1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

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You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT-IDLE
ENGINE message or a STOP ENGINE ENGINE
OVERHEATED message on the Driver Information
Center
(IDIC). There is also an engine temperature
warning light andor gage on
the instrument panel.
See “Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light” or
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Should a low coolant condition exist and the message
STOP ENGINE ENGINE OVERHEATED is displayed,
an overheat protection mode which alternates firing
groups
of four cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine
performance.
This operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to
a safe place in an emergency; you may
drive up to
50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow the engine to cool before attempting
any repair.
The engine
oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the
oil and reset
the
oil life indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.

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Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood,
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the Iiquids in it
can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out
of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with
no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty. See (‘Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam,
the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a
little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow
a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of stem,
try this for
a minute or so:
I. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Dial temperature control to the highest heat setting
and open the window, as necessary.
otherwise, shift
to the highest gear while
driving
-- OVERDRIVE (@) or THIRD (3).
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about IO minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, YOU can idle the engine
for two
or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood
but to get service
help right away.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressire Cap
B. Electric Engine Fans
,, ..
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
&on”ido anything else UntiI it cools down.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If it isn’t, the coolant level should be indicated by a
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message on the Driver
Information Center.
If it is, you may have a leak in the
radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or
somewhere else in
the cooling system.
Heater and radiatoi hoses, and.other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
.Don’t run sthe engine if-there is a leak. If you
the engine,.+it could loge all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and sou could be burned.
Get any leak Pled before you drive ,. the vehicle. ’’-
NOTICE:
Engine damage if you keep running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fans are running. If the engine
is overheating, both fans should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t
at the proper level (2.5 inches (6.4 cm) below the
base
of the fill neck), add a 50/50 mixture of clean,
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@ coolant at
the coolant
surge tank, but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank pressure cap,
is cool
before you do it. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information.)
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn YOU badly. They
1 are under pressure, and if you turn the coolant
~ surge tank pressure cap -- even a little -- they
can come out at high speed. Never turn the cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant
surge
tank pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the
cooling system and coolant surge tank pressure
cap
to coo% if you ever have to turn the
pressure cap.

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Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant
mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine could
get
too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
5-22

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant.
You can be burned if yoa Spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
1. You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when
the cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose, is
no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise until
it first stops. (Don’t press
down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is
still some pressure left.
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