2003 Oldsmobile Alero service

Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-5.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-31.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle
- such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly
towing” (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known
as a i’dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following. Here
are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity
of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be
towed. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on
page
4-22.
4-31

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See
Engine Overheating on
page
5-26.
4-42

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Service ........................................................... -5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work ......................... 5.4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your
Vehicle
..................................................... -5-4
Fuel
............................................................... -5-5
Gasoline Octane ........................................... -5-5
Gasoline Specifications .................................... 5.5
California Fuel .............................................. -5-6
Additives
...................................................... -5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
.............................. -5-6
Filling Your Tank
..................................... 5-7
Fillins a Portable Fuel Container .. ...... 5.8
the Hood
...................................................... 5-9
Hood Release .............................................. 5-10
Engine Compartment Overview ....................... 5-12
Engine Oil
.................................................. -5-1 5
Au'romaiic Transaxie Fiuia A-LL
Manual Transaxle Fluid .................................. 5-22
Checking
Things Under
Engine Air CleanedFilter
................................ 5-21 - ^^ .............................
Hydraulic Clutch ........................................... 5-22
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5-26
Cooling System
............................................ 5-28
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5-35
Windshield Washer Fluid
............ ............ -5-36
Brakes
...................................................... -5-38
Battery
........................................................ 5-41
Jump Starting
.............................................. 5-42
Engine Coolant
............................................. 5-23
Headlamp Aiming
........................................... 5-47
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5-49
Haloger;
!3L;lbs .............................................. 5-49
Headlamps .................. .... ......... 5-49
Front Turn Signal and
Parking Lamps
.......... ......... 5-50
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
.................................... 5-50
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps ............ 5-50 n-.-~ n ..II-- nepmwzIIIe111 DUIU~ J-J 1 rc4 .......................................
5- 1

Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ............. 5-52
Tires
.............................................................. 5.53
Inflation .. Tire Pressure ................................ 5.54
Tire Inspection and Rotation ........................... 5.55
When It Is Time for New Tires ....................... 5-56
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5-57
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................. 5-58
Wheel Replacement
.................................... -559
Tire Chains .................................................. 5-60
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-61
Compact Spare Tire
...................................... 5-71
Appearance Care
............................................ 5-72
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
................. 5-72
Care
of Safety Belts .................................. 5-75
Weatherstrips
.................... ........... 5-75
Cleaning the Outside
of
Your Vehicle .............. ...... -575
Changing
a Flat Tire
..................................... 5-62 Sheet
Metal Damage
..................................... 5.77
Finish Damage
............................................. 5-77
Underbody Maintenance
................................ 5-78
Chemical Paint Spotting
................................. 5-78
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
........... 5.78
Vehicle Identification
..................................... 5-80
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................. 5-80
Service Parts Identification Label
.................... 5-80
Electrical System
............................................ 5-81
Add-on Electrical Equipment
........................ -5-81
Windshield Wiper Fuses
................................ 5-81
Power Windows and Other Power Options
....... 5-81
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
............................ 5-81
Capacities and Specifications
.... .............. 5.86
Capacities and Specifications
......................... 5.86
Normal Maintenance Replacement
Parts .......... 5.88
5-2

Service We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer
for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts
and GM-trained and supported service people.
5-3

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your vehicle than this
manual can. To order the proper service manual,
see
Service Publications Ordering Information on
page
7- 10.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-59.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See
Part E: Maintenance Record on page 6- 16.
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about
it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind
noise and affect windshield washer performance. Check
with your dealer before adding equipment to the
outside
of your vehicle.
5-4

Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
of
87 or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may
get a heavy knocking noise when you drive.
If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might damage
your engine.
A little pinging noise when you accelerate
or drive uphill is considered normal. This does not
indicate a problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel is
necessary.
If you are using 87 octane or higher-octane
fuel and hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service.
Gasoline Specifications
It is recommended that gasoline meet specifications
which were developed by the American Automobile
Manufacturers Association and endorsed by the
Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association for better
vehicle performance and engine protection. Gasoline
meeting these specifications could provide improved
driveability and emission control system performance
compared to other gasoline.
In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice”
label on the pump.
5-5

California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (see the underhood emission control label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications.
If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on (see
Malfunction indicator Lamp on page 3-31 )
and your vehicle may fail a smog-check test. If this
occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
diagnosis. If it is determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to contribute to clean air.
General Motors recommends that you use these
gasolines, particularly
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
Notices Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage wouldn’t be covered under your
warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
5-6