1998 Oldsmobile Achieva engine overheat

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5- 17 Cooling System
5-3 Other Warning Devices
5-3 Jump Starting
5 -24 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-25 Changing a Flat Tire
5-8 Towing Your Vehicle
5-36 Compact Spare Tire
5-
15 Engine Overheating 5-37 If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. See “Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage” in the Index. You will also find a
LOW COOLANT level warning light on your vehicle’s
instrument panel. See “Low Coolant Warning Light” in
the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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.
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.
5-15

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.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
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).
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 oathe 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.
5-16

, ,- CAUTION:
~ Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
1 parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
l do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
1 the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine
fire, and you could be burned.
’ Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fan is running.
If the
engine is overheating, the fan should be running.
If it
isn’t, your vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Surge Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
FULL COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@ coolant at
the coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system,
including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap, is cool
before you do it. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index
for more information.)
5-19

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 mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
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 mixture 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.
5-21

If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
IN:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 kmh) as shown
on the speedometer.
I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle
as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels.
If your vehicle has
the Enhanced Traction System, you should
turn the system
off. (See “Enhanced Traction System” in the Index.) Then
shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you
shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear.
If that
doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need to be
towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing
Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
5-37

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck hnnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring
it to the proper level.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push
the dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant.
This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or
150,000 miles
(240 000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
B
It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than The following explains your cooling system and how
one pint
(0.5 L). Don’t oveflZZ. to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
I 3 the Index.
NOTICE: A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-III, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Protect against rust and corrosion. Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-III
a Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129 “C).
a Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Help keep the proper engine temperature. z
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
6-21

NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only
DEX-COOL’ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to the
system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs
first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX-COOL’
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t damage aluminum parts.
If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
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 mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture, With plain water or the wrong mixture,
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 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant,
6-22