1995 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time.
Check the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420 kPa). After installing the compact spare on
your vehicle, you should stop as soon as possible and
make sure your spare tire
is correctly inflated. The
compact spare is made to perform well at posted speed
limits for distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you
can finish your trip and have your full-size tire repaired
or replaced where you want. Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as soon as you
can. Your spare will last longer and be in good shape
in
case you need it again.
I NOTICE:
Don’t take your compact spare through an
automatic car wash with guide rails. The
compact spare can get caught on the rails. That
can damage the tire and wheel, and maybe other
parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on some other vehicle.
And don’t mix your compact spare or wheel with other
wheels or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare and its
wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them will damage your vehicle and destroy the
chains
too. Don’t use tire chains on your compact
spare.

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known
as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well
as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the
area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear
(or
with a manual transaxle, between FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) gear and REVERSE (R)), spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out.
If
you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.
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1 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Oldsmobile. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical infomation about
your vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your Oldsmobile retailer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
retailer for all your service needs.
You’ll get genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get
the proper Oldsmobile Service Manual. It
tells you much more about how to service your
Oldsmobile than this manual can. To order the proper
service Inanual, see “Service Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle
has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile”
in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record”
in the Index.
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NOTICE:
If you try to do your own service work without
knowing enough about it, your vehicle could be
damaged.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM
D4814 in
the United States and CGSB 3.5-92 in Canada. These
fuels should have the proper additives,
so you should not
have to add anything to the fuel.
In the United States and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you \
get the right kind
of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
UNLEADED right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid\

of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
6-2

What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen (oxygenates), such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no
more than
15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that is no more than
10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
I I
I NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for
your vehicle. Don’t use it. It can corrode metal
parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or
less, there must be “cosolvents” and corrosion
preventers in this fuel to help avoid these
problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will
help prevent deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel system. That helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working properly. It’s
good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for
cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates. General Motors recommends that you use gasolines with
these blending materials, such as MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide
levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing
reformulated gasolines. These gasolines
are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By doing so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators
if their
gasolines contain deposit control additives and
oxygenates, and
if they have been reformulated to
reduce vehicle emissions.
6-3

Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
U.S. or Canada, unleaded fuel may be hard to find. Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even one tankful,
your emission controls won’t work well or at
all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust
system can corrode, and your engine
oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will be damaged.
All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact
a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can
also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation North American Export Sales
(NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LIH 8P7
Filling Your Tank
6-4

Fuel Capacity: 15.2 U.S. Gallons (57.5 L). Use
unleaded fuel only.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side
of your
vehicle.
. -. ..
’/
To open the fuel door, pull the fuel access handle on the
floor by the driver’s seat.
The remote fuel filler door release
can help keep your
fuel tank from being siphoned. Always be sure the fuel
door is closed and latched after refueling. While refueling,
hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
6-5

Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Oldsmobile” in the Index.
When
you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your retailer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not
fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
6-6