1997 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE headlamp

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road
is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if
the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
I
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
a
a
a
Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more
visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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I A CAUTION:
I
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it
or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just
a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This
will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve
the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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Jump Starting
For jump starting instructions, see “Jump Starting” in
the Index.
Bulb Replacement
For the type of bulbs, see “Replacement Bulbs” in
the Index.
Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb.
You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the front parking/turn signal lamp assembly.
See “Front Parking/Turn Signal Lamps” later
in
this section.
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3. Remove the two wing nuts located on top of the
headlamp assembly. 4. Unscrew the black retainer ring that holds the bulb
assembly
in place, and pull the bulb assembly out of
the lamp housing.
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5. Unhook the electrical connector by lifting up the
blue tabs and pulling the bulb out.
6. Replace the new bulb through the black retainer ring
and into the electrical connector.
Push the bulb
firmly enough
so that the blue tabs hook over the tab
on the bulb.
7. Carefully put the bulb assembly back into the lamp
housing and tighten the
black retainer ring in place.
Be careful not to darnage the bulb on the headlamp
aiming bar.
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8. Align the pins on the bottom of the headlamp
assembly with
the holes in the lamp support bracket
while placing the holes
in the assembly over the
bolts where the wing nuts attach.
9. Replace and tighten the wing nuts.
10. Replace the parkinghurn signal lamp assembly by
lining up the tabs at the back
of the assembly with
the holes
in the fender.
1 1. Tighten the bolt connecting the parkinghrn signal
lamp assembly. Be sure the tab from the
parkinghurn signal
lamp assembly is inboard of the
tab from the headlamp assembly.
Front Parking/Turn Signal Lamps
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the thumb screw attaching the parkingkurn
signal lamp assembly
to the headlamp assembly.
3. Pull the parkinghurn signal lamp assembly away
from the body.
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4. Unscrew the bulb sockets from the lamp assembly
by pressing the tab while turning counterclockwise.
7. To replace the lamp assembly, line up and insert the
tabs on the back
of the assembly with the slots in the
fender. Engage the lower clip
on the front of the
5. Replace the bulb by pulling the old one out and lamp assembly, keeping the upper tab on the
6. Line up the tabs on the sockets with the gaps in the
gently pushing the
new one into the lamp socket. parkinghm signal lamp assembly inboard of
the
socket holes and screw the bulb sockets back into the 8. To align the parking/turn signal lamp assembly with the
lamp housing until an audible click
is heard (the tab headlamp assembly, lift up the parking/turn signal lamp
popping back out). assembly until the upper
edge is contacting the fender.
headlamp bracket tab.
9. Fasten the parkinghurn signal lamp assembly
to the
headlamp assembly with the thumb screw used in
Step
1.
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Front Sidemarker
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the thumb screw attaching the parking/turn
signal lamp assembly
to the headlamp assembly.
3. Pull the parkinghurn signal lamp assembly away
from the body.
4. Unscrew the bulb sockets from the lamp assembly
by turning counterclockwise.
5. Replace the bulb by pulling the old one out and
gently pushing the new one into the lamp socket.
6. Line up the tabs on the sockets with the gaps in the
socket holes
and screw the bulb sockets back into the
lamp housing.
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