
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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i  

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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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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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. 
I  

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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. 
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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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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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How This Section is Organized 
The remainder  of  this section  is divided  into five  parts: 
“Part 
A: Scheduled  Maintenance  Services”  shows 
what  to have  done  and  how often.  Some of  these 
services  can be complex, 
so unless  you are technically 
qualified  and  have  the  necessary  equipment,  you  should 
let  your  retailer’s  service  department  or another 
qualified service  center do these  jobs. 
Performing  maintenance  work  on 
a vehicle  can 
be  dangerous.  In  trying  to  do  some  jobs,  you can 
be  seriously  injured. 
Do your  own maintenance 
work  only if  ;you  have  the  required  know-how 
and  the  proper  tools and  equipment  for  the  job. 
If  you  have  any  doubt,  have 
a qualified 
technician  do  the  work. 
If  you  are skilled  enough 
to do some  work  on  your 
vehicle,  you will  probably  want 
to get  the  service 
information 
GM publishes.  See “Service  and  Owner 
Publications”  in  the  Index. 
“Part B: Owner  Checks  and  Services”  tells  you  what 
should  be  checked  whenever  you  stop for fuel. It also 
explains  what  you  can  easily  do to help  keep  your 
vehicle  in good  condition. 
“Part  C 
: Periodic  Maintenance  Inspections”  explains 
important  inspections  that  your  Oldsmobile  retailer’s  service  department  or  another  qualified  service  center 
should  perform. 
“Part 
D: Recommended  Fluids  and  Lubricants’’  lists 
some  products 
GM recommends  to help  keep  your 
vehicle  properly  maintained.  These products, 
or their 
equivalents,  should  be  used  whether  you  do the  work 
yourself  or  have  it done. 
“Part 
E: Maintenance  Record”  provides  a  place for 
you  to record  the  maintenance  performed 
on your 
vehicle.  Whenever  any  maintenance  is performed,  be 
sure  to  write  it down  in  this part.  This  will  help  you 
determine  when  your  next  maintenance  should  be  done. 
In  addition,  it is  a  good  idea  to keep  your  maintenance 
receipts.  They  may  be needed  to qualify  your  vehicle  for 
warranty  repairs.  

Part A: Scheduled  Maintenance 
Services 
Using Your Maintenance  Schedule 
We  at General Motors  want  to help you keep  your 
vehicle  in good  working  condition. But  we don’t  know 
exactly  how you’ll drive it.  You may  drive 
very short 
distances  only a few  times 
a week.  Or  you  may  drive 
long  distances all  the time  in  very  hot, dusty  weather. 
You  may  use  your  vehicle in making  deliveries.  Or 
you  may  drive it to  work,  to do errands or  in many 
other  ways. 
Because  of all  the  different  ways people  use their  GM 
vehicles, maintenance  needs  vary. You may  even  need 
more  frequent checks  and replacements than you’ll find 
in  the schedules  in this section. 
So please  read this 
section and note  how  you drive. If you  have  any 
questions  on  how to keep your vehicle 
in good 
condition,  see your  Oldsmobile  retailer. 
This part tells  you the maintenance services  you  should 
have  done  and  when  you  should schedule  them. If  you 
go  to  your  retailer  for your service  needs, you’ll know 
that  GM-trained  and supported service people will 
perform the  work using genuine  GM  parts.  The  proper  fluids  and  lubricants  to  use  are  listed  in 
Part D. 
Make  sure  whoever  services  your  vehicle  uses  these. All 
parts  should  be  replaced  and all necessary  repairs  done 
before  you  or  anyone  else  dnves the  vehicle. 
These  schedules are  for vehicles that: 
0 carry  passengers  and.cargo within  recommended 
limits.  You will find these limits  on  your  vehicle’s 
Tire-Loading Information label. See  “Loading Your 
Vehicle’’  in the  Index. 
0 are driven  on reasonable  road surfaces  within  legal- 
0 use the recommended  fuel.  See “Fuel” in the  Index. 
driving limits. 
Selecting  the  Right  Schedule 
First you’ll 
need to decide  which  of  the  two  schedules is 
right  for your  vehicle.  Here’s  how  to  decide which 
schedule  to follow: 
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