2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette clock

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you
can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may ®nd that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
4-12

While refueling, let the fuel cap hang by the tether
as shown.
{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly. This
spray can happen if your tank is nearly full, and
is more likely in hot weather. Open the fuel cap
slowly and wait for any ªhissº noise to stop.
Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Don't top off or over®ll your tank, and wait a few
seconds after you've ®nished pumping before you
remove the nozzle. Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean
fuel from painted surfaces as soon as possible.
See
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle on page 5-95.
When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-49.
5-8

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 ®rst stops. Do not press down while turning the
pressure cap.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss
means there is still some pressure left.2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
{CAUTION:
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. Do not spill coolant on a hot engine.
5-32

4. Unscrew the bulb socket from the lamp assembly
by pressing the tab while turning it
counterclockwise.
5. Replace the bulb by pulling the old one out and
gently pushing the new one into the lamp socket.
6. Line up the tabs on the socket with the gaps in the
socket holes and screw the bulb socket back into
the lamp housing until a click is heard (the tab
popping back out). Front Turn Signal/Parking Lamp
Front Sidemarker Lamp
5-53

The tools you will be using include the jack (A),
extension (B) and folding wrench (C).
The compact spare tire is located under the rear of the
vehicle. See ªCompact Spare Tireº later in this section
for more information about the compact spare.
To remove the compact spare tire, do the following:A. Hoist Shaft
B. Hoist Assembly
C. Retainer
D. Compact
Spare TireE. Extension
(Chisel End)
F. Folding Wrench
1. Attach the folding wrench to the extension and
insert the chisel end on an angle through the
hole in the rear bumper and into the hoist shaft.
2. Turn the folding wrench counterclockwise to lower
the compact spare tire to the ground. Continue to
turn the wrench so the compact spare tire can
be pulled out from under the vehicle.
5-79

3. To remove the compact spare tire from the cable,
tilt the retainer at the end of the cable so it can be
pulled up through the wheel opening.
4. If your vehicle is an AWD vehicle, after removing
the compact spare tire, turn the wrench clockwise
to raise the cable back up.On an AWD vehicle, you can not store a full-size
tire under the vehicle. It should be stowed inside
the vehicle by the cable provided. See ªStoring the
Flat Tire on an All-Wheel-Drive Vehicleº later in
this section.
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the hoist is
used to store a full-size or a ¯at road tire under
the vehicle. See ªStoring the Spare Tire and Toolsº
and ªStoring the Flat Tire on a Front-Wheel Drive
Vehicleº later in this section.
If the compact spare tire will not lower, check under the
vehicle to see if the tire is hanging loose and the
cable end and spring under the wheel plate are missing.
If so, the secondary latch system is engaged. See
ªSecondary Latch Systemº later in this section.
To continue changing the ¯at tire see ªRemoving the Flat
Tire and Installing the Spare Tireº later in this section.
5-80

1. Place the jack under the vehicle, ahead of the rear
bumper. Position the center lift point of the jack
under the center of the compact spare tire.
2. Turn the folding wrench clockwise to raise the jack
until it lifts the secondary latch device under the
wheel plate.
3. Keep raising the jack until the compact spare tire
stops moving upward and is held ®rmly in place,
this lets you know that the secondary latch
has released.4. Lower the jack by turning the folding wrench
counterclockwise. Keep lowering the jack until the
compact spare tire is resting on the folding wrench.
5. Grasp the compact spare tire with both hands and
pull it out from under the vehicle.
6. Reach under the vehicle and remove the folding
wrench and jack.
Have the hoist assembly inspected as soon as you can.
You will not be able to store a spare or ¯at tire using
the hoist assembly until it has been repaired or replaced.
5-82

3. Attach the folding
wrench to the jack,
and turn the wrench
clockwise to raise
the jack head a few
inches.
4. Raise the vehicle by turning the folding wrench
clockwise in the jack. Raise the vehicle far enough
off the ground so there is enough room for the
compact spare tire to ®t under the wheel well.
5. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the ¯at tire.
6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
the places where the wheel attaches to the
vehicle. In an emergency, you can use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you need to,
to get all the rust or dirt off.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts.
If you do, the nuts might come loose. Your
wheel could fall off, causing a serious
accident.
5-85