1998 Oldsmobile Achieva warning light

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Enhanced Traction System
If your vehicle has the optional four-speed automatic
transaxle, it also has an Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) that limits wheel spin. This
is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one
or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power and may also upshift
the
transaxle to limit wheel spin.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See “Enhanced
Traction System Active
Light” in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen,
so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
31 When the system is on and
ETS
OFF
the parking brake is fully
released, this warning light
will come on
to let you
know if there’s a problem
with the system.
See “Enhanced Traction System Warning Light’’ in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
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To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn
the system off if
you ever need to. (You should turn the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle’’ in
the Index.)
To turn the system on or off,
press the button
on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering column. You
can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Enhanced Traction System
warning light should go off, and the indicator light on
the button should come on.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
When you turn the system off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light will come on and stay on, and the
indicator light on the button will go off.
If the Enhanced
Traction System is limiting wheel spin when
you press
the button to turn the system off, the warning light will
come on and the indicator light will go
off -- but the
system won’t
turn off right away. It will wait until
there’s no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen
on curves. Here’s why:
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City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country
trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When a light turns green, and just before you
start
to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to
traffic signals.
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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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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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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.
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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.
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There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that
the brake fluid
goes down to
an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new
linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system.
If it is, you should have your brake
system fxed, since
a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn
if the engine is hot
enough.
You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only
when work
is done on the brake hydraulic system.
I
BRAKE
I
United States Canada
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
Light”
in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3
brake fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
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