1997 Oldsmobile Aurora warning light

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Aurora in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include
a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.

Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. Your
vehicle may have bulb warning messages. When
you plug a trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s
lighting system, its bulb warning messages may not let
you know
if one of your lamps goes out. So, when you
have a trailer lighting system plugged in, be sure to
check your vehicle and trailer lamps from time
to time
to be sure they’re all working. Once you disconnect the
trailer lamps, the bulb warning messages again can tell
you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have
to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
4-37

Hazard Warning Flashers
I
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
The HAZARD light on the
instrument panel will also
come on.
Your hazard flashers work
your key
is in, and even if
the key isn't in. HAZARD A no matter what position
To turn off the flashers, press the button down again.
When the flashers are on, your turn signals won't work.
5-2

Engine Oil
73
OIL
Checking Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
-cloth, ,then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level. If the CHECK OIL LEVEL
message or the
oil warnkg
light on the instrument
panel comes on, it means
you need to check your
engine oil level right away.
For more information, see “Check
Oil Level Message”
or “Oil Pressure Warning Light” in the Index. You
should check your engine
oil level regularly; this is an
added reminder.
It’s a good idea to check your engine
oil every time you
get
fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm
and the vehicle must be on level ground.
Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
6-11

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended
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.
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.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back
in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant
is designed
to remain
in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL@ extended life coolant.
Lx
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one pint The following explains
Your cooling system and how to
(0.5 L). Don’t overjill. add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
NOTICE: A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL’
coolant will:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON’III, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRON@III
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature,
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.

There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first
is that the brake fluid
goes down to
an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top ofi?’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on
the brake hydraulic system. When
your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on.
A chime will sound if you
try
to drive with this warning light on. See “Brake
System Warning Light”
in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 1 I @ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing
it. This will help keep
dirt from entering
the reservoir.
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn
if the engine is hot
enough.
You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work is done on the brake hydraulic system. With the wronb -4nd
of fluid in your
brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause
a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect
to these
grades, they must also conform
to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as
a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-49

Index @ Section 9
Accessory Power Outlet ......................... 2-59
AirBag
....................................... 1-19
How Does it Restrain
.......................... 1-23
How it Works
................................ 1-21
Location
.................................... 1-21
Readiness Light
......................... 1-20, 2-69
Servicing
................................... 1-25
What Makes it Inflate
.......................... 1-23
What Will
You See After it Inflates ............... 1-23
When Should it Inflate
......................... 1-22
Aircleaner
.................................... 6-15
Air Conditioning
................................ 3-6
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
..................... 6-74
Air Control, Climate Control System
............. 3-3, 3-5
Alarm, Universal Theft-Deterrent
.................. 2- 17
Alignment and Balance, Tire
...................... 6-50
Aluminum or Chrome Wheels, Cleaning
............. 6-58
Antenna, Power
................................ 3-31
Antifreeze
..................................... 6-21
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2-72, 4-7
Brakes
...................................... 4-7
Anti-Lockout Feature
............................ 2-8
Anti-Theft, Radio
.............................. 3-25
Appearance Care
............................... 6-52
Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-60
Arbitration Program .............................. 8-7
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-57 Audio Controls. Steering
Wheel
................... 3-28
Audio Equipment. Adding
........................ 3-29
Audio Systems
................................. 3-11
Automatic DoorLocks
................................... 2-5
Electronic Climate Control
...................... 3-2
Overdrive
................................... 2-27
Check
...................................... 7-40
Fluid
....................................... 6-18
Operation
................................... 2-25
Park Mechanism Check
........................ 7-42
Auto-Push Knob. Climate Control
.................. 3-2
Averagespeed
................................. 2-82
Automatic Transaxle
Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement
............... 6-41
Battery
....................................... 6-32
Jump Starting
................................. 5-3
Saver
...................................... 2-50
Warning Light
............................... 2-70
Warnings
................................ 5-3. 5-5
Battery Voltage Message
......................... 2-82
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-7
Belt. Engine Accessory
.......................... 6-75
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-7
Blizzard
...................................... 4-28
Replacement. Remote Lock Control
.............. 2-13
9-1