2003 OLDSMOBILE AURORA light

If you get fuel on yourself and then something
ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly. This spray can happen if your tank
is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all
the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon
as possible. See Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-85. When filling the tank
do not overfill by squeezing in much more fuel after the
pump shuts
off.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear
a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page
3-39.
The CHECK GAS CAP DIC message will come on if the
fuel cap is not properly reinstalled.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type,
it may not fit properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in the
Index.
5-1 0
ProCarManuals.com

How to Add Fluid Engine Coolant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See
Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-15.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1, Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
Notice: We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-Ill, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-Ill is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check,” earlier in this
section. The
cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL@ engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add
only extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is
low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see
Engine Overheating on
page
5-28.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
5-24
ProCarManuals.com

Brakes
Brake Fluid
1
A DOT3
b
your brake system fixed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or won’t
work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top
off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too
much fluid when you get new brake linings.
You should
add (or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when
work is don
- In the brake hydraulic sys’- -n
Your master cylinder reservoir is on the driver’s side of
the engine compartment. It is filled with DOT-3 brake
fluid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-14
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level
in the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put
in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system.
If it is, you should have
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine
is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on.
A chime will sound if you try
to drive with this warning light on. See
Brake System
Warning Light on
page 3-35.
5-39
ProCarManuals.com

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes won’t work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notices Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to
GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6- 14.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
5-4 1
ProCarManuals.com

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
d t safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
d gerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
They contain enough electricity to
ignite.
burn you.
1 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 or in the accessory power outlet. 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!
5-44
ProCarManuals.com

Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@
battery installed
in your new vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If
it is low, add water
to take care of that first. If you don’t, explosive
gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans or other moving engine parts
can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine
is running.
6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go
to positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll
get
a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
5-46
ProCarManuals.com

Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system equipped with horizontal aim indicators. The aim
has been preset at the factory and should need no
further adjustment. This is true even though your
horizontal aim indicators may not fall exactly on the
“0 (zero) marks on their scales.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment to the low beam
may be necessary
if it is difficult to see lane markers (for
horizontal aim),
or if oncoming drivers flash their high
beams at you (for vertical aim).
If you believe your
headlamps need to be re-aimed, we recommend that
you take your vehicle to your dealer for service.
However, it is possible for you to re-aim your headlamps
as described
in the following procedure.
Notice: To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before beginning.
Failure to follow these instructions could cause
damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps are
25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other flat
surface.
The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall
or other flat surface.
The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.
The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.
full tank of fuel and one person or 160
Ibs (75 kg) on
the driver’s seat.
The vehicle should be normally loaded with a
Tires should be properly inflated.
5-50
ProCarManuals.com

Headlamp Vertical Aiming
Notice: Horizontal aiming must be performed
before making any adjustments to the vertical aim.
Adjusting the vertical aim first will result in an
incorrect headlamp aim.
1. Find the aim dot on the lens of the low beam
lamps.
2. Measure the distance from the ground to the aim
dot on each lamp;
if left low beam, subtract two
inches. Record this distance.
3. At the wall or other flat surface, measure from the
ground upward the recorded distance from Step
2
and draw or tape a horizontal line the width of
the vehicle.
-- - /
I-
I
.-
4. Turn on the low-beam headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent in front of the
headlamp not being aimed. This should allow only
the beam of light from the headlamp being
aimed to be seen on the flat surface.
Notice: Do not cover a headlamp to improve beam
cut-off when aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up which may cause
damage to the headlamp.
5-52
ProCarManuals.com