1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Owner's Manuals

Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft
cloth or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Care of Safety Belts
I /! CAUTION:
Do not bleach or dye safety belts. If you do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts
only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleamd often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part
No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films on
interior glass.
Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped
off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached acro~ss the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or
if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade
or windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon
Ami@ Powder (non-scratching
glass cleaning powder),
GM Part No. 1050011. The
windshield is clean
if beads do not form when you rinse
it with water.

Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint
finish.
You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your retailer. (See “Appearance Care and
Materials” in the
Index.)
Your vehicle has a “basecoatlclearcoat” paint finish. The
clearcaat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoathlearcoat
paint finish. Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap,
bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle
as soon as possible. If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/cIearcoat paint
finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
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Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
(If Equipped)
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap
and water. Rinse with clean water. after^
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel. A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface
of your vehicle. Don’t use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners
or
abrasive cleaning brushes on them because you could
damage the surface.
Don’t take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can also damage the surface
of these wheels.
Cleaning Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
NOTICE:
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe
off any overspray or splash from all painted
surfaces
on the body or wheels of the vehicle.
Petroleum-based products may damage the paint
finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is darnaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to the parts repaired
or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
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Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into
a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your retailer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your retailer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create
a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can
fall upon and
attack painted surfaces
on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this,
Oldsmobile will repair, at no charge to the owner, the
surfaces of new vehicles damaged by this fallout
condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 lun)
of purchase, whichever occurs first.
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Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NUMBER SIZE DESCRIPTION USAGE
994954 23 in. x 25 in. Polishing Cloth - Wax Treated Exterior polishing cloth
1050172
16 oz. (0.473 L) Tar and Road Oil Remover Removes tat, road oil and asphalt
1050173
16 oz. (0.473 L) Chrome Cleaner and Polish Use on chrome, stainless steel, nickel, copper and brass
1050174 16
oz. (0.473 L) White Sidewall Tire Cleaner Removes soil and black marks from \
whitewalls
1050214 32
oz. (0.946 L)
Vinyl Cleaner
1050427 23
oz. (0.680 L)
Glass Cleaner
I 1052870 I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I Wash Wax Concentrate
I 1052918"" I 8 oz. (0.237 L) I Armor All" Protectant
1052925 16
oz. (0.473 L) Multi-Purpose Interior
Cleaner
1052929 16
oz. (0.473 L) Wheel Cleaner
1052930
8 oz. (0.237 L) Capture Dry Spot Remover
12345002 16
oz. (0.473 L)
Armor All" Cleaner
12345721 2.5
sq. ft. Synthetic Chamois
12345725 12
oz. (0.354 L)
Silicone Tire Shine
12377964 16
oz. (0.473 L)
Finish Enhancer
12377966 16
oz. (0.473 L) Cleaner Wax
12377984 16 oz. (0.473 L) Surface Cleaner
See your General Motors Parts Department for these products.
I See "Fluids and Lubricants" in the Index. Cleans vinyl tops, upholstery and convertible tops
Removes
dirt, grime, smoke and fingerprints
I Cleans and lightly waxes
~ ~~
Protects leather, wood, acrylics, Plexiglas " , plastic, -
rubber and vinyl I
Cleans carpets, seats, interior trim, door panels
and floor mats
I
Spray on and rinse with water
Attracts, absorbs and removes
soils
Cleans and shines a variety of surface types
Shines vehicle without scratching Spray on tire shine
Removes dust, fingerprints and surface contaminants
Removes light scratches and oxidation and protects &ish
Removes contaminants, blemishes and swirl marks
'* Not recommended for use on instrument panel vinyl.
6-50

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
~1111111111111111111111111111 I1 111111111111 111111~II 0
SAMPLE4UXWM072675 ’
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ENGINE398 f 1 ASSEMBLY
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on the bottom of your spare tire
cover. It’s very helpful
if you ever need to order parts.
On this label is:
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. It appears on e your VIN,
a plate in the front comer of the instrument panel, on the the model designation,
driver’s side. You can see it
if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The
VIN also e paint informati-on and
appears
on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration. a list of all production options and
special equipment.
Be sure that ths label is not removed from the vehicle.

Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your retailer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, see “Servicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile” in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by fuses, one for each
headlamp, in the fuse block.
An electrical overload will
cause the lamps to
turn off. If this happens, have your
headlamp wiring checked right away.
.dshield Wipers
rne windshield wiper motor is protected by an internal
circuit breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to
heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools.
If the overload is caused by some electrical
problem and not snow, etc., be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse block protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or
goes away.
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