX-COOL 
TM (orange-colored,  silicate-free) engine 
coolant.  This coolant  is designed  to  remain 
in your 
vehicle  for 
5 years  or  100,000 miles (166 000 km), 
whichever  occurs  first. 
The following explains your cooling  system  and  how  to 
add  coolant  when it is low.  If you  have  a problem  with 
engine  overheating  or if  you  need  to  add  coolant  to your 
radiator,  see “Engine Overheating”  in  the Index. 
A 
50/50 mixture  of water  and  the  proper.coolant for 
your  Oldsmobile  will: 
0 Give freezing  protection  down  to -34°F (-37°C). 
0 Give  boiling  protection  up  to 265 OF ( 129 O C). 
0 Protect  against rust  and  corrosion. 
0 Help  keep  the  proper  engine temperature. 
0 Let  the  warning  lights and  gages  work  as 
they  should.  
     
        
        Page 245 of 356
How To Check  Power  Steering Fluid Windshield  Washer  Fluid 
What to  Use 
Refer  to  the  Maintenance Schedule to determine  what 
kind  of  fluid  to use. 
See “Recommended  Fluids  and 
Lubricants”  in  the  Index.  Always  use  the proper  fluid. 
Failure  to use the  proper  fluid  can cause leaks  and 
damage  hoses  and  seals. 
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        Page 264 of 356

~ - ~~~~~  ~~  ~~~ 
~  ~ 
~ ~~~~~  ~~  ~ - 
Tire  Inspection and Rotation 
Tires  should  be  inspected  every 6,000 to 8,000 miles 
(10 
000 to 13 000 km) .for  any  signs of unusual  wear. 
If  unusual  wear  is present,  rotate  your  tires  as  soon  as 
possible  and  check  wheel  alignment.  Also  check  for 
damaged  tires  or wheels.  See “When  It’s  Time  for New 
Tires”  and  “Wheel  Replacement”  later  in  this  section  for 
more  information. 
- ~  ~~  ~~  ~~  ~  ~~  ~  ~~~~~  ~~~  ~ 
When  rotating  your  tires,  always  use  the  correct  rotation 
pattern  shown  here. 
Don’t  include  the  compact  spare  tire  in  your  tire  rotation. 
After  the  tires  have  been  rotated,  adjust  the  front  and 
rear  inflation  pressures  as  shown  on  the  Tire-Loading  Information  label.  Make  certain  that  all  wheel  nuts  are 
properly  tightened. 
See “Wheel  Nut  Torque”  in 
the  Index. 
The  purpose  of  regular  rotation  is to  achieve  more 
uniform  wear  for all  tires  on  the vehicle.  The first 
rotation 
is the  most  important.  See “Scheduled 
Maintenance  Services”  in  the  Index  for  scheduled 
rotation  intervals. 
A CAUTI, : 
Rust  or  dirt  on a wheel, or on  the  parts  to  which 
it  is  fastened,  can make wheel nuts become  loose 
after 
a time.  The  wheel  could  come off and  cause 
an  accident.  When  you  change 
a wheel,  remove 
any  rust  or  dirt  from places  where  the wheel 
attaches to the  vehicle. In  an emergency,  you  can 
use 
a cloth  or a paper  towel to do  this;  but be 
sure  to use  a scraper  or wire  brush  later, if  you 
need  to,  to get  all the  rust  or  dirt 
off. (See 
“Changing a Flat Tire”  in the  Index.) 
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        Page 291 of 356
llill Section 7 Maintenance  Schedule 
I IMPORTANT: 
KEEP ENGINE OIL 
I 
This section  covers  the  maintenance  required  for your 
Oldsmobile.  Your vehicle  needs  these  services 
to retain  its 
safety,  dependability  and  emission  control  performance. 
I 
pf*tection 
Plan 
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan 
supplements 
your new vehicle warranties.  See your 
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet, or your 
Oldsmobile retailer for details. 
Introduction 
Your Vehicle and the  Environment 
Proper  vehicle  maintenance  not  only  helps  to  keep  your 
vehicle  in  good  working  condition,  but  also  helps  the 
environment.  All  recommended  maintenance  procedures 
are important.  Improper  vehicle  maintenance  can  even 
affect  the quality  of  the  air we breathe.  Improper  fluid 
levels  or the  wrong  tire  inflation  can increase  the  level 
of  emissions  from  your  vehicle. 
To help  protect  our 
environment,  and  to  keep  your  vehicle  in  good 
condition,  please  maintain  your  vehicle  properly. 
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