1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA check engine

When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
You should use THIRD
(3) when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in THIRD
(3) when towing a
trailer will minimize heat buildup and extend the life
of
your transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet. Then turn your wheels into the
curb
if facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
5. Release the regular brakes.
brake and shift into
PARK
(P).
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill). engine
oil. axle lubricant, belt, cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and‘the Index will help you
find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight
,
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4. Open both hoods and locate the batteries. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
/A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to an unpainted
metal engine part or
a body metal surface. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts too. And don’t connect the negative
(-) to
negative
(-).
6. Connect the red positive
(+) cable to the positive
(+) terminal of the
vehicle with the
dead battery.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also t\
echnical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-20
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6-26 6-27 Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the
Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transmission Fluid
All-Wheel Drive
Rear Axle
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap
Thermostat
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
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6-53
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6-60 6-60
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1
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Care
of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged
if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0 Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
0 Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your retailer before adding equipment to the outside
of
your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher.
At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM
D48 14 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared to
other gasolines.
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Be sure the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But
don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up
a hill. That’s normal,
and
you don’t have to buy a higher 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
GM retailer 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
tnethylcyclopentadienyl 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
GM retailer for service.
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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.
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.
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 wa1-ranty.
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 LIS at the following address for
advice.
Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L 1 H 8P7
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Filling a Portable Fuel Container Checking Things
Under the Hood
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. 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.
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