1998 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

Cruise Control
In freezing weather, 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. The
wipers will continue wiping
for about three cycles and
will either stop or will resume
the 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
rnph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brake or the clutch pedal, the
cruise control shuts
off.
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Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads. Setting Cruise
Control
‘ CA’TTION:
-
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
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Resuming a Set Speed
I
L. ..
3. Press in the SET button at the end of the lever
and release
it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Suppose
you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake or clutch pedal. This, of
course, shuts off the cruise control. But you don't need
to reset it. Once you're going about 25 mph (40 kmh)
or more, you can move the cruise control switch from
ON to WA (Resume/Accelerate) for about half a second.
You'll
go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
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If you hold the switch at WA longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you release the
switch or apply the brake or clutch pedal. You could be
startled and even lose control.
So unless you want to go
faster, don’t hold the switch at WA.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
0 Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the
SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up
to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. (To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to
WA for
less than half a second and then release it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you turn on
the cruise control by pushing the
SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed
you want, then release it.
0 To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed
you set earlier.
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have
to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
or clutch pedal takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble and don’t use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Out of Cruise Control
Exterior Lamps
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal,
if you have a manual transaxle; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasine the Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
I
Rotate the turn signal lever middle ring up one position
to turn on:
0 Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
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Rotate the turn signal lever middle ring up two positions
to turn on: The
DRL system
will make your high-beam neadlamps
come
on at a reduced brightness when:
0 Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
0 License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Rotate the switch to
OFF to turn all of the lamps off.
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door and turn off the
ignition while leaving the lamps on, you will hear
a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
0 The engine is running,
0 The headlamp switch is in the OFF position,
0 The light sensor detects daytime light,
0 The parking brake is released and
0 The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker,
park lamps and instrument panel lights will not
be illuminated.
The
DRL and the ALC systems will remain off any
time your vehicle is in
PARK (P) and the parking
brake is engaged.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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Automatic Light Control (ALC)
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor
on top
of the instrument panel under the defroster grill,
so be sure it is not covered which will cause the
nighttime lights to be on continuously.
When it
is dark enough outside, your ALC will turn on
your headlamps that you were last using at the normal
brightness along with other lamps such as the taillamps,
sidemarker, park lamps and instrument panel lights.
There is a 20-second delay in the transition between
daytime and nighttime operation
of the DRL and the
ALC systems.
If the light sensor senses a reduction in
lighting that lasts longer than 20 seconds, it will activate
the nighttime lamps. If you are driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast weather, a tunnel or
fueling your vehicle in a low light area, the ALC will
turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal
brightness along with
the taillamps, sidemarker, park
lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will be dimmer.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity 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.
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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.
Front Reading Lamps (If Equipped)
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.
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps will come
on when you open the doors.
To turn on a reading lamp when the doors are closed,
press the button. Press it again to turn the lamp off.
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