1997 Oldsmobile Achieva lock

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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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of
the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them
to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes?
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly. And because you have anti-lock brakes,
do not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake system. If you
do, both brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with
the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing
a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
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I /A CAUTION:
r
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components. When your
vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key off. The steering wheel should be clamped
in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the drive wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels (see speed and distance restrictions later in
this section) or your transaxle will be damaged. If these
limits must be exceeded, then the drive wheels have to
be supported on a dolly.

NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper valance will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing
a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground
or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
NOTE: The ignition must be in the
OFF position to keep
automatic door locks from locking during tow. Attach
T-hook chains on
both sides in the slotted
holes in the bottom of the
frame rail just ahead of the
rear wheels.
These slots are to be used when loading and securing to
car-carrier equipment.
11 Attach a separate chain to
5-12

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.
5-22

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
Lift and remove the cover. (See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.) You will find
the jacking instructions
label on the underside of the tire cover. Turn the wing
nut
counterclockwise and
remove it. Then lift off the
adapter and remove the
spare tire.
Remove the jack and wheel wrench
from the trunk.
Your vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are store in
a
foam tray.
5-23

c
Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure
to fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising your vehicle.
1 NOTICE: I
Do not jack or lift the vehicle using the oil pan.
Pans could crack and begin to leak fluid.
5. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room for the spare tire
to
fit.
6. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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