1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS Owners Manual

I
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine
may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will
also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the .amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is
On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
retailer or qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
and you
will hear a chime
when you
are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have
it fixed immediately.
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as
a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when the engine is
running.
If it doesn't come on with the ignition on,
you may have a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have
it fixed right away. Don't keep driving
if the oil pressure is low.
If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon
as possible and have vow
vehicle serviced.
I
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
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Check Oil Light Passlock Warning Light
CHECK
OIL
If the light
comes on and
you hear a chime or stays on after starting your vehicle,
your engine oil level should
be checked.
THEFT
SYSTEM
This light will come on
briefly when
you turn
the ignition on. The light
will stay on until the
engine
starts.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut
off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring
it to the proper level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTE:
A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking on steep grades.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank.
It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a
considerable period
of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation
to drain back into the oil pan.
If the light flashes for several seconds, the Passlock
system has entered a tamper mode.
If the vehicle fails
to start, see “Passlock” in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system.
Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your retailer.
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Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
CRUISE
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
Low v- --- Light
LOW
WASH
The LOW WASH
FLUID light will come on briefly when
you
turn on the ignition.
It will also come on, chime
and stay on if the fluid
reservoir is less than one-third full.
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Service Vehicle Soon Light
SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON
Door Ajar Light
This light will come on
briefly when you
turn on the
ignition. When the ignition
is on,
this light will stay on until
all doors are closed and
completely latched.
It will stay on if it detects a problem on the vehicle, such
as a
DRL malfunction. If this happens, see your retailer
service department as soon as possible. You
will hear a brief chime
if a door is unlatched after
the engine is started and the vehicle is not in
PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N). The chime will continue until the
door is latched properly.
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Fuel Gage
0


Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the ignition is on. When the indicator
nears EMPTY (E), the light
will come on and you will
hear a chime. You still have
a little fuel left, but you should get more
soon.
0 It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to
fill
the tank.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
The gage goes back to EMPTY (E) when you turn speed up.
off the ignition.
Here
are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads
FULL (F).
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&I NOTES
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