2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE engine overheat

The coolant level should be at or above 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, with the engine on, check
to see
if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running. If they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
5-30

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

Notice: In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
You can be burned if you
spill 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.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
FULL COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system
is cool before you do it.
5-32

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
Notice: Your engine has a specific radiator fill
procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could
cause your engine to overheat and be severely
damaged.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss
means there is still some pressure left.
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when
the cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap
slowly counterclockwise until
it first stops. (Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
5-34

Engine (cont.)
Coolant Temperature Warning Message
.......... 3-53
Cooling System Inspection
............................ 6-1 4
Engine Compartment Overview
.... ........... 5-12
Exhaust
..................................................... 2-43
Low Oil Level Message
................................ 3-55
Oil
............................................................. 5-14
Overheating
................................................ 5-26
Starting
...................................................... 2-34
Engine Coolant Level Check
............................. 6-10
Engine Oil Additives
......................... ....... 5-17
Engine Oil and Chassis Lubrication Scheduled Maintenance
................................. 6-5
Engine Oil Level Check
................................... 6-10
Engine Specifications
..................................... 5-1 04
Entering Programming Mode
............................ 2-63
Entertainment System
...................................... 3-91
Cleaning the Video Screen
.......................... 3-105
Cleaning Your DVD Player
.......................... 3-105
DVD Distortion
.......................................... 3-103
Entry Lighting
................................................. 3-18
Erasing HomeLink@ Buttons
.............................. 2-52
Exit Lighting
................................................... 3-19
Exiting Programming Mode
............................... 2-71
Express-Down Window
.................................... 2-25
Extender, Safety Belt
....................................... 1-44
Exterior Lamps
............................................... 3-1 4
F
FabricKarpet ................................................. 5-87
Engine Air Cleaner
...................................... 5-19
Filter
Finding
a PTY Station
..................... 3.67. 3.74. 3-83
Finding a Station
............................ 3-65, 3-72, 3-81
Finish Care
.................................................... 5-91
Finish Damage
............................................... 5-92
Fixed Mast Antenna
....................................... 3-105
Flash-to-Pass
................................................... 3-9
Flat Tire
........................................................ 5-69
Flat Tire, Changing
......................................... 5-70
Flip and Fold Rear Seats
.................................. 1-7
Fluid Automatic Transaxle
..................................... 5-20
Power Steering
........................................... 5-37
Windshield Washer
...................................... 5-38
FM
.............................................................. 3-103
Fog Lamps
.................................................... 3-16
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
............. 1-8, 1-14
Folding the Seatback
....................................... 1-18
Following Distance
.......................................... 4-41
Footnotes
........................................................ 6-5
Front Reading Lamps
...... ........................ 3-19
Front Seat Storage Net
................................ 2-55
Fuel
............................................................... 5-5
Additives
................. .......................... 5-6
California Fuel
....................................... 5-6

New Vehicle Break-In ...................................... 2-32
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
........... 5-1 05
Odometer ............................ ~ ~1 ...................... 3-41
Oil
Off -Road Recovery .......................................... 4-1 4
Engine
....................................................... 5-1 4
Pressure Message
....................................... 3-54
Older Children, Restraints
................................ 1-45
Onstar@ Personal Calling
................................. 2-48
OnStap Services
............................................ 2-47
Onstar@ System ............................................. 2-47
Onstar@ Virtual Advisor .................................... 2-48
Operation Tips
................................................ 3-31
Other Warning Devices
...................................... 3-6
Outside Operation
.............................................. 3-25, 3-28
Outlet Adjustment
............................................ 3-31
Convex iviirror
............................................. 2-46
Heated Mirrors ............................................ 2-46
Power Mirrors
............................................. 2-45
Overhead Console
.......................................... 2-55
Overhead Console Switchbank
.......................... 3-21 Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
.......................................... 5-26
Owners, Canadian
............................................... ii
Owner’s Information
........................................ 7-10
. 3-22
Park Aid ........................................
Park (P)
Shifting Into ................................ ..... 2-40
Shifting Out of
......................... ..... 2-42
Parking Assist
......................... .................... 3-22
Brake
........................................................ 2-39
Over Things That Burn
................................. 2-43
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle
Park (P) Mechanism Check
........................... 6-13
Parking on Hills
.............................................. 4-42
Part
A - Scheduled Maintenance Services ............ 6-4
Part B
- Owner Checks and Services ................ 6-10
Part C
- Periodic Maintenance Inspections .......... 6-14
Part
D - Recommended Fluids and Lubricants .... 6-16
Part
E - Maintenance Record ........................... 6-18
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
..................... 3-37
Passing
................................................. 4-14, 4-41
PASS-Key@
Ill ................................................ 2-29
PASS-Key@
Ill Operation .................................. 2-30
11