
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated
on the underhood emission control
label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily
on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp
on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return
to your authorized Cadillac dealer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause
of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines.
If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life
may be reduced and your emission control system
performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp
on your instrument panel
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Cadillac dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that
you
use these gasolines if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
I NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It
can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
6-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States
or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended
in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use
of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
Ll H 8P7
Filling Your Tank
. ..
. ‘7
1 A CAUTION:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that
can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and
smoking
materials away from gasoline.
6-5

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Filling a Portable Fuel Container
A CAUTION:
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if this
occurs.
To help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
inside of the
fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the filling is complete.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
Don’t smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under the Hood
A CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any
underhood electric fan.
A CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.
6-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Underhood Lamp
Turn the parking lamps on to operate the underhood
lamp.
The underhood lamp will come on when the
hood is opened.
Engine Oil
1
iMlUM UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY TRIP fl fl.
@BMaBUD
.......................... .............. ....... ............ ....... .... ..... ........... ... ....... :;if i i.. *: :-i.. : i : ......................................... .".......
1 CHECK OIL LEVEL message will appear when the
engine oil is approximately
1 quart (1 L) low. If the
message is displayed, check the dipstick level and add
oil
as needed.
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick is
located behind
the radiator
on the driver's side of the
engine. The black handle
says ENGINE OIL on it.
Turn off the engine and
give
the oil a few minutes
to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show
the actual level.
6-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Checking Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove
it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need
to add at
least one quart of oil. But you must use the
right kind. This part explains what kind of oil to use. For
crankcase capacity,
see “Capacities and Specifications”
in the
Index.
NOTICE:
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range,
your engine could be damaged.
A
The oil fill cap is located
behind the radiator
on the
passenger’s side
of the
engine.
Turn the cap to the
left to remove it.
Be sure to
fill it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
6-12

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Reset the Oil Life Indicator
After the oil has been changed, display the OIL LIFE
LEFT message by pressing the INFO button. Then press
and hold the INFO
RESET button until the display
shows
“100.” This resets the oil life index. The message
will remain off until the next oil change is needed. The
percentage of oil life remaining may be checked at
any time by pressing
the INFO button several times
until the
OIL LIFE LEFT message appears. For more
information on the Oil Life feature, see “Oil Life
Indicator”
in the Index.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don‘t let used oil stay on your
skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or
a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine
oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure
to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oiI
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies
of water. Instead, recycle
it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil.
ask your dealer,
a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
Air Cleaner
The air cleaner is located next to the windshield washer
fluid reservoir on the driver’s side
of the engine. Be sure
the engine has cooled before following these steps to
replace
the air cleaner filter:
6-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame
if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires,
you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one
or more
of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any
of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require change
until the message
CHANGE TRANS FLUID appears
on the Driver Information Center.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
regularly
reaches
90” F (32 O C j or higher.
6-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Check In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
Because this operation can be
a little difficult, you may While pulling a trailer.
choose
to have this done at your Cadillac dealership To get the right reading, the fluid should be at
Service Department.
normal operating temperature, which is 180°F to
If
you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the 200°F (82°C to 93°C).
instructions here, or
you could get a false reading Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
on the dipstick.
(24 kmj when outside temperatures are above
50°F (10"Cj. If it's colder than 50°F (lO°C), you
may have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if
you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
With the parlung brake applied, place the shift lever
engine running.
in PARK
(P).
With vour
foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever ihrough each gear range, pausing
for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK
(P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
6-19