1997 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE warning

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what
the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as
you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time and energy. (See the
next part, "Freeway Driving.")
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When
a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that
have not cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
a Have your Oldsmobile in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. 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
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.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a lot less traction
or “grip” and will need
to be very careful.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5- 12
5- 13 How
to Use Warning Flashers
Other Types of Warning Devices
Step-by-step Procedure for Jump Starting
Information
You Should Know Before Towing
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
If
Your Engine is Overheating
If Steam
is Coming From Your Engine
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5-34
Cooling System
How to Add Coolant
What to
do if a Tire Goes Flat
How to Change a Flat Tire
Where to Store the Flat Tire and
Tools
Information on the Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Snow or on Ice
How
to Rock Your Vehicle to Get Unstuck
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Hazard Warning Flashers
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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.
Your hazard warning
flashers switch is
on top
of the steering column.
Press the button in to turn
on your flashers.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, push the switch down and it will
pop back
up by itself.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Oldsmobile. But please use the following steps listed to
do it safely.
On vehicles equipped with the optional power sliding
door, a low voltage battery or replacing a battery may
cause the system to become inoperative. See “Power
Sliding Door’’
in the Index for more information.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1 NOTICE:
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Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be
covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your Oldsmobile by pushing
or pulling it won’t work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. They can provide the right
equipment and know how
to tow it without damage.
See “Roadside Assistance”
in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like
fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
things can be damaged during towing.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
0 That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged. To
help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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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. See “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” in the Index.
I
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning 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.
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
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (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 ofthe engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously
in
this section.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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He r an ra-engine
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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.
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.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
--overy Tank
lr you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant
level isn’t at or above the
FULL HOT mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean water (preferably distilled) and
DEX-COOL TM (silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index for
more information.)
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 antifreeze.
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