2002 OLDSMOBILE AURORA warning

4-26
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:

Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.

You may want to put winter emergency supplies
in your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-10 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-10 Engine Overheating5
-13 Cooling System
5
-19 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-19 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-29 Compact Spare Tire
5
-30 If You're Stuck In: Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
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5-2
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.
The hazard warning flasher button is located in the
center of the instrument panel.
Your hazard flashers work no matter what position your
key is in, and even if the key isn't in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off. To turn off the flashers, press the
button again.
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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5-12 If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant message,
can indicate a serious problem. See ªLow Coolant
Messageº in the Index.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant message, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a
little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
--AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D)
or THIRD (3).If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three
minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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5-16
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX
-COOL
coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So use the recommended coolant.
CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.
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5-19
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº 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 ªblowout,º 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.
CAUTION:
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. Turn 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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6-15
A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
D. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
F. Passenger Compartment Air Filter
G. Remote Negative (
-) Terminal
H. Engine Oil Fill Cap
I. Engine Oil Dipstick
J. Brake Fluid Reservoir
K. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
(near the air cleaner)
L. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Engine Oil
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL message appears on the
instrument cluster, it means you need to check your
engine oil level right away. For more information, see
ªDIC Warnings and Messagesº in the Index.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
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6-20
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must change
your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your last oil
change. Remember to reset the oil life system whenever
the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Oil Life System
The GM Oil Life System
calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system so it can calculate
when the next oil change is required. If a situation
occurs where you change your oil prior to a CHANGE
OIL SOON message being turned on, reset the system.
Always reset the engine Oil Life System to 100% after
every oil change. It will not reset itself.
To reset the OIL LIFE reminder, do the following:
1. With the ignition on, press the SELECT right arrow
on the DIC until you enter the OIL mode. The
current OIL LIFE percentage will be displayed.
2. Press and hold the DIC RESET button for about
five seconds. After five seconds, the display will
show OIL LIFE XXX%. If OIL LIFE XXX% does
not appear on the display after about five seconds,
see your dealer for service. After you release the
DIC RESET button, OIL LIFE 100% will appear
on the display.What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don't let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good hand
cleaner. Wash or properly throw away clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer's
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or
into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
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