OldsmobileNinety Eight1996Overview/oldsmobile/ninety-eight/1996/base/

1996 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Ninety Eight.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1996 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight takes 4.5 qt of 10W-30 engine oil and is EPA-rated at 17/27/21 mpg city/highway/combined.

Model year199619911988

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/27/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 770 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter, front wiper blades and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 770 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-70R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25121293 discontinued
Spark plug12681664
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt19244953 discontinued
Thermostat24505924 alt 24506985

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 27 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil10W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)22 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)6.2 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)15 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)31 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)13 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsLower: 11 ft-lbs; Upper: 7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22 ft-lbs
Oil Pan to Block Bolts10 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts35 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub107 ft-lbs

Ignition

Ignition Coil Primary Resistance.5-.9 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance770 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum55.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)48-55
RPM38-52 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11.4-12.6 na ohms
Engine Compression100

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket38 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.26 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.26 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.224 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s) — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., Step 2: 10574 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miDoor Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Hood Hinge (lubricate) · Hood Latch (lubricate) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Ninety Eight. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
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Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 Ninety Eight take?

4.5 qt of 10W-30 API, per the factory manual.

What gas mileage does the Ninety Eight get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 27 highway / 21 combined mpg.