2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE oil temperature

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may have an engine coolant heater. In very
cold weather,
0°F (-1 8°C) or colder, the engine coolant
heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant
prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures above
32°F (OOC), use of the coolant heater is not required.
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To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the eieciricai cord.
The electrical cord is located on the driver’s side
of the engine compartment.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the
wrong kind
of extension cord could overheat
and cause a fire. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord
won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated
for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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2-35

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview ........................... 3.4
Hazard Warning Flashers
............................ 3.6
Other Warning Devices
............................... 3.6
Horn
............................................................. 3.7
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3-7
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.7
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.14
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.17
Switchbanks
................................................. 3.21
Instrument Panel Switchbank
.......................... 3-21
Overhead Console Switchbank
....................... 3.21
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)
............ 3.22
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.24
Climate Controls
............................................ 3.25
Climate Control System
................................. 3.25
Dual Climate Control System
.......................... 3.28
Rear Climate Control System
Rear Climate Control System (With Entertainment System)
...................... -3-34
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
................... 3.37
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
............. 3.39
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.40
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3.31
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Speedometer and Odometer ........................... 3.41 Safety
Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.42
Air Bag Readiness Light
................................ 3-43
Brake System Warning Light
.......................... 3-44
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
............. 3-45
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light
...... 3-46
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3-47
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3-47
Fuel Gage
................................................... 3-51
Message Center
............................................. 3-52
Service Traction System Warning Message
...... 3-52
Traction Active Message
................................ 3-53
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Message
.................................................. 3-53
Charging System Indicator Message
................ 3-54
Low Oil Pressure Message
............................ 3-54
Low Engine Oil Level Message
....................... 3-55
Change Engine Oil Message
.......................... 3-56
Power Sliding Door Warning Message
............. 3-56
Rear Hatch Ajar Warning Message
.................. 3-58
PASS-Key@
I II Security Message ................... -3-58
All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning Message
....... 3-59
Low Fuel Warning Message
........................... 3-59
Driver Information Center (DIC)
....................... 3-60
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3- 1

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven, in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer.
You may wonder what happens
if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed.
If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then that will
be done.
If it can’t, then it’s set at zero and a label must
be put on the driver’s door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was installed.
Dual Trip Odometers
In addition to the standard odometer, the cluster can
also display two separate trip odometers (designated
by the letter
A or B in the display window) as well as
your vehicle’s Engine Oil Life (designated by the
word
OIL in the display window). The display can be
toggled between the odometer, the trip odometers
and engine oil life by quickly pressing and releasing
the tripheset button located to the right of the
temperature gage. The display toggles once each
time the tripheset button is pressed for less than
1.5 seconds. The display toggles in the following
si?qwn~e: Q!km&r - Trip Qdnm~t~r .A. - Trip n&m@er
B - Engine Oil Life. If the engine oil life is left on the
display, it will automatically toggle back to the odometer
after approximately
15 seconds. Each of the two trip
odometers can be used to keep track of different
trip distances (for example, the mileage of
a long trip
and the mileage diiileii oi-i the cui-i-ei-it tank of fuel).
3-4 1

As in the chart shown previously, SAE 5W-30 is the
only viscosity grade recommended for your vehicle.
You should look for and use only oils which have the
API Starburst symbol and which are also identified
as SAE 5W-30. If you cannot find such SAE 5W-30 oils,
you can use an SAE
1OW-30 oil which has the
API Starburst symbol,
if it's going to be 0°F (-18°C)
or above. Do not use other viscosity grade oils, such as
SAE 1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
Notice: Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below -20°F (-29"C), it is
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE OW-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good pe;formance and engifie prs:ection.
When to Change Engine Oil
(GM Oil Life System)
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This is based
on engine revolutions and engine temperature, and
not on mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage
at which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil
is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has
been diminished,
it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A change engine oil message will come on.
Change your oil as soon as possible within the next
two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that,
if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
may not indicate that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, your engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. It is also important to check
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If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must change
your oil at 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) since your last oil
change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
5-1 7

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

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

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(1 66 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(1 66 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at
150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after
150,000 miles (240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See
Part 5: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-10
and Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections on
page
6- 14.
Footnotes
t The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle
's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
mainienance
be recoraea.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection
on page 6-15.
Engine Oil and Chassis Lubrication
Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and filter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life System (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and filter. This is based on
engine revolutions and engine temperature, and not on
mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the
oil is changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary.
A change engine oil message will come on.
Change your oil as soon
as possible within the next
two times you stop for fuel. It
is possible that, if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system may not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over
a year. However, your engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and at this time the system
must be reset. It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
6-5