1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE towing

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;
0 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, belts, 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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13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
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 a GM retailer or a professional towing
service tow your Silhouette. They can provide the right
equipment and know how to tow your vehicle without
damage. 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 from the front
with sling-type equipment.
That your whicle has front-wheel drive.
0 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
instructions and illustrations.
The operator may want to
see them.
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1 CAUTION: I
‘1‘0 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
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
in the OFF position. The steering wheel should be
clamped
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 webbing, 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.
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Front Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or fascia
damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier
equipment. Additional ramping may be required
for car-carrier equipment. Use safety chains and
wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
To help avoid damage, install
a towing dolly
and raise the vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in
the T-hook slots.
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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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Checking or Replacing the Air Cleaner
1. Loosen the four wing nuts.
2. Pull the top of the air cleaner toward the fro t of the
vehicle and remove the air cleaner filter.
P
3. Be sure to install the air cleaner filter, replace the
cover and tighten the wing nuts securely.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 krn) if the vehicle is mainly dnven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90 OF (3 2 O C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police 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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I Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule I
48.000 Miles (80 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
3 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
0 Lubricate chassis components; see footnote #
(or every 6 months, whichever occurs first).
DATE ACTUAL MILEAGE SERVICED BY
50,000 Miles (83 000 kn
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
9OoF
(32°C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, thejluid andfilter do
not require changing.
DATE
SERVICED BY ACTUAL MILEAGE
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I Short TripKity Maintenance Schedule I
1 ~ 1,000 Miles (166 000 km) (Cont ued)
7 Replace spark plugs.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
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°C) or higher.
An Emission Control Service.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid andfilter do not require changing.
DATE ACTUAL MILEAGE SERVICED BY I
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