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v
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
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2-73
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. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
ªFuelº 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 dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine, or come on when
you are driving.
A warning chime and the message LOW OIL
PRESSURE may also come on.
These indicate that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it cool. The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some other oil problem. Have it
fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on briefly when the
ignition is on but the engine is not running. The light
will come on as a test to show you it is working, but the
light will go out when you turn the ignition to START. If
it doesn't come on with the ignition on, you may have a
problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it fixed right away.
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2-74
CAUTION:
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control. See ªCruise
Controlº in the Index.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on,
your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left.
When you have less than 3.0 gallons (11.3 L) of fuel
remaining, the message LOW FUEL will be displayed and
a chime will sound. You need to get more fuel right away.
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2-76
Turn on the system by pressing any button except
RESET, ENTER or OFF. When you turn on the ignition,
the DIC will be in the mode last displayed when the
engine was turned off. Keep in mind that this also
applies to the OFF mode.
To turn off messages on the DIC (except LOW OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings), press any button on
the DIC.
You will need to open the cover to access the control
buttons. To open the cover, push the button located to
the right of the cover.
To close the cover, push it down to its closed position.
Fuel Economy
The ECON button displays average fuel economy and
instantaneous fuel economy calculated for your specific
driving conditions.
Press ECON to display average fuel economy, such as:
25.2 AVG MI/GAL or 9.3 AVG L/100 KM
Press ECON again to display instantaneous fuel
economy, such as:
28 INST MI/GAL or 8.4 INST L/100 KM
Press again to return to average fuel economy.
The average fuel economy is viewed as a long
-term
approximation of your overall driving conditions.
If you press RESET in this mode while you're driving,
the system will begin figuring fuel economy from that
point in time.
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2-78 Engine
The ENG button scrolls through the following functions:
Oil pressure, such as:
OIL PRESSURE 40 PSI or OIL PRESSURE
276 kPa
Battery voltage, such as:
BATTERY 13.8 VOLTS
Transaxle fluid life, such as:
TRANS FLUID LIFE 40%
This is an estimate of the transaxle fluid's remaining
useful life. It will show 100% when the system is
reset after a transaxle fluid change. It will alert you
to change your transaxle fluid on a schedule
consistent with your driving conditions.
Engine oil life, such as:
OIL LIFE 30%
This is an estimate of the oil's remaining useful life.
It will show 100% when the system is reset after an
oil change. It will alert you to change your oil on a
schedule consistent with your driving conditions.When the remaining oil life or transaxle fluid life is low,
the system will alert you with a message:
CHANGE OIL SOON or CHANGE TRNS
FLUID SOON
When the oil or transaxle fluid life is down to zero, you
will receive the message:
CHANGE OIL NOW or CHANGE TRNS
FLUID NOW
Always reset the OIL LIFE reminder after an oil change
or the TRNS FLUID LIFE reminder after a transaxle
fluid change. To reset the TRNS FLUID LIFE:
1. With the ignition on, press the ENG button so the
TRNS LIFE percentage is displayed.
2. Press RESET and hold for five seconds. The word
RESET will appear, then TRNS FLUID 100%.
To reset the Oil Life Monitor, see ªEngine Oil Life
Monitorº in the Index. Also, see ªEngine Oil, When to
Changeº in the Index.
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4-22
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh
-- such as after a day's
work
-- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile dealerships all across North America.
They'll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
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5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Two Electric Engine Cooling Fans
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood 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.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down.
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Engine Oil
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL
message or the oil warning
light on the instrument
panel comes on, it means
you need to check your
engine oil level right away.
For more information, see ªCheck Oil Level Messageº
or ªOil Pressure Warning Lightº 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.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several 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 ªCapacities and Specificationsº
in the Index.
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