1997 Oldsmobile Achieva instrument panel

2. Set the parking brake.
3. Open the fuse panel on the driver’s side of the
instrument panel. Remove the fuse labeled
PRNDL. This will keep your battery from
draining while towing.
4. Turn the ignition key to OFF to unlock the steering
wheel. See “Ignition Positions” in the Index.
5. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device designed
for towing.
6. Release the parking brake.
When you are finished towing, make sure you replace
the PRNDL fuse in the instrument panel fuse block.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
(Manual Transaxle)
P
m
nA
Tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground.
Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Open the fuse panel on the driver’s side of the instrument
panel. Remove the fuse labeled
PRNDL. This will keep
your battery
from draining while towing.
Turn the ignition key to
OFF to unlock the steering
wheel and prevent the automatic door locks
from locking.
Shift your manual transaxle to NEUTRAL
(N).
Release the parking brake.
When you are finished towing, make sure you replace
the
PRNDL fuse in the instrument panel fuse block.
I NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
55 mph (90 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Rear
m 8
I NOTICE:
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear. Your
vehicle could be badly damaged and the repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
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Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to
come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to
use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If you
cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a lower speed may
help avoid overheating your engine and transaxle.
If you have a manual transaxle with
FIFTH (5) gear,
it’s better not
to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH
(4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Oldsmobile’s instrument panel. See “Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage” in the Index.
You will also find a
LOW COOLANT level warning light on your
Oldsmobile’s instrument panel. See “Low Coolant
Warning Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
/r CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before
you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
I i
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.

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

Engine Oil
CHECK
OIL
If your vehicle is equipped
with the
3100 engine, you
have a
CHECK OIL light
on the instrument panel.
If the
CHECK OIL light on the instrument panel comes
on,
it means you need to check your engine oil level
right away. For more information, see “Check Oil
Light” in the Index. You should check your engine oil
level regularly; this is an added reminder. 2.4L Engine
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order
to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be
warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
6-12

Non-Greasy Stains
Stains caused by catsup, coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit
juice, milk, soft drinks, wine, vomit, urine and blood can
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe polish will stain if you
don’t get them
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and a
vinylAeather cleaner. See your retailer for this product.
be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain, then sponge the
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and a mild soap or
saddle soap and wipe dry with
a soft cloth. Then, let the
soiled area
with cool water.
2. If a Stain remains, follow the foam-type inStrUCtiOnS leather dry naturally. D~ not use heat to dry.
described earlier.
3. If an odor lingers after cleaning vomit or urine,
treat the area with a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to 1 cup (250 ml)
of lukewarm water.
4. If needed, clean lightly with solvent-type cleaner.
Combination Stains
Stains caused by candy, ice cream, mayonnaise, chili
sauce and unknown stains can be removed as follows:
1. Carefully scrape off excess stain.
2. Clean with cool water and allow to dry.
3. If a stain remains, clean it with solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
Rub with a clean, damp cloth to remove dirt. You
may have to do it more than once.
For stubborn stains, use a leather cleaner. See your
retailer for this product.
Never use oils, varnishes, solvent-based or abrasive
cleaners, furniture polish or shoe polish on leather.
Soiled or stained leather should be cleaned
immediately.
If dirt is allowed to work into the
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 instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones
or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make
it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
6-50

Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NUMBER USAGE DESCRIPTION SIZE
994954 Exterior Polish
Polishing Cloth - Wax Treated
23 in. x
25 in.
1050004
Spot and stain removal
Vinyl Cleaner
32
oz. (0.946 L) 1050214 Exterior
cleaner and polish
Magic Mirror Cleaner Polish
1 gal. (3.785 L) 1050200 Removes
soil
and black marks White Sidewall Tire Cleaner
16 oz. (0.473
L)
1050174 Removes
rust and corrosion
Chrome Cleaner and Polish 16
oz. (0.473 L)
1050173 Also removes old waxes and polishes
Tar and Road Oil Remover
16
oz. (0.473 L) 1050 172 Shines vehicle without
scratching Chamois
2.75
sq. ft.
I I I
1050427 I 23 oz. (0.680 L) 1 Glass Cleaner Cleans grease, grime and smoke film
1052870 16 oz. (0.473 L) Wash and Wax Concentrate Exterior wash
1052918**
8 oz. (0.237 L) Armor All n4 Protector
Protects vinyl, leather and rubber
1052925 16
oz. (0.473 L) Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner Cleans vinyl, cloth, tires and mats
1052929 16
oz. (0.473 L) Wheel Cleaner
Spray on wheel cleaner
1052930
8 oz. (0.237 L) Capture Dry Spot Remover Attracts and absorbs
soils
12345002** 16
oz. (0.473 L) Armor All TM Cleaner
Cleans vinyl, leather and rubber
12345725 12
oz. (0.354 L) Silicone
Tire Shine Shines tires
12377964 16
oz. (0.473 L) Cleaning Wax Protects finish and removes fine scratches I I - I
12377966 I 16 oz. (0.473 L) I Finish Enhancer I Spot cleans paint and gives high luster
See your General Motors Parts Department for these products.
** Not recommended for use on instrument panel vinyl.
I See “Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
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