1998 Oldsmobile Aurora Owner's Manuals

When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations.
The operator may want to
see them.
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
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.

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A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks.
They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to
OFF. The steering wheel should be clamped in
a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels, unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure
to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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Front Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or carcarrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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These slots are to be used when loading and securing to
car-carrier equipment.
Attach T-hook chains
on both sides, in the slotted holes
in the bottom of the body rail, behind the front wheels
and the frame. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
I NOTICE:
Be sure not to attach the safety chain to the
drive axle. This could cause damage to the drive
axle boot.
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Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (55 km/h), 25 miles (40 km)
Attach T-hook chains to the T-hook slots in the floor pan
support rails just ahead
of the rear wheels on both sides. Position the lower-sling crossbar
just ahead
of the front
edge of the rear bumper.
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Engine Overheating
Attach a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end of each lower
control
arm.
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. Your driver information
center will also display messages about engine
overheating. See “Coolant Temperature Gage”
in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should an overheated engine condition exist and the
message HOT
STOP ENGINE is displayed, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of four
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a loss in power and engine performance.
This operating mode allows your vehicle to be driven to
a safe place in an emergency; you may drive up to
50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the overheat
protection mode should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause
of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
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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.
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.

If No Steam - 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 (a) 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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