1998 Oldsmobile Achieva warning

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

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.
5-2

Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle
and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please follow the steps here to do
it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.

- +
B
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have an Oldsmobile retailer or a professional
towing service tow your vehicle. They can provide the
right equipment and know-how to tow your vehicle
without damage. (See ”Roadside Assistance” in
the Index,)
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you
do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment, as described later in
this section.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive. The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
5-8

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

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

Changing 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
3. 'hrn off the engme.
PARK (P).
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.
5-25