1998 Oldsmobile Achieva engine

A
L CAUTI-N:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the
AC Delco Freedom’
battery installed in every new
GM vehicle. But
if a battery has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there.
If it is low, add water to
take care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too. Before you
connect the cables, here
are some things you should
know. Positive
(+) will go to positive (+) and
negative
(-) will go to a metal engine part. Don’t
connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or you’ll get a
short that would damage the battery and maybe other
parts, too.
1 CAUT’*Y:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
5-5

9. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to
the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything until
the next step. The other
end
of the negative
cable
doesn ’t go to
the dead battery.
It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part
on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away from
the dead battery, but not near engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as good there, but the
chance of sparks getting back to the battery is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it
won’t
start after a few tries, it probably needs service.
Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
5-7

- +
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

Cooling System
When YOU decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
A. Coolant Surge Tank with Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
5-17

I
L AUTION
-
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above FULL COLD.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
5-18

, ,- 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