1998 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manuals

Freeway Driving
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Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes or superhighways)
are the safest
of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers
are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At
the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your
turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your
turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over
ypy
shoulder to make sure therecisn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
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The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile retail facilities all across North America.
They’ll be ready and willing to help
if you need it. Here
are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil,
Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:
Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires
on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here
are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
e Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down
hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down.
Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine
assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope. Coasting downhill
in
NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do
all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
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Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
gear possible.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in
hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
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As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car
or
an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful. What’s the worst time
for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing (32 OF; 0” C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System, keep the
system on. It will improve your ability to accelerate
when driving on a slippery road. Even though your
vehicle has this system, you’ll want to slow down and
adjust your driving to the road conditions. See
“Enhanced Traction System” in the
Index.
If you don’t have the Enhanced Traction System,
accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
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Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the
ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless
you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
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Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If
you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
floor
mats -- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
TION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell
it, so you might not
know it
is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side
of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
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