1997 Oldsmobile Achieva lock

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range before
starting the engine.
You Oldsmobile has a brake-trmsaxle
shift interlock. You have to apply your regular brake
before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
key
is in the RUN position. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the shift
lever
all the way into PARK (P) -- as you maintain brake
application. Then move
the shift lever into the gear you
wish. (Press the shift lever button before moving the
shift lever.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in
this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
r
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-22

Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transaxle Models Only)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly
set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly.
You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
0 Hold in the button on the lever.
0 Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key in your hand, your
vehicle is in PARK (P).
2-29

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transaxle
Models Only)
L
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into
the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you
can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill
to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull
the shift lever out of PARK (P).
2-30

Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transaxle)
Your Oldsmobile has a brake-transaxle shift interlock.
You have to apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) -- as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. (Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.)
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift lever out of PARK (P), try this:
1, Remove the ignition key.
2. There is a small cap on the passenger’s side
of the center console. Gently remove it with a
small screwdriver.
3. Insert the ignition key into this opening until it contacts
with
a small paddle. This is the override feature.
4. While pushing forward on the paddle, press the shift
lever button, then pull the shift lever from PARK (P).
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transaxle in REVERSE (R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If your vehicle is equipped to tow a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
2-31

Windows Auto-Down Feature
The driver’s window switch has an auto-down feature.
This switch is labeled
AUTO. Tap the switch back, and
the driver’s window will open a small amount.
If the
switch
is moved all the way back, the window will go all
the way down.
Manual Windows
On a vehicle with manual windows, use the window
crank to open and close each window.
lwer Windows (If Equipped)
Switches on the driver’s
armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition
is on. In addition, each
passenger door has a switch
for its own window.
To stop the window while it is lowering, move the
switch forward.
To raise the window, move and hold the
switch forward.
Lock-Out Switch
On four-door models, the driver’s power window
controls also include a lock-out switch. Press
LOCK to
stop front
and rear passengers from using their window
switches.
The driver can still control all the windows
with the lock
on. Press the other side of the LOCK
button for normal window operation.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
2-34

Tilt Wheel Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever located on the left side of the steering column.
Move the steering wheel to a comfortable level, then
release the lever to lock the wheel
in place. The lever
on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Cruise Control (If Equipped)
2-35

I I'ION: It
Cruise Control (If Equipped)
In freezing . :eather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form
ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
When you release the stalk, the washers will stop, but
the wipers will either stop or will resume the delay
speed
you were using before.
With cruise control,
you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work
at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h).

Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensitv Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel cluster
lights by rotating the
INT LIGHTS switch.
Rotating the wheel to
MAX will turn on the
courtesy lamps.
Illuminated Entry System
When you lift the outside handle of either front door or
open either rear
door, the lamps inside your vehicle will
go on. These lamps will fade out after about 40 seconds,
or when the ignition
is turned on after all doors have
been closed. If the ignition was recently turned
off, the
lamps will fade out after four seconds. These lamps will
also
go on when you press the DOOR or UNLOCK
button
on the optional Remote Lock Control transmitter.
If the ignition has been off for less than two minutes,
the lamps inside your vehicle will stay on for about
15 seconds after your key is removed from the ignition
to provide an illuminated exit.