1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Owner's Manuals

When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your
tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
[ ,A c,
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use a cloth or
a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the
rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When It’s Time
for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1 -6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
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Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire's sidewall. When
you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
"MS"
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted
or radial) as your original tires. Mixing
tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It's
all right to drive with your compact spare,
though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels
on your vehicle.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Pedomance Criteria (PC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
I I
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire ~
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends 1
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the nom due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. ! i
1
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, fkom highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement
as measured mder controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction perfomce.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.

I
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which
all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alig1:::::Bt and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give
you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the
wheel leaks
air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
retailer
if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
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Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the
same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts.
This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your
Oldsmobile model.
I
Using the wrong -)la( nent wheels, wk 1.
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control. You could have a
collision in which you or others could be injured.
Always use the correct wheel, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts for replacement.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer
or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
Putting
a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how far it’s been driven. It could
fail suddenly
and cause an accident.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
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Tire Chains
NOTICE: L
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowIy and foIlow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them,
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast
or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage
your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on a hot
part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous
if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from a container to clean your
vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
e Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any
of these unless this manual says you can. !
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
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Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe vinyl or leather, plastic and painted surfaces
with a clean, damp cloth.
Your retailer has two cleaners, Multi-Purpose Interior
Cleaner and Capture Non-Solvent Dry Spot and Soil
Remover for cleaning fabric and carpet. They will clean
normal spots and stains very well. You can get
GM-approved cleaning products from your retailer.
(See “Appearance Care and Materials” in the Index.)
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
0 Carefully scrape off any excess stain.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean
area often. A soft
brush may be used if stains
are stubborn.
0 If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
area immediately
or it will set.
Using Multi-Purpose Interior Cleaner
on
Fabric
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
Mix powdered cleaner following the directions on
the container label to form thick suds.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge. Don’t
saturate the material and don’t rub it roughly.
AS soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
Wipe cleaned area with a clean, damp towel or cloth.
Wipe with a clean cloth and let
dry.
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Special Fabric Cleaning Problems Cleaning Vinyl
Stains caused by such things as catsup, coffee (black), Use warm water and a clean cloth.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area with cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the multi-purpose interior
cleaner instructions described earlier.
If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
treat the area with a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
Let -dm.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don't get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and a vinyVleather cleaner. See your retailer for
this product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe
dry with a soft cloth. Then, let the
leather dry naturally. Do not use heat to dry.
Stains caused by candy,
ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. First, clean with cool water and allow to
3. If a stain remains, follow instructions for
dry completely.
Multi-Purpose Interior Cleaner.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
retailer for this product.
0 Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
0 Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned cleaners,
furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
immediately. If
dirt is allowed to work into the
finish, it can harm the leather.
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