1996 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 143

If 3 Light Is On Steady Have you recently changed brands of fuel? If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see "Fuel" in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected by the system and cause the light to turn on. I O U may be able to correct the emission system malfunction by considering the following: Did you just put fuel into your vehicle? If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few driving trips should turn the light off. Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water? If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition will usually be corrected when the electrical system dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off. Are you low on fuel? As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this condition. Make sureto install the fuel cap properly. It will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. If you experience this condition, changethe fuel brand you use. It will require at least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off. If none of the above stepshave made the light turn off, have your retailer or qualified service center check the vehicle. Your retailer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical problems that may have developed.