2003 Oldsmobile Bravada heating

Driving with a ‘railer
I..
If you have a rear-most window open and you
pull a trailer with your vehicle, carbon
monoxide
(CO) could come into your vehicle.
You can’t see or smell CO.
It can cause
unconsciousness
or death. See “Engine
Exhaust” in the Index.
To maximize your safety
when towing a trailer:
Have your exhaust system inspected for
leaks, and make necessary repairs before
starting on your trip.
Keep the rear-most windows closed.
If exhaust does come into your vehicle
through a window
in the rear or another
opening, drive with your front, main heating
or cooling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This will bring fresh,
outside air into your vehicle.
Do not use
the climate control setting for maximum air because
it only recirculates the air inside
your vehicle. See “Climate Controls”
in the
Index. 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.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need
to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
4-50

Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then,
to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice: Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to
come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop. When towing a trailer,
the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
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.
You can tow in DRIVE
(D). You may want to shift the
transmission to THIRD
(3) or a lower gear, under heavy
loads or hilly conditions.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
consider the following: Engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at normal altitudes. If you turn your
engine
off immediately after towing at high altitude
on steep uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs
similar to engine overheating, To avoid this, let the
engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a
few minutes before turning the engine
off. If you do get
the overheat warning, see
Engine Overheating on
page 5-24.
4-5 1

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
Filling Your lank
............................................ 5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
....................... 5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood .................... 5-10
Hood Release
.............................................. 5-10
Engine Compartment Overview
....................... 5-12
Engine
Oil ................................................... 5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
............................... 5-18
Automatic Transmission Fluid
......................... 5-20
Engine Coolant
............................................. 5-22
Radiator Pressure Cap
.................................. 5-24
Engine Overheating
....................................... 5-24
Cooling System
............................................ 5-26
Engine Fan Noise
.................................. 5-32
Power Steering Fluid
.................... ..... 5-33
....................................................... Additives 5.6
Fuels in Foreign Countries
............................... 5-6 Windshield
Washer Fluid
................................ 5-33
Brakes
........................................................ 5-34
Battery
........................................................ 5-38
Jump Starting
.......... ............................. 5-39
All-Wheel Drive ............. ......................... 5-44
Rear Axle ....................................................... 5-46
Bulb Replacement .......................................... 5.47
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps
................... 5.47
Replacement Bulbs
....................................... 5.48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement .............. 5.49
.............................................................. Tires 5.52
Inflation
.. lire Pressure ................................ 5.53
lire Inspection and Rotation
........................... 5.53
Buying New Tires
......................................... 5.56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.......................... 5.57
Wheel Replacement
...................................... 5.58
lire Chains
.................................................. 5.60
Accessory Inflator
......................................... 5.60
If a lire Goes Flat ........................................ 5.61
When It
Is Time
for New Tires ....................... 5-55
Wheel Alignment and lire Balance
.................. 5-58
Changing a Flat lire
..................................... 5-62
5-
1

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid
to use. See Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6- 17.
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid while
it is hot.
(A cold check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper fluid
to bring the level up
to the HOT area for a hot check.
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@
-111, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@
-111 is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How
to Check”.
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back
in all the way; then flip the handle
down
to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
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 DEX-COOL@ 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 5-24.
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.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner
-- at 30,000 miles
(50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first.
Damage caused by the
use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL@
is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.
5-22

Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture at the coolant recovery tank.
Turning the radiator pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. With the coolant recovery tank, you will
almost never have to add coolant at the
radiator. Never turn the radiator pressure
cap
-- even a little -- when the engine and
radiator are hot.
1
Add coolant mixture at the recovery tank, but be careful
not
to spill it. You can be burned
if you SI coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol, and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator. For
information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see
Cooling System on page 5-26.
Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your pressure cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
See “Capacities and Specifications” for more
information.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-72 for
information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel.
5-24

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see your Oldsmobile Warranty booklet for details.
I
Poorly maintained and imprope -
are dangerous.
-
used tires
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have
an air-out and a
serious accident. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
Underinflated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be cut,
punctured or broken by a sudden impact
- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
your tread is badly worn, or if your tires have been damaged, replace them.
5-52

To use the air inflator attach the appropriate nozzle
adapter to the end of the hose
if required. Then attach
that end of the hose to the object you wish to inflate.
Attach the other end of the hose to the outlet.
Press and release the switch to turn the air inflator on.
The indicator light will remain on when the inflator is
running.
The system has an internal clock to prevent overheating.
The system will allow about five minutes of running
time, then the compressor will stop. The indicator light
will then begin to flash. When the indicator is off,
the inflator can be started again by pressing the switch.
If the compressor is still hot,
it may only run for a
short time before shutting off again.
Press and release the switch to turn the inflator off.
Place the inflator kit
tools in the pouch and store
it properly. Remove the inflator hose from the outlet
during loading and unloading. Load leveling will
not function with the inflator hose attached
to the inflator
outlet. See ”Electronically Controlled Air Suspension
System” in the Index.
To reinstall the cover, line up the tabs at the back of the
cover, put it in place and latch the tabs.
A continuous flashing indicator light may also indicate a
malfunction in the air suspension system. See
“Electronically Controlled Air Suspension System” in the
Index.
Inllarlllg something too m,.-h can make it
explode, and you or others could be injured.
Be sure to read the inflator instructions, and
inflate any object only to its recommended
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout”, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
5-61

E
Electrical System
Add-on Equipment
...................................... 5-86
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
........................... 5-86
Headlamps
................................................. 5-86
Power Windows and Other Power Options
...... 5-86
Windshield Wiper Fuses
............................... 5-86
Electronically Controlled Air Suspension
System
...................................................... 4-43
Emergency Release for Opening Liftgate
............ 2-13
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
................................................... 3-38
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
......................................... 5-1 8
Battery
....................................................... 5-38
Change Engine Oil Light
............................... 3-39
Check and Service Engine Soon Light
............ 3-35
Coolant
...................................................... 5-22
Coolant Heater
............................................ 2-20
Cooling System Inspection
............................ 6-15
Engine Compartment Overview
...................... 5-1 2
Exhaust ..................................................... 2-28
Fan Noise
.................................................. 5-32
Oil ............................................................. 5-13
Overheating
................................................ 5-24
Reduced Power Light
................................... 3-40
Starting
...................................................... 2-1 9
Coolant Temperature
Gage
........................... 3-35 Engine
Air Cleaner Filter Restriction
Indicator Check
............................. ... 6-11
Engine Compartment Fuse Block
................... 5-87
Engine Coolant Level Check
............................. 6-10
Engine Oil Additives
........................................ 5-17
Engine Oil Level Check
................................... 6-10
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance
..................... 6-5
Entertainment System Cleaning the Video Screen
........................... 3-91
DVD Distortion
............................................ 3-89
Entry Lighting
.............................................. 3-18
Environmental Concerns
........................ ... 4-17
Erasing HomeLinkO Buttons
................... ... 2-39
Exit Lighting
................................................... 3-18
Express-Down Window
.................................... 2-15
Extender, Safety Belt
....................................... 1-26
Exterior Lamps
........................................... 3-14
ENGINE COOLANT HOT/IDLE ENGINE
............. 3-52
F
FabridCarpet ................................................. 5-77
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner
...................................... 5-18
Finding a PTY Station
............................. 3-60, 3-69
Finding a Station
.................................... 3-58, 3-66
Finish Care
.................................................... 5-81
Finish Damage
............................................... 5-82
Fixed Mast Antenna
........................................ 3-91
Flash-to-Pass
................................................... 3-8
5