Oldsmobile Achieva 1995 Owner's Manuals

1 Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Oldsmobile. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical infomation about
your vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your Oldsmobile retailer knows your vehicle best and
wants you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
retailer for all your service needs.
You’ll get genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle
all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get
the proper Oldsmobile Service Manual. It
tells you much more about how to service your
Oldsmobile than this manual can. To order the proper
service Inanual, see “Service Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle
has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Oldsmobile”
in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record”
in the Index.
- 6-1

NOTICE:
If you try to do your own service work without
knowing enough about it, your vehicle could be
damaged.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM
D4814 in
the United States and CGSB 3.5-92 in Canada. These
fuels should have the proper additives,
so you should not
have to add anything to the fuel.
In the United States and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you \
get the right kind
of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
UNLEADED right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid\

of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
6-2

What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen (oxygenates), such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no
more than
15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that is no more than
10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
I I
I NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for
your vehicle. Don’t use it. It can corrode metal
parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or
less, there must be “cosolvents” and corrosion
preventers in this fuel to help avoid these
problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will
help prevent deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel system. That helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working properly. It’s
good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for
cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates. General Motors recommends that you use gasolines with
these blending materials, such as MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide
levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing
reformulated gasolines. These gasolines
are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By doing so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators
if their
gasolines contain deposit control additives and
oxygenates, and
if they have been reformulated to
reduce vehicle emissions.
6-3

Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
U.S. or Canada, unleaded fuel may be hard to find. Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even one tankful,
your emission controls won’t work well or at
all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust
system can corrode, and your engine
oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will be damaged.
All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact
a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can
also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation North American Export Sales
(NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LIH 8P7
Filling Your Tank
6-4

Fuel Capacity: 15.2 U.S. Gallons (57.5 L). Use
unleaded fuel only.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the right side
of your
vehicle.
. -. ..
’/
To open the fuel door, pull the fuel access handle on the
floor by the driver’s seat.
The remote fuel filler door release
can help keep your
fuel tank from being siphoned. Always be sure the fuel
door is closed and latched after refueling. While refueling,
hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
6-5

Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Oldsmobile” in the Index.
When
you put the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear at least three clicks.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your retailer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not
fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions system
might be damaged.
6-6

Checking Things Under the Hood
The following sections tell you how to check fluids,
lubricants and important parts underhood.
Hood Release
To open the hood, first
pull the
HOOD release
handle inside the
vehicle. Then
go to the front of the vehicle
and push the
secondary hood release down to lift the hood.
I
6-7

6-8

b b d
2.3L Quad 4 Engine (CODE D)
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Engine Oil Dipstick
Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
(if equipped)
Brake Fluid Reservoir
Air Cleaner
Hydraulic Clutch
Fluid Reservoir (if equipped)
Battery
Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
Engine Oil Fill Cap
Engine Coolant Surge Tank
6-9

P P P
3.1L V6 Engine (CODE M)
When you open the hood, you’ll see:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick (if equipped)
Brake Fluid Reservoir
Air Cleaner
Battery
Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
Engine Oil Dipstick
Engine Oil
Fill Cap
Engine Coolant Surge Tank
6-10