2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manuals

Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do this more than once.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you don’t get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth
and vinyl/leather cleaner. See your dealer for
this product.
Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Then, let
the leather dry naturally.
Do not use heat to dry.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
dealer for this product.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately. If dirt is allowed
to work into the finish,
it can harm the leather.
Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones
or waxes may cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult to see through the
windshield under certain conditions.
Interior Plastic Components
Use only a mild soap and water solution on a soft cloth
or sponge. Commercial cleaners may affect the
surface finish.
Glass Surfaces
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner or a
liquid household glass cleaner will remove normal
tobacco smoke and dust films on interior glass. See
GM
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials on page
5-78.
Notice: Don’t use abrasive cleaners on glass,
because they may cause scratches. Avoid placing
decals on the inside rear window, since they
may have to be scraped
off later. If abrasive cleaners
are used on the inside
of the rear window, an
electric defogger element may be damaged. Any
temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
5-74

Care of Safety Belts
Keep P+s clean and dry.
Do noi ,,,,ch or dye safety belts. If you do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth at least every six
months. During very cold, damp weather more frequent
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-15.
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Cleaning the Outside of
Your Vehicle
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep
it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold
water.
Don’t wash your vehicle in the direct rays
of the sun.
Use a car washing soap. Don’t use strong soaps
or chemical detergents. Be sure to rinse the vehicle
well, removing all soap residue completely.
You can get
GM-approved cleaning products from your dealer.
See
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials on
page 5-78. Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum
based, or that contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning
agents should be flushed promptly and not allowed
to dry on the surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish
with a soft, clean chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water spotting.
High pressure car washes may cause water to enter
your vehicle.
5-75

Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses
Use only lukewarm or cold water, a soft cloth and a car
washing soap to clean exterior lamps and lenses.
Follow instructions under “Washing Your Vehicle.”
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your vehicle by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the
paint finish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. See
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials
on page 5-78.
Your vehicle has a “basecoatklearcoat” paint finish. The
clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoatklearcoat paint
finish.
Notice: Machine compounding or aggressive
polishing on a basecoatklearcoat paint finish may
dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc.,
can damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain
on painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle
as soon as
possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that
are marked safe for painted surfaces to remove
foreign matter. Exterior painted
surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a
period of years. You can help to keep the paint finish
looking new by keeping your vehicle garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Windshield and Wiper Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer, or
if the wiper blade chatters when running,
wax, sap or other material may be on the blade or
windshield.
Clean the outside of the windshield with a full-strength
glass cleaning liquid. The windshield is clean if beads do
not form when you rinse it with water.
Grime from the windshield will stick to the wiper blades
and affect their performance. Clean the blade by
wiping vigorously with a cloth soaked in full-strength
windshield washer solvent. Then rinse the blade
with water.
Check the wiper blades and clean them as necessary;
replace blades that look worn.
5-76

Aluminum Wheels
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with a soft clean towel.
A wax
may then be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your vehicle. Don’t use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners,
cleaners with acid, or abrasive cleaning brushes on
them because you could damage the surface. Do not
use chrome polish on aluminum wheels.
Don’t take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicone carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes
cm also damage the surface of these whee!s.
Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with tire cleaner
Notice: When applying a tire dressing, always take
care to wipe
off any overspray or splash from all
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vehicle. Petroleum-based products may damage the
paint finish and tires.
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Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Original manufacturer replacement parts will provide the
corrosion protection while maintaining the warranty.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the
finish should be repaired right away. Bare metal
will corrode quickly and may develop into major repair
expense;
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials avaliable from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
5-77

Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on
the underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan
and exhaust system even though they have corrosion
protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and debris can collect.
Dirt packed in close areas of
the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can
do this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms; blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint job causes this,
GM will
repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance
Materials
See your GM dealer for more information on purchasing
the following products.
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
Description Usage
Polishing Cloth
polishing cloth.
Wax-Treated Interior
and exterior
~ ~ ~ ~~~
Removes tar, road oil and
Chrome Cleaner and Use on
chrome or
Polish stainless steel.
I
White Sidewall Tire Removes soil and black
Cleaner marks from whitewalls.
Vinyl Cleaner Cleans vinyl tops,
upholstery and
convertible tops.
1 Glass Cleaner I
Removes dirt, grime,
smoke and fingerprints.
Chrome and Wire Wheel from chrome wheels and
Cleaner Removes dirt and grime
wire wheel covers.
5-78

GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
(cont’d) GM
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
kont’d)
Description Usage
Finish Enhancer Removes dust,
fingerprints, and surface
contaminants, Spray on
wipe
off.
Removes swirl marks,
fine scratches and other
light surface
contamination.
Swirl Remover Polish
Cleaner Wax
I
Removes light scratches
and protects finish.
Medium foaming
shampoo. Cleans and
~i~cjmr~rJ~hle and
Wash Wax Concentrate lightly waxes.
I phosphate free. Description
Usage
Quickly and easily
removes spots and stains
from carpets, vinyl and
cloth upholstery.
Odorless spray odor
Spot
Lifter
Odor Eliminator eliminator
used on
fabrics, vinyl, leather and
carDet.
See your General Motors parts department for these
products. See
Part D: Recommended fluids and
Lubricants on page 6- 15.
5-79

Vehicle Identification
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
0 I
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on the bottom of your spare
tire cover. It’s very helpful
if you ever need to order
parts. On this label
is:
your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information and
a list of all production options and special
equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel, on
the driver‘s side. You can see it
if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement parts.
5-80

Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
Notice: Don’t add anything electrical to your
vehicle unless you check with your dealer first.
Some electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment can
keep other components from working as they
should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to add anything electrical to your vehicle, see
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-59.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and a fuse. If the motor overheats due to heavy
the overload is caused by some electrical problem, have
it fixed. snow,
eic., iile wiper wiii siup ui-liii ti-le i-hstci- GS~S. If
Power Windows and Other Power
Options
A circuit breaker in the fuse panel protects the power
windows. When the current load is too heavy, the circuit
breaker opens and closes, protecting the circuit until
the problem is fixed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination
of fuses, circuit breakers
and fusible links. This greatly reduces the chance of
damage caused by electrical problems.
There are three fuse blocks in your vehicle: two
instrument panel fuse blocks and the engine
compartment fuse block.
There are four spare fuses located in the driver’s side
instrument panel end cap for your use.
Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks
There are two fuse panels for your vehicle. One is
located on the driver’s side of the instrument panel and
the other is located on the passenger’s side.
5-81