1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA brakes

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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Trailer Wiring Harness
The trailer wiring harness is an eight-wire harness
assembly. The harness
is stored under the vehicle, on the
driver's side corner frame crossmember. The harness has
a 30-amp feed wire
with an inline fuse located by the
junction block. See "Fuses and Circuit Breakers"
in the
Index. The harness does not have
a connector and
should be wired by
a qualified electrical technician. The
technician can use the following color code chart when
connecting
the wiring harness to your trailer.
Dark Blue: Use for electric trailer brakes or
auxiliary wiring.
Red: Use for battery charging; it connects to the
starter solenoid.
Light Green: Back-up lamps.
Brown: Tdillarnps and parking lamps.
Yellow: Left stoplamp and turn signal.
Dark Green: Right stoplamp and turn signal.
White (Heavy Gauge): Ground wire.
White (Light Gauge): Auxiliary stoplamp.
Securely attach the harness to the trailer, then tape
or strap it to your vehicle's frame rail. Be sure you leave
it loose enough so the wiring doesn't bend or break, but
not
so loose that it drags on the ground. Store the
harness
in its original place. Wrap the harness together
and tie
it neatly so it won't be damaged.
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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.
6-2
6- 3
6-5
6-6
6-8
6-8
6-11
6- 15
6- 16
6-20
6-22
6-22
6-26
6-26
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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6-32
6-33
6-35
6-37
6-44
6-45
6-47
6-48
6-52
6-53
6-53
6-54
6-60 6-60
6-6
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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Brakes
Brake Fluid
of the brake system. If it is, you should have yo~~r brake
system tlxed, since
a leak nleans that sooner or later your
brakes won't work well, or won't work at
all.
So. it isn't a good idea to "top oft'' your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct
a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here.
It is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons
why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during norlnal brake
lining weal-. When new linings are
put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid
will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work
is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
check your brake fluid. See "Periodic Maintenance
Inspections"
in the Index.
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Checking Brake Fluid
Just look at the brake fluid reservoir. The fluid level
should be above
MIN. If it isn't, have your brake system
checked to see
if there is a leak.
After work
is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the
MIN but not over the
MAX mark or the top of the window on the side of
the reservoir.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 1 I@ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing
it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
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NOTICE:
0
0
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a few
drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake
pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn
and new pads are needed. The sound may come and go or
be heard
all the time your vehicle is moving (except when
you are pushing
on the brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
1
1 NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
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Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your bra
cz k es.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts
in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of this
manual under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.’’
.e Pedal Travel
See your retailer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Your vehicle was designed and tested
with top-quality
GM brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure
you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you
don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change
-- for the worse. The braking
performance you’ve come
to expect can change in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Every new vehicle has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for
a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom
battery. Get one that has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
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FuseKircuit Breaker
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Usage Engine Compartment Fuse Block
Auxiliary Power
Power Locks Motor
4WD Switch, Engine Controls
(VCM, PCM, Transmission)
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint,
SDM Module
Front Wiper
Not Used
Radio Battery
Not Used
HVAC (Manual), HVAC
I
(Automatic), HVAC Sensors
(Automatic)
Anti-Lock Brakes
Rear Wiper
Radio, Ignition The fuse
block is under the hood at the driver’s side of
the engine compartment.
Remove the cover
by turning the fastener to the left. To
reinstall the fuse panel cover, push in and turn the
fastener to the right.
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