2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE warning light

Hydroplaning .-- Thr -W
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen
if the road is wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
tires do not have much tread or
if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen
if a lot of water is standing
on the road.
If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles or other vehicles, and raindrops
“dimple” the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Nofice: If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that
is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or standing
water, drive through them very slowly.
~ Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
~ If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at
a low water crossing, your vehicle
can be carried away.
As little as six inches of
flowing water can carry away a smaller
vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Don’t ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through flowing water.
9
e
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps - not just your
parking lamps -to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth.
See
Tires on page 5-60.
9
4-20

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
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Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
most large cities. You’ll save time and energy.
See the next part, “Freeway Driving.”
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
0 Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
4-2 1

Winter Driving Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth
and a couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you
will be driving under severe conditions, include a
small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of
burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
4-26

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
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 done on the brake hydraulic system.
1. ,’- have too much brake fLJ, it can spi.. an
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. See “Checking Brake Fluid”
in this section.
BRAKE
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See
Brake System Warning
Light on page
3-44.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container
only. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6- 16.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This
will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
5-40

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

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to
12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
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Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1
5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - AA, A, 9, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
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5-65

Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated
when your vehicle was new,
it can lose air after a time.
Check the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 kPa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle,
you should stop as soon as possible and make sure
your spare tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare
is made to perform well at speeds up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have your full-size
tire repaired or replaced where you want. Of course,
it’s best to replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon
as you can. Your spare will last longer and be in good
shape in case you need it again.
Notice: When the compact spare is installed, don’t
take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact spare can get caught
on the rails. That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles. And
don’t mix your compact spare tire or wheel with
other wheels or tires. They won’t
fit. Keep your spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice: Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare.
Using them can damage your vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Don’t use tire chains on
your compact spare.
All-Wheel Drive
After installing a compact spare tire on a vehicle with
all-wheel drive you will need to drive with light to
moderate acceleration, for
10 seconds, in a straight line.
This action will allow the vehicle to detect the compact
spare tire and disable the all-wheel drive system.
The AWD DISABLE message will come on indicating
that the all-wheel drive system is
off. You may detect
a slight pull during this time, but this is normal.
Notice: You may damage your vehicle’s all-wheel
drive system if your vehicle
is driven for an extended
period with a compact spare tire installed and
the all-wheel drive system in operation. See “All-Wheel Drive System’’ and “AWD Disable
Warning Message’’
in the Index for more information.
5-86

Accessory Inflator ........................................... 5-68
Accessory Power Outlets
................................. 3-24
Adding Washer Fluid
....................................... 5-38
Additional Program Information
........................... 7-8
Additives, Fuel
..................... ,... . ......... 5-6
Add-on Electrical Equipment
................. ... 5-96
Adjusting the Captain's Chairs
(Second Row)
............................................. 1-13
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
............................ 3-66, 3-73, 3-82
Air Bag Readiness Light
.......................................... 3-43
Air Bag Systems
............................................. 1-69
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-76
What Will You See After an
How Does
ari Air Bag Restrain? .................... 1-74
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
.................... 1-74
Air Bag Inflates?
...................................... 1-74
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
................... 1-73
Where Are the Air Bags?
.............................. 1-71
~II 'clttmIw/t-lller, Eflyirle ................................. 5- IS
All Overseas Locations ....... ........................ 7-4
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All-Wheel Drive ............................................... 5-86
All-Wheel Drive
............................................... 5-50
All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning Message .......... 3-59
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) System
......................... 4-1 1
Aluminum Wheels ........................................... 5-92 AM
............................................................. 3-103
Antenna, Fixed Mast
...................................... 3-105
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
............................ 4-7
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light
.............. 3-45
Appearance Care
............................................ 5-87
Care
of Safety Belts .................................... 5-90
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
................ 5-87
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
.............. 5-90
Finish Damage
............................................ 5-92
Chemical Paint Spotting
............................... 5-93
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
.......... 5-93
Sheet Metal Damage
................................... 5-92
Underbody Maintenance
............................... 5-93
Weatherstrips
.............................................. 5-90
Theft-Deterrent System
............. ......... 2-70
Arming and Disarming the Content
Arming Confirmation
.................... ............ 2-28
Arming with the Power Lock Switch
... ......... 2-27
Arming with the Remote Keyless Entry
Transmitter
................................................. 2-28
Arming with Your Key
...................................... 2-28
Audio Speakers
.............................................. 3-93
hdl0 System(s) ............................................. 3-63
Audio Systems
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
.................... 3-102
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
............... 3-103
Care of Your CD and DVD Player
................ 3-104
Care
of Your CDs and DVDs ....................... 3-104
Fixed Mast Antenna
................. ... 3-105