1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA brakes

NOTICE:
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When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it’s very cold. This
allows for expansion if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The fiist 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.
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What to Add When
you do need brake fluid. use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme I1 @ (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.
1 A CAUTION:
With the wrong kind 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.
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Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts.
For example, just a few
drops
of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind
of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
on your vehicle. If you
do, wash it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
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Brake Wear
Your Oldsmobile has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn
and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go or
be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except when
you are pushing on
the brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and
evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection”
in Section 7 of this manual
under
Part C “Periodic Maintenance Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be
of top quality and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts
in them, as your Oldsmobile does when it is new.
When you replace parts of your braking system -- for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
have to have new ones put
in -- be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your
brakes may no longer work properly. For example,
if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle,
the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways if
someone puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Oldsmobile has a Delco Freedom@ battery.
You never have to add water to one of these. When it‘s
time for a new battery, we recommend
a Delco Freedom
battery. Get one that has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, take off the black, negative
(-) cable from the
battery. This will help keep your battery
from
running down.
Batteries have acid that can Durn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” in the Index
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your retailer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see “Theft-Deterrent
Feature”
in the Index.
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Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
( 166 000 kmj should be performed after 100,000 miles
(166 000 kmj at the same intervals. The services shown
at
150,000 miles (240 000 km) should be performed at
the same interval after
150,000 miles (240 000 km).
Footnotes
7 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will
not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to the
completion of the vehicle’s useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the maintenance
be recorded.
## Lubricate the front suspension, ball joints, steering
linkage, parking brake cable guides, propshaft splines,
universal joints and brake pedal springs.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See “Brake System Inspection” under “Periodic
Maintenance Inspection’’ in Part
C of this schedule.
‘b‘k Drive axle service (see “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants”
in the Index for proper lubricant to usej:
Drain and refill at first oil change. At subsequent oil
changes, check fluid level and add fluid
as needed. If
driving in dusty areas or towing a trailer, drain fluid
and refill every
15,000 miles (25 000 km).
More frequent lubrication may be required for
off-paved-road use.
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Long; Trip/Highway Maintenance Schedule
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166
000 km) should be performed after 100,000 miles
(166
000 km) at the same intervals. The services shown
at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be performed at
the same interval after 150,000 miles
(240 000 km).
Footnotes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to the
completion of the vehicle’s useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the maintenance
be recorded.
# Lubricate the front suspension, ball joints, steering
linkage, parking brake cable guides, propshaft splines,
universal joints and brake pedal springs.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See “Brake System Inspection’’ under “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections” in Part C of this schedule.
**Drive axle service (see “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants”
in the Index for proper lubricant to use):
0 Drain and refill at first oil change. At subsequent oil
changes, check fluid level and add fluid as needed.
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Steering Column Park Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the ignition key to LOCK in each shift lever position.
The key should turn to LOCK only when the shift
lever is
in PARK (P).
0 The key should come out only in LOCK.
Parking Brake and Automatic Transmission
PARK (P) Mechanism Check
When you are doing this check, your vehicle
could begin to move.
You or others could be
injured and property could be damaged. Make
sure there is room in front
of your vehicle in case
it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle begin to move.
Park on a hirly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake.
To check the parking brake’s holding ability:
With the engine running and transmission
in
NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove foot pressure from
the regular brake pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
0 To check the PARK (P) mechanism’s holding ability:
With the engine running,
shift to PARK (P). Then
release all brakes.
Underbody Flushing Service
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from the underbody. Take care
to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
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Throttle Linkage Inspection
Inspect the throttle linkage for interference or binding,
and for damage or missing parts. Replace parts
as
needed. Replace any cables that have high effort or
excessive wear.
Do not lubricate accelerator and cruise
control cables.
Drive Axle Service
Check rear/front axle fluid level and add as needed.
Check constant velocity joints and axle seals for leaking.
Transfer Case (All-Wheel Drive) Inspection
Every 12 months or at oil change intervals, check front
axle and transfer case and
add lubricant when necessary.
Oil the control lever pivot point and
all exposed control
linkage. Check vent hose at transfer case
for kinks and
proper installation.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors
for surface condition. Inspect other brake parts,
including calipers, parking brake, etc. Check parking
brake adjustment.
You may need to have your brakes
inspected more often
if your driving habits or conditions
result
in frequent braking.
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