1995 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
While the tires available
as standard or optional
equipment
on General Motors vehicles may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use
on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases,
you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling one way
or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on
a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
Oldsmobile retailer
if any of these conditions exist.
Your retailer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have
the same load carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset, and be mounted the
same way
as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts,
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment parts. This way,
you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your
Oldsmobile model.
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Used Replacement Wheels
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer/odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clearance,
and tire or tire chain clearance to the
body and
chassis.

Tire Chains
NOTICE:
If your Oldsmobile has P195/65R15 or
P205/55R16 size tires, don’t use tire chains; they
can damage your vehicle.
If you have other tires, use tire chains only where
legal and only when you must. Use only
SAE
Class “S” type chains that are the proper size for
your tires. Install them on the front tires and
tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer’s instructions. If you can
hear the chains contacting your vehicle, stop and
retighten them.
If the contact continues, slow
down until
it stops. Driving too fast or spinning
the wheels with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on a hot
part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from a container to clean your
Oldsmobile, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your doors
or windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous -- some more than others -- and
they can all damage your vehicle, too.
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Don’t use any of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
0 Reducing Agents
Cleaning the Inside of Your Oldsmobile
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of dust and loose
dirt. Wipe
vinyl or leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Oldsmobile retailer has two
GM cleaners, a
solvent-type spot lifter and a foam-type powdered
cleaner. They will clean normal spots and stains very
well. Do
not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
0 Always read the instructions on the cleaner label.
0 Clean up stains as soon as you can -- before they set.
0 Use a clean cloth or sponge, and change to a clean area
0 Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
0 If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
often.
A soft brush may be used
if stains are stubborn.
only. If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
area immediately or
it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
Always clean
a whole trim panel or section. Mask
surrounding trim along stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following
the
directions on the container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleanea me section, use a sponge
to remove the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
OS cloth.
Then dry
it immediately with a blow dryer or a heat
lamp.
NOTICE:
Be careful. A blow dryer may scorch the fabric.
0 Wipe with a clean cloth.

Using Solvent-Type Cleaner on Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type cleaner at all.
Some
spots and stains will clean off better with just
water
and mild soap.
If you need to LIS~ a solvent:
0 Gently scrape excess soil from the trim material with
a clean, dull knife or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure
and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start
at the outside of
the stain, "feathering" toward the center. Keep
changing
to a clean section of the cloth.
0 When you clean a stain from fabric, immediately dry
the area
with a blow dryer to help prevent a cleaning
ring. (See the previous
NOTICE.)
Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or Oily Stains
Stains caused by grease, oil, butter, margarine, shoe
polish, coffee
with cream, chewing ~LIIII, cometic
creams. vegetable
oils, wax crayon, tar and asphalt can
be removed
as follows:
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain.
Follow the solvent-type instructions described earlier.
0 Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and asphalt will stain if
left on a vehicle seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon as possible. Be careful. because the cleaner
will dissolve them and may cause them to spread.
Non-Greasy Stains
Stains caused by catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit
juice, milk, soft drinks, wine. vomit. urine and blood can
be removed
as follows:
Caref~111y scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
soiled area
with cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the foam-type instructions
described earlier.
If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine, treat the
area
with a waterhaking soda sol~~tion: 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
of baking soda to 1 CLIP (250 1111) of lukewarm water.
If needed, clean lightly with solvel~t-type cleaner.
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Combination Stains
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain, then clean with
cool water and allow to dry.
0 If a stain remains, clean it with solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.
0 Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if
you doll’t get them off quickly. Use a clean cloth and
a GM Vinyl/Leather Cleaner or equivalent product.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap.
For stubborn stains, use a GM VinyVLeather Cleaner
or equivalent product.
0 Ncwr use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners. furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
0 Soiled leather should be cleaned immediately. If dirt
is allowed to work into finish,
it can harm the
leather.
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrunlent panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes
may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even mike
it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
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Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco smoke and dust films.
Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals
on the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped off later.
If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside of the rear
window, an electric defogger element may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
Cleaning the Outside of the
Windshield and Wiper
Blades
If the windshield is not clear after using the windshield
washer,
or if the wiper- blade chatters when running, wax
or- other nuterial may be 011 the blade 01- windshield.
Clean the outside
of the windshield with GM
Windshield Cleaner, Bon-Ami Powder"." (GM Part No.
105001 1). 'The wir~dshield is clean if beads do not for111
when yo~t rinse it with watel.
Clean the blade
by wiping vigorously with a cloth
soaked
in full strength windshield washer solvent. 'rhen
rinse the blade with water.
Wiper blades should be checked
011 a regular basis and
replaced when worn.
Weatherstrips
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will tnake the111 last
longer, seal better,
and not stick 01' squeak. Apply
silicone grease
with a clean cloth at Ica~t ever-y six
months. During very cold,
darnp weather 11w-e frequent
application
may be required. (See "Kttco~nnletlded
Fluids
and Lubricants" in the I~ldex.)

Cleaning the Outside of Your
Oldsmobile
The paint finish on your vehicle provides beauty, depth
of color, gloss retention and durability.
Washing Your Vehicle
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s finish is to keep
it clean by washing it often with lukewarm or cold
water.
Don’t wash your vehicle in the direct rays of the sun.
Don’t use strong soaps or chemical detergents. Use
liquid hand, dish or car washing (mild detergent) soaps.
Don’t use cleaning agents that are petroleum based, or
that contain acid or abrasives. All cleaning agents
should be flushed promptly and
not allowed to dry on
the surface, or they could stain. Dry the finish with
a
soft, clean chamois or a 100% cotton towel to avoid
surface scratches and water spotting.
High pressure vehicle washes may cause water to enter
your vehicle.
Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your
Oldsmobile
by hand may be necessary to remove
residue from the paint finish. You can get
GM approved
cleaning products from your retailer. (See “Appearance
Care and Materials”
in the Index.)
Your Oldsmobile
has a “basecoatlclearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for
a basecoatklearcoat paint
finish.
I NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoat/clearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish
or leave swirl marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc. can
damage your vehicle’s finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as
soon as possible. If
necessary,
use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe
for painted surfaces to remove foreign matter.
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