1998 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn
off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays
on for an extended period of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Low Traction Light (Option)
LOW
TRACTION
If your vehicle has the
traction control system,
there will be a
LOW
TRACTION light on the
instrument panel.
When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid, or when your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the
LOW
TRACTION light will come on. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this light comes on,
so adjust
your driving accordingly. The light will come on and
stay
on for four seconds when your anti-lock system
adjusts brake pressure for less than four seconds or
when your traction control system limits wheel spin for
less than four seconds. Otherwise, the light will
go out
as soon as the anti-lock system
stops adjusting brake
pressure or the traction control system stops limiting
wheel spin.
The
LOW TRACTION light also comes on briefly, as a
bulb check, when the engine is started. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be there to
tell you when
the system is active.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States
~~
Canadian
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves into the red area, your
engine
is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual
shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Engine Temperature Warning Light
b This light will come on
when your engine gets
too
hot.
v
If this light comes on, it means that your engine coolant
has overheated. If
you have been operating your vehicle
under normal driving conditions, you should pull
off the
road, stop your vehicle and turn off the engine
as soon
as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what
to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Light
If this light comes
on, your system is low
on coolant and the
engine may overheat.
To prevent damage to your engine, immediate
action
is required.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced
as soon as possible.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
United States
CHECK
Canadian
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system
is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light
comes on and
a chime will sound to indicate that there is
a problem and service is required. Malfunctions often
will be indicated by the system before any problem is
apparent. This may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist
your service technician
in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
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NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead
to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come
on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected
on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it
is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues
to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
retailer or qualified service center for service.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if
the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn
the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. Have
you recently changed brands
of fwl?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may
go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use.
It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your retailer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Oil Pressure Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with an oil pressure warning
light. Your oil pressure light
lets you know when you
may have a problem with
your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running and this light comes on, the
engine oil level may be too
low. There may also be
another problem causing low oil pressure.
A c ON:
m
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered
by your warranty.
Low Oil Level Light
11 If this light comes on, it
LEVEL
means your engine is low
on oil.
t-
You need to check the oil level right away. Have your
vehicle serviced immediately.
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Door Ajar Light
This light will come on if
any
of the doors or the
liftgate are not completely
closed and the ignition is
turned
to RUN or START.
Power Sliding Door Warning Light
'IF II
This light will come on if
the power sliding door is
not completely closed and
the ignition is turned to
RUN or START. If you
shift the transaxle out of PARK
(P) while the
power sliding door is open or in the process of closing,
and the power sliding door override feature is disabled,
a buzzer will sound. This is a warning that the power
sliding door
is not completely closed.
If you shift the transaxle out of PARK (P) and
accelerate before the power sliding door latches
closed, the door may reverse to the open position.
A child or others could fall out of the vehicle and
be injured. Always make sure the power sliding
door is closed and latched before you drive away.
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Fuel Gage 0
e‘
E
EB
I I
United States Canadian
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left, when the ignition
is on. When the gage first
indicates
EMPTY (E), you still have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.
After filling the fuel tank, the gage will not read
FULL
(F) until the ignition is turned on.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads
FULL (F).
a
0
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the gage
indicated, For example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half full, but it actually took a little more
or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
brake or speed
up.
The gage doesn’t go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn
off the ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
If your fuel is low, the
warning light next to the
fuel gage will go on and
stay
on until you add fuel.
If the warning light is still on after adding fuel, you need
to reset the warning light.
To reset the warning light,
turn the ignition
to OFF then to ON. If the light stays on,
see your dealer for service.
This light will also come on when
you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, to show you it is
worlung. If it doesn’t come on as you start your vehicle,
have it fixed right away.
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