2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manuals

Front Turn Signal and
Parking Lamps
1. Remove the headlamp assembly. Refer to the
removal procedure earlier in this section.
2. Turn the bulb assembly retainer and pull out
the bulb.
3. Unclip the bulb assembly from the wiring harness.
4. When replacing the bulb, be sure to properly
align the bulb with the locating feature in the
assembly.
5. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall the bulb
assembly.
Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL)
1. Open the trunk lid and locate the center
high-mounted stop lamp on the inside
of the lid.
2. Use a tool to remove the three screws.
3. Gently remove and replace the bulb(s).
4. Reverse this procedure to reassemble the lamp.
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and
Stoplamps
I /---
A. Taillamp
6. TaiVBrake Lamp
C. Taillamp
D. Turn Signal
E. Back-up Lamp
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1. Disconnect the cargo net in the trunk.
2. Pull back the trunk trim.
3. Remove the three wing nut bolts which fasten the
taillamp lens to the vehicle.
4. Carefully remove the taillamp lens from the body
and avoid scratching the paint or dropping it.
5. Turn the bulb socket 1/6 of a turn counterclockwise
and pull out the bulb assembly.
6. To remove a bulb, gently pull the bulb out from the
socket. Put in a new bulb.
7. Reverse Steps 3 through 5 to reassemble the
taillamp.
Replacement Bulbs
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Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear or cracking. See “Wiper Blade
Check in
At Least Twice a Year on page 6-10 for more
information.
Replacement blades come
in different types and are
removed
in different ways. Here’s how to remove
the wiper blade:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from the
windshield.
2. Push the release lever and slide the wiper assembly
toward the driver’s side of the vehicle.
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps 1 and 2.
For the proper type and size, see Capacities and
Specifications
on page 5-86.
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Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your Oldsmobile Warranty booklet for details.
r--
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
0 Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of
too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
4 inflated tires pose -..? same c ~ lger
I as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
I could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
~ pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
~ Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
~ impact - such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
~ Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
I
I
your tread is badiy WBTii, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
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Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the rear
edge of the driver’s door, shows the correct inflation
pressures for your tires when they’re cold. “Cold’’ means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Notice: Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation
or overinflation is all right.
It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can get
the following:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire.
It should be at
60 psi
(420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell
if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you
can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
0 Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page
5-56 and Wheel Replacement
on page
5-59 for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first rotation
is the most important. See “Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,” in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals. Don’t include the
compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown
on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and
Specifications on page
5-86.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or or parts to
which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come
off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust
or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do
this; but be sure to use a
3cllCapcI VI VVll c; ut U3If IBLGI, II ywu IIG‘CSU LW, LW
get all the rust or dirt off. See “Changing a Flat
Tire”
in the Index.
--_ .------ -_. ... :-- L”..-L I-*-” :+ .--. ~ “...-A 4- 4-
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
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When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS” (for
mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Using tires
of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels.
It's all right to drive with your
compact spare, though.
It was developed for
use on your vehicle.
I If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle. the I
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle. Quality grades can
be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to
30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available
on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
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5-57