1998 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE check engine

The coolant level should be at or above the
FULL COLD mark.
If it isn’t,
you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
’ A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak.
If you run
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
~
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the
engine
is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
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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 technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-38 Service
Fuel
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Replacement
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant Radiator Pressure Cap
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
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Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs Capacities and Specifications
Engine Specifications
Vehicle Dimensions
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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A tlAUTION:
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. “English” 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
D48 14 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) 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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If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
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
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
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
determined that the cause of the condition
is the type of
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
may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized
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 forming 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
I
A CAUTION: I
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.
I
L
A CAUTION:
I
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
To open the hood, first pull the hood release handle
inside the vehicle.
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Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly. Then lift the hood
to relieve pressure on the
hood prop. Remove the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its retainer. Then just let the
hood down and close it firmly.
Underhood Lamp (If Equipped)
Your underhood lamp will go on when you open
the hood.
Engine Oil
LEVEL
If the low oil level light on
the instrument panel comes
on, it means you need to
check your engine oil level
right away.
For more information, see
“Low Oil Level 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
oil dipstick is located at the front of the
engine compartment, near the center. The dipstick
handle has
a bright, yellow loop design for
easy identification.
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.
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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 mark, 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:
Don’t add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range, your engine could be damaged.
The engine oil fill cap is
located just behind the
engine oil dipstick.
Be sure to fill it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick
all the way
back in when you’re through.
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Checking or Replacing the Air Cleaner
1. Unlatch the two hooks on top of the air
cleaner housing.
2. Turn back the air inlet panel and rest it on top of the
housing. The air intake tube is designed to flex back;
you do not need to disconnect it.
3. After replacing the air cleaner filter, seat the tabs on
the bottom of the panel into the slots at the bottom.
4. Latch the hooks to secure the panel in place. If the
panel moves easily, check that the tabs
are seated
correctly in the slots.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Passenger Cornparti .t Air
Filter Replacemem
Passenger compartment air, both outside and
I recirculated air, is routed through a passenger
compartment filter, which is part of
a two-piece filter
system. The filter removes certain contaminants from
the air, including pollen and dust particles. Reductions
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can in airflow, which may occur more quickly in dusty
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner areas, indicate that the filter needs to be replaced early.
not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine For how often to change the passenger compartment air
backfires. If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
The access panel for the passenger compartment air
it off, and be careful working on the engine with filter is in the back of the glove box.
the air cleaner off.
filter, see “Maintenance Schedule” in the Index.
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