1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS engine

A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Oldsmobile’s instrument panel. See “Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage” in the Index.
You will also find a
low coolant level warning light on your Oldsmobile’s
instrument panel. See “Low Coolant Warning Light”
in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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 liquids 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.
I NOTICE:
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.
ProCarManuals.com

If Y :-team. Is (- --- 9~ Fron ur Engine
If you get the overheat warmng 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.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 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
ofthe vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the’hood but to get service
help right away.
5-13
ProCarManuals.com

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
3100 Engine
A. Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
B. Electric engine fans
5-14
ProCarManuals.com

The coolant level should be at or above FULL COLD.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If
you do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
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.
ProCarManuals.com

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge
Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at FULL COLD, add a
50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL TM 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
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 cool if you ever have to turn
the pressure cap.
~
5-16
ProCarManuals.com

I
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
TM coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant.
c
You can be burned if you 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.
ProCarManuals.com

Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn
on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can dip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. lhrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
ProCarManuals.com