1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass engine

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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual
for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here
are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that\

pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to
a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
:, , ,::*,,
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. ’krn off the .engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks
at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the’ tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire
and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: ,In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but \
you must use caution.
A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
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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.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “Ehglish” 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
D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications .have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (MA) 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.
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.
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I

I If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
j 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
1 vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
1 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 Oldsmobile retailer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
1 determined that the cause of the condition is the type of
1 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
methylcyclopentadienyl 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 i may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
i Oldsmobile retailer for service, To
provide cleaner
air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forrning
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.
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Checking Things Under the Hood
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
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.
Hood Release
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants
and important parts under the hood.
To
open the hood, first pull
the
HOOD release handle
inside the vehicle.

A. Engine Coolant Surge Tank D.
Engine Oil Dipstick
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir E. Brake Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap F.
Air Cleaner
G. Battery
H. Windshield Washer
Fluid Reservoir
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Engine Oil
CHECK
OIL
If the CHECK OIL light
on the instrument panel
comes on, it means you
need to check your engine
oil level right away.
For more information, see “Check Oil Light” in the
Index.
You should check your engine oil level regularly;
this is an added reminder.
It’s a good idea to check your engine
oil every time you
get fuel.
In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground. The engine
yellow and
fi-ont
of the oil
dipstick is
located on the engine.
Turn off the engine and give the oil a few minutes to
drain back into the oil pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.

Checking Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you’ll need
to add at least one
quart of oil. But you must use the
right kind.
This part explains what kind of oil to use. For
crankcase capacity, see “Capacities and Specifications”
in the Index.
NOTICE: - . -.
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Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range,
your engine could be damaged.
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