1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE fuel

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
These symbols are important for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have to
do with
your lights:
SIGNALS TURN
FOG LAMPS
# 0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE k
COOLANT - t6
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
h
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER n
HORN b
SPEAKER
b
FUEL e3
V
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In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
I
t
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord as
it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
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I NOTICE:
r
~~~ ~ ~
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
1
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing. AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and
you’ re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and have more power.
THIRD (D): This position is also used for normal
driving but it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0).
accelerator all the way down.
Here are some times
you might choose THIRD (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power, but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control
your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your
brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you
can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (D) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0) as much as
possible. Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you
are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you
can damage your engine.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly,
or if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (55 kmh) and THIRD (D) for
higher speeds.
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FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower
fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the selector
lever
is put in FlRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift into
first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes
or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. If the ignition is on,
the
brake system warning light will come on. See “Brake
System Warning Light” in the Index.
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Your instrument panel is designed to let you know at a
glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how fast
you’re going, how much fuel you’re using, and many
other things you’ll need to drive safely and economically.
Refer to the accompanying diagram
of your instrument
panel to locate
the components listed below.
1. Side Vents
2. Lamp Controls
3. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
4. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
5. Instrument Cluster
6. Gearshift Lever
7. Wiper/Washer Controls
8. Center Vents
9. Storage Compartment
10. Side Vents
1 1. Circuit Breaker/Relay Panel
12. Glove Box/Fuse Panel
13. Audio System
14. Rear Fan Controls
15. CupholdedAshtray
16. Locking Storage Bin
1 7. Lighter
18. Interior Lights Override Switch
19. Climate Controls
20. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
21. Ignition Switch
22. Horn
23. Steering Wheel Touch Controls (Option)
2-69
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Rip Odometer
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since
you last set it to zero. To set it to zero,
push the reset button located above the fuel gage.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may
be on
your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or
is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with
your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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Low Coolant Light
I i LOW
If this light comes on,
your system is low on
coolant and the engine
may overheat.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine
Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Your Oldsmobile is
equipped with a computer
which monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and
emission control systems.
To prevent damage to your engine, immediate action
is required.
See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced
as soon as possible. This
system is called
OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and
is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce
a cleaner
environment. The
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
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