2003 Oldsmobile Bravada service

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.
-1 In Canada, look for the
“Auto Makers’ Choice” label on the pump.
Canada Only
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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 3-35 )
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.
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Notice: 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.

What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute
(API). Do not use
any oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
If you choose to perform
the engine oil change
service yourself, be sure
the
oil you use has
the starburst symbol on the front of the oil
container. If you have your
oil changed for you, be
sure the oil put into
your engine is American
Petroleum Institute certified
for gasoline engines.
You should also use the proper viscosity oil for your
vehicle, as shown in the viscosity chart.
~ ~ -~ ~~ ~~
RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITV GRADE ENGINE OILS
HOT
WEATHER 7
"F
c 100 -
+ 80 -
+60 -
t 40 -
c20 -
0-
C
7
"C
t 38
t 27
t 16
+4
7
- 18
LD
1-11
LOOK
FOR THIS
SYMBOL
WEATHER
DO NOT USE SAE 1OW-40, SAE 20W-50 OR ANY OTHER VISCOSITY GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
5-1 6

How to Reset the CHANGE ENG OIL Light
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and filter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system
so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
CHANGE ENG OIL light being turned on, reset the
system.
To reset the CHANGE ENG OIL light, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN with the
2. Fully press and release the accelerator pedal three
engine
off.
times within five seconds.
For vehicles with the Driver Information Center, see
Driver Information Center (DE) on page 3-43 to reset
the system.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Don’t let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products. Used oil can be a threat
to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from the
filter before disposal. Never dispose
of oil by putting it
in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or into
streams
or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have a
problem properly disposing
of your used oil, ask
your dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
Engine Air CleanedFilter
The engine air cleanedfilter
is located toward the front
of the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side
of the vehicle.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12 for
more information on engine air cleaner filter location.
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1-1 Your vehicle may have this
feature. The engine air cleanedfilter assembly has
an indicator that lets
you know when the air
filter is dirty and needs to
be serviced. The
indicator is located on the
engine air cleaner/filter
air duct.
The service window
(A) with the percentage scale
shows the amount of engine air cieanedfilter life used.
When both service window
(A) and service window
(B) turn orange, replace the engine air cleanedfilter
After changing the engine air cleaner/filter, press
the button on top of the indicator to reset it.
For vehicles without an indicator, refer
to the
maintenance schedule to determine when
to replace the
engine air cleaner/filter. To
check or replace the engine air cleaner/filter, do the
following:
1. Remove the three screws on the engine air
2. Twist out the old engine air cleaner/filter and
3. Reinstall the cover.
cleanedfilter and lift
off the cover.
replace it with a new one,
if needed.
per
______ ~ ---e eng.--> with the air cleaner/filter
off can cause you or others to be burned. The
air cleaner not only cleans the air,
it stops
flame if the engine backfires.
If it isn’t there
and the engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it off, and be careful working
on the engine with the air cleanedfilter
off.
Notice: If the air cleaner/filter is off, a backfire can
cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can
easily get into your engine, which will damage
it.
Always have the air cleaner/filter in place when
you’re driving.
5-1 9

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83
000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
9 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
regularly
reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the fluid and filter every
100,000 miles (1 66 000 km).
service.
How to Check
Because this operation can
be a little difficult, you may
choose
to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice: Too much or too little fluid can damage
your transmission.
Too much can mean that some
of the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting
a fire.
Too little fluid could cause the transmission to
overheat.
Be sure to get an accurate reading if you
check your transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above
90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic-especially in hot weather
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F
to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
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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 while
stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift
to
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
speed and open the window as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can push down the
accelerator until the engine speed
is about twice as
fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes while
you’re parked.
If you still have the warning, turn off
the engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it
cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it
cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.
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The coolant level should
be at least up to the
FULL
COLD mark. If it isn’t,
you may have a leak at the
pressure cap or in the
radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system.
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there
is a leak. If you
run the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That
could cause an engine fire, and you could be
burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive the
vehicle. If
there seems to be no leak, start the engine again.
The engine cooling fan speed should increase when idle
speed is doubled by pushing the accelerator pedal
down.
If it doesn’t, your vehicle needs service. Turn off
the engine.
Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
Nofice: 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.
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