1998 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5-2
5-3
5-7
5- 13
5-24 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating If a Tire Goes Flat
5-24 Air Inflator (Option)
5-24 Changing a Flat Tire
5-34 Compact Spare Tire
5-35 If You’re Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off. Your
hazard warning
flashers button is on top of
the steering column. Press
the button in to turn on
your flashers.
Your ha,,,, warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, push the button down and it will
pop back up by itself.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
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Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps listed to
do it safely.
On vehicles equipped with the optional power sliding
door, a low voltage battery or replacing a battery may
cause the system to become inoperative. See “Power
Sliding Door” in the Index for more information. NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and
it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to
If’ you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
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NOTICE:
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start procedure. Put an
automatic transaxle in
PARK (P).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlet. Turn
off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
In addition, it
could save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
JTION:
--
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
Your vehicle has a remote
positive
(+) jump starting
terminal. The terminal is
under a tethered cap at the
front of the underhood fuse
and relay center. Pull up the
cap to access the remote
positive
(+) terminal.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find
the positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery. You
should always use
the remote positive (+) terminal
instead
of the positive (+) terminal on your battery.
5-4
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- CAUTICA
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to
add water to the ACDelco Freedom@
battery installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you
badly. Keep your hands
away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
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5. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
6. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect it
to the positive
(+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
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7. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next
step.
The other end of the negative (-) cable doesn’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted metal
part on the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery. 8. Attach the
cable at least
18 inches
(45 cm) away
from the dead battery,
but not near engine parts
that move.
The electrical
connection is just as
good there, but the
chance of sparks getting
back to the battery
is
much less.
9. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for
a while.
10. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
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