1995 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in PARK
(P) or a manual
transaxle in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive
(+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
5-3

5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too. Before you
connect
the cables, here are some things you should
know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (-) will go to negative (-) or a metal engine
part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or you’ll get a short
that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too.
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
5-4

7. Don’t let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the
positive
(+) terminal of the good battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (-) cable to the good
battery’s negative
(-) terminal. Don’t let the other
end touch anything until the next step. The other end
of
the negative cable doesn’t go to the dead battery. It
goes to a heavy unpainted metal part
on the engine
of the vehicle with the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection
is just as good
there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery
is much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.

11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it
won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service. 12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
.
l I
-+
GOOD BAlTERY
-
0
@
-+
DEAD BAlTERY
5-6

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM retailer or a professional towing
service tow your Oldsmobile. The usual towing
equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier If
your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the hazard warning
flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment, as described later in
this section.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year
of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the
shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
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When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56 kmh) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.

Front Towing
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information on “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains
into the
slots in the
bottom
of the floor pan,
just behind the front
wheels, on both sides.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
5-9

NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using
car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
2. Attach a separate safety chain around the
outboard end
of each
lower control arm.
5-10