2003 OLDSMOBILE AURORA brakes

Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap
into your vehicle’s brake system.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Trailer Wiring Harness
All of the electrical circuits required for your trailer
lighting system can be accessed at the driver’s side rear
lamp connector. This connector is located under the
carpet
in the rear corner of the trunk compartment.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight
of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself. Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that require
heavy braking and sudden turns.
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Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and
no longer work well.
r-Irking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on
a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged. But
if you
ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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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
5-28.
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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
........................... 5-7
Filling Your Tank
........................................ 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
..... . 5-11
the Hood
.................................................... 5-12
Hood Release
.............................................. 5-13
Engine Compartment Overview
....................... 5-14
Engine Oil
................................................... 5-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
................................ 5-21
P,L!tSrn2.tlC Tr2!ns2x!n !=!!lid ............................. .- E;-33 --
Engine Coolant ............................................. 5-24
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap
.................. 5-28
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5-28
Cooling System
............................................ 5-31
.W indshieid .Washer Fiuid 5-36
Checking Things Under
Power Steering Fluid
..................................... 5-37 ~ ................................
Brakes ........................................................ 5.39
Battery
........................................................ 5.42
Jump Starting
............................................... 5-44
Headlamp Aiming
.............................. ...... 5-50
Bulb Replacement ......................................... -5-54
Halogen Bulbs
............................................. -5-54
Headlamps
................................................. -5-55
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps
.......... 5-57
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps
..................................... 5-58
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5-58
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.............. 5-59
Tires
.............................................................. 5-60
Inflation
-- Tire Pressure ................................ 5-60
Check Tire Pressure System
.......................... 5-62
Tire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5-63
When It Is Time for New Tires
....................... 5-65
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5-66
UIIIIUIIII I Ilt: Uudllly uldullly d-UI
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance .................. 5-68
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5-68
Tire Chains
................................................. -5-70
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................ 5-70
Changing a Flat Tire
..................................... 5-71
Compact Spare Tire
5-81
I I.-:+- T. n . ._I.&. . n.-- -I:__ _. re7 ..........................
- ......................................
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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.
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What to Add Notice:
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid. Refer
to Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page
6-75. Use new brake fluid from a
sealed container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from enteri-- the reservoir.
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper brake
fluid.
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid.
9 If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can
be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle.
If
you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
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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.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together
if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
- for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in
- be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If
you don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change
- for the worse. The
braking performance you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco@ battery. When it’s time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
battery.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling. The
battery is located under the rear seat cushion. To
access the battery, see
Removing the Rear Seat
Cushion on page 5-95. You don’t need to access the
battery to jump start your vehicle. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-44.
- - ~ttery -.~t isn’t properly vented can let
sulfuric acid fumes into the area under the rear
seat cushion. These fumes can damage your
rear seat safety belt systems. You may not be
able to see this damage, and the safety belts
might not provide the protection needed in a
crash. If a replacement battery is ever needed,
it must be vented in the same manner as the
original battery. Always make sure that the
vent hose
is properly reattached before
reinstalling the seat cushion.
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