1995 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

Rear Towing
TOW LIMITS - 35 MPH (56 KPH), 50 MILES
(80 KM)
Before hooiung up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information on “Towing
Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
Also be sure to use the proper hook-up for your
particular vehicle.
1. Attach T-hook chains on
both sides, in the slotted
holes in the bottom of
the fiame rail,
just ahead
of the rear wheels.
I NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance
will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment (additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment).
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
NOTE: The ignition must be in the OFF position to
keep automatic door locks from locking during
tow.
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.
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2. Attach a separate chain
to each side of the axle
inboard of the spring.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Oldsmobile's instrument panel. See "Coolant
Temperature Gage" in the Index.
You will also find a
low coolant level warning light on
your Oldsmobile's
instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine

NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may
not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too
hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving --
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (03) or DRIVE (D) for
automatic transaxles.
If you
no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see
if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
B. Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
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The coolant level should be at or above FULL COLD. If
it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator
hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in the
cooling system.
r
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on check to
see if the electric engine fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Surge
Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
FULL COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge tank pressure cap,
is cool
before you do it.
(See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information about the proper coolant mix.)
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5-16

NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So use the recommended coolant.
1. You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose,
is no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly about
one-quarter turn to the left and then stop.
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If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
1
A
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and
remove it.
3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mix,
up to
FULL COLD, or just above the small cylinder
at
the base of the opening.
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