2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE check engine

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

The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the FULL
COLD mark, or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level should be above the FULL COLD mark
or a little higher.
Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture at the coolant recovery tank.
Add coolant mixture at the recovery tank, but be careful
not to spill it.
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
radister Ere h3!.
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.
.
Occasionally check the coolant level in the radiator.
For information on how to add coolant to the radiator,
see
Cooling System on page 5-29.
5-25

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

When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering fluid
unless you suspect there is a leak in the system or
you hear an unusual noise.
A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page
5- 72 for reservoir location.
How to Check Power Steering Fluid
Turn the key off , let the engine compartment cool down,
wipe the cap and the top
of the reservoir clean, then
unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.
Replace the cap and completely tighten
it. Then remove
the cap again and look at the fluid level on the dipstick.
When the engine compartment is hot, the level should
be at the H (hot) mark. When it’s cold, the level
should be at the
C (cold) mark. If the fluid is at the
ADD mark, you should add fluid.
What to Use
To determine what kind of fluid to use, see Part D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
Always use the proper fluid. Failure to use the proper
fluid can cause leaks and damage hoses and
seals.
Windshield Washer Fluid
What to Use
When you need windshield washer fluid, be sure to read
the manufacturer’s instructions before use.
If you will
be operating your vehicle in an area where the
temperature may fall below freezing, use a fluid that
has sufficient protection against freezing. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on page
5-12 for reservoir
location.
Adding Washer Fluid
. --
PA
Open the cap with the
washer symbol on it.
Add washer fluid until
the tank is full.
5-38

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

--
1
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing
this, and some have been blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You
don’t need to add water to the ACDelco@ battery
installed
in your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water to take care of
that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could be
present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get
it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin,
flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately. Fans or other moving engine parts can injure
you badly. Keep your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a
shock. The vehicles could be damaged, too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) or to a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one. Negative (-) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine part or to a remote
negative
(-) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you
will get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too. And don’t connect the
negative
(-) cable to the negative (-) terminal on
the dead battery because this can cause sparks.
5-46

Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule ...................................... 6.2
Introduction
................................................... 6.2
Your Vehicle and the Environment
.................... 6-2
Maintenance Requirements
.............................. 6.2
How This Section is Organized
......................... 6.3
Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services ........... 6.4
Scheduled Maintenance
................................... 6-5
Part
B: Owner Checks and Services ................ 6-10
At Each Fuel Fill .......................................... 6-10
At Least Once a Month ................................. 6-10
At Least Twice a Year ................................... 6-10
At Least Once a Year ................................... 6-11
Using Your Maintenance
Schedule
.................... 6.4
Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections
......... 6-14 Steering.
Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection
............................ 6.14
Exhaust System Inspection
............................ 6.14
Fuel System Inspection
.................................. 6.14
Engine Cooling System Inspection
................... 6.14
Throttle System Inspection
............................. 6.15
Transfer Case (Power Transfer Unit) and
Carrier Assembly-Differential
(Rear Drive Module) All-Wheel Drive
Inspection
................................................ 6.15
Brake System Inspection
................................ 6.15
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
................................................ 6.16
Part
E: Maintenance Record ........................... 6.18
6-
1

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
I
KEEP ENGINE OIL
AT THE PROPER
-EVEL AND CHANGE
AS I
RECOMMENDED ~
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment. All recommended maintenance procedures
are important. Improper vehicle maintenance can
even affect the quality of the air we breathe. Improper
fluid levels or the wrong tire inflation can increase
the level of emissions from your vehicle.
To help protect
our environment, and to keep your vehicle in good
condition, please maintain your vehicle properly.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and
recommended fluids and lubricants as prescribed in this
manual are necessary to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. Any damage caused by failure
to follow recommended maintenance may not be
covered by warranty.
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan
supplements your new vehicle warranties. See your
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet or your dealer
for details.
6-2