2003 Oldsmobile Alero open hood

3400 V6 Engine
In very cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater,
if your vehicle has this feature, can
help. You'll get easier starting and better fuel economy
during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater
should be plugged in a minimum of four hours prior to
starting your vehicle. At temperatures above
32°F (OOC),
use of the coolant heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. On
the 2.2L L4
ECOTECTM engine, the engine coolant
heater cord is located in front of the coolant
surge tank on the passenger's side
of the engine
compartment. On the
3400 V6 engine, the
engine coolant heater cord is located near the
engine air cleaner/filter. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page
5-12 for more information on
location.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 IO-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded ou' t
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind
of extension cord could overheat
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong
11 0-volt AC outlet. If the cord
won't reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
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2-2 1

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

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle located
under the instrument
panel on the driver’s side
of the vehicle.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and pull up on
the secondary hood release.
5-1 0

Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood on the 2.2L L4 ECOTECTM engine, you'll see the following:
5-1 2

When you open the hood on the 3400 V6 engine, you'll see the following:
A. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap
D. Engine Oil Dipstick E.
Brake Fluid Reservoir
F. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
G. Battery
H. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
5-1 4

Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until
it cools
down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine
if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle
until the engine is cool.
Notice: If your engine catches fire because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
covered by your warranty.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant light, can
indicate a serious problem. See
Low Coolant Warning
Light
on page 3-31.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant light, 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.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
engine idle.
speed and open the window as necessary.
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2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
5-27

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to follow the steps below to do it safely.
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because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
They contain enough electricity to
ignite.
burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice: Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
Notice: If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can be
damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
Notice: If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn
off the radio and all lamps that aren’t
needed. This will avoid sparks and help save
both batteries. And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminal locations on
each vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page
5-12 for more information on location.
5-42