2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE engine oil

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle 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
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, change the fluid and filter at
100,000 miles (1 66 000 km).
See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services
on page
6-4.
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
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the fluid
could come out and fall
on hot engine or exhaust
system parts, starting a fire.
Too little fluid could
cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check your transaxle fluid.
Wait at least
30 minutes before checking the transaxle
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).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(1 0°C). If it's colder than 50°F (1 OOC), you may have to
drive longer.
5-20

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
5-26.
A 5060 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).
0 Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning messages 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.
5-23

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and
one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts.
If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need
to add anything else.
Adding on
, plain wa ~ ~ * to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
reservoir is located on the
driver’s side
of the vehicle,
above the engine air
cleanedfilter. See
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page
5- 12 for more
information on location.
5-24

Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice: Your radiator cap is a pressure-type cap
and must be tightly installed to prevent coolant
loss
and possible engine damage from overheating.
Be sure the arrows on the cap line
up with the
overflow tube on the radiator filler neck.
The radiator pressure cap is located at the front of the
engine compartment on the passenger’s side of the
vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-72 for more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on
your vehicle’s instrument panel cluster. See
Engine
Coolant Temperature Gage
on page 3-47. You also
have an engine coolant temperature warning message
on your instrument panel. See
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Message
on page 3-53.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode,
you will notice a significant
loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will indicate
an overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles
(km) and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
Notice: After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause
of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the
oil life system. See “Engine Oil” in
the Index.
5-26

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
C. Coolant Recovery Tank An electric
engine cooling far. -..-er the hood
can start up even when the engine is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric 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.
5-29

Notice: Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” in the Index for information on driving to
a safe place in an emergency.
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.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant
level isn’t at
or above the FULL COLD mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable waterand DEX-COOL@
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. See Engine
Coolant on page
5-23 for more information.
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Vn~lr en~ine mt1ld catch fire and YOU or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX
COOL@ coolant.
5-31

h the wrong kind of fluid in ur 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.
Notice:
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.
0 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.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum 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.
Notice: 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.
5-41

Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Part
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Engine Oil Filter
Passenger Compartment Air Filter Kit
Spark Pluas
Windshield Wiper Blades
Length
Type
Wiper Blade (Backglass) Length
TY Pe
*ACDelco@ part number. Number
A-I 208C*
PF47
GM Part No. 52482929
41
-1 01 *
24.0 inches (60.0 cm)
Shepherd’s Hook
16.0 inches (40.6 cm)
Shepherd’s Hook
5-1 05