1997 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around
it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Oldsmobile retailer before adding equipment to the
outside of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher. At
a minimum, it should meet specifications ASTM
D4814 in
the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved
gasoline specifications have been developed by the
American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
for better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the
AAMA specification could provide
improved driveability and emission control system
protection compared to other gasolines.
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.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily
on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to
your authorized Oldsmobile retailer for diagnosis to
determine the cause
of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Oldsmobile retailer for service.
/A

To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that
will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines
if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. 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.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper
fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel 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 International Product Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
6-4

Filling Your Tank
,A CAUTION:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side of
your vehicle.
6-5

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 tethered
cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if
you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
6-6

1 /I C *.UJON:
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any
“hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
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
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make sure
you
fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel
to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
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 properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light
and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
6-7

Checking Things Under the Hood
I A CAU'I :
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
A CAU JON:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto
a hot engine.
6-8

Hood Release
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important parts under the hood.
To open the hood, first pull
the
HOOD release handle
inside the vehicle.
Then go
to the front of the vehicle and push the
secondary hood release down
to lift the hood. Before
closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly. Then just let
the hood down and close it firmly.
6-9

2.4L (CODE T) Engine
When you open the hnnd, you’ll see:
A. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
E. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir H. Hydraulic Clutch Fluid
B. Engine Oil Fill Cap F. Brake Fluid Reservoir
Reservoir (if equipped)
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Windshield Washer Fluid I. Air Cleaner
D. Automatic Transaxle Dipstick
Reservoir J. Battery
(if equipped)