1995 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your retailer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0” F (- 18 O 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 heater should be plugged in a
minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
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To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt outlet.
r
NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
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
in? The answer depends
on the weather, the kind of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list
everything here, we
ask that you contact your
Oldsmobile retailer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The retailer
can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
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Automatic Transaxle
Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever located on the
console between the seats.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine. Your Oldsmobile has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You have to
apply your
regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in the RUN position. If you
cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) --
as you maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever.) See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use
NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I NOTICE: I
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): If your automarlc
transaxle has
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE, this position
is for normal driving. If you need more power for
passing, and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down. You’ll shift down
to
the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
This NOTICE applies only if you have an
Automatic Overdrive transaxle.
If your vehicle is
so equipped and if it seems to start up rather
slowly,
or if it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor. If you drive very
far that way,
your vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until
then, you can use SECOND
(2) when you are
driving less than
35 mph (55 kmk) and
OWRDRIVE
(0) for higher speeds.
DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3): If your automatic transaxle
does not have OVERDRIVE, this position is for normal
driving, at
all speeds, in most street and highway
situations.
If your automatic transaxle has OVERDRIVE (@),
THIRD (3) is like OVERDRIVE (@), but you never go
into OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of OVERDRIVE (a):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
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NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use DRIVE (D) (OVERDRIVE
(0) or
THIRD
(3) if your vehicle has OVERDRIVE (0))
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
If you have the four-speed transaxle with OVERDRIVE
(a), SECOND (2) will select either first or second gear
depending on vehicle speed. If your vehicle is slowing,
the transaxle will downshift to first gear at
20 to 25 mph
(32 to 40 kdh) for engine braking. You may notice
some variation in shift speed in SECOND
(2) when
accelerating or braking.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy)
than SECOND (2). You can
use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST
(I), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
I NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
1 very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You can damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only
the accelerator
, pedal. This could overheat and damage the
1 transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
~ to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Manual Transaxle
This is your shift pattern. Here’s how to operate your transaxle:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 kmk). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(I), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
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SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up 011
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2). Then
slowly let
up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the brake
pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the clutch pedal
and the brake pedal, and shift into NEUTRAL (N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE
(R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle
is moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use REVERSE (Rj, along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Up Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
If you have a manual
transaxle, you have an
UP
SHIFT light. This
light
will show you
when
to shift to the
next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear
if weather, road and traffic conditions let
you. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate,
it is normal for the light to go on and
off if you quickly change the position of the accelerator.
Ignore the UP SHIFT light when
you downshift.
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