1997 Oldsmobile Achieva warning

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Move the switch to the right
to make your front and rear
turn signal lights flash on
and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, move the switch to the left.
When the hazard warning flashers
are on, your turn
signals won't work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables
to start your
Oldsmobile.
But please follow the steps here to do
it safely.
I NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to
start your Oldsmobile by pushing or
pulling it could damage your vehicle, even if you
have a manual transaxle. And
if you have an
automatic transaxle, it won’t start that way. Batteries can hurt
you. They can be
dangerous because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
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If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.

Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have an Oldsmobile retailer or a professional
towing service tow your Achieva. They can provide the
right equipment and know how to tow your vehicle without damage. (See ”Roadside Assistance” in the Index.)\

If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything,
turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment, as described later
in
this section.
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let
the tow operator know
that
this manual contains detailed towing instructions and
illustrations. The operator may want to see them.
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t- To help avoid injury to you or others:
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Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed.
Never tow faster than safe
or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing
it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
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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.

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
DRIVE
(D) for automatic transaxles. If
you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If
the warning doesn’t come back on, you can
drive normally.
If
the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then,
if you still have the
warning,
turn ofthe engine and get everyone out
of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant.
A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
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ianging a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transaxle shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transaxle to
FIRST
(1) or REVERSE (R).
3. I'urn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear
of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end. The following
steps will tell
you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
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Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Oldsmobile retailer is
ready to advise if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short trip/city
maintenance schedule:
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Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner. If any
one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (1 2 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with
a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from
the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams
or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used oil.
If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your retailer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
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