Oldsmobile Achieva 1998 Owner's Manuals

3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
mixture, up
to FULL COLD, or just above the small
cylinder at the base
of the opening.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches
FULL COLD, or just above
the small cylinder at the base of the opening.
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5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure
Check the level in the surge tank when the cooling
system has cooled down. If the coolant isn’t at the
proper level, repeat Steps
1 to 3 and reinstall the
pressure cap or
see your retailer.
cap
is tight.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s
unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If
air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
5-24

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

Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need
is in the trunk. Pull the
carpeting from the floor of
the trunk. Turn the center
retainer
nut on the compact
spare cover to the left to
remove it.
Lift and remove the cover. (See “Compact Spare Tire”
later in this section for more information about the
compact spare.) You will find the jacking instructions
label on the underside of the tire cover.
-d Turn the wing nut to the left
and remove it. Then lift off
the adapter and remove the spare tire.
Remove the jack and wheel wrench from the trunk.
Your vehicle’s jack and wheel wrench are stored in
a
foam tray.
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-1
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the Spare Tire
1. Remove the wheel nut caps, if your vehicle has
them.
You may need to use the wheel wrench to
loosen and remove them,
if your fingers do not fit
into this small area.
The
tools you’ll be using include the jack (A) and
wheel wrench
(B).
2. On some models, a cover plate must be removed to
find the wheel nuts. Carefully use the wedge end
of
the wheel wrench to pry it off.
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3. Then use the wheel wrench to loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
18” (46cm) 18” (46cm)
4. Position the jack and raise the jack head until it fits
firmly into the notch in the vehicle’s frame nearest
the flat tire. Put the compact spare tire near you.
5-28

Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up IS
dangerous. If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when
it is supported only by a jack.
Raising your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack
lift head into the proper location before raising
the vehicle.
5. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to the
right. Raise the vehicle far enough off the ground
so
there is enough room for the spare tire to fit.
6. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
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8. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
7. Remove the wheel cover from the wheel, if your
vehicle has them. Then take off the flat tire.
5-30

I'
I A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it
is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or a paper towel
to do
this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later,
if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
A CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing
a serious accident.
9. Replace the wheel
nuts with the cone
end
of the nuts
toward the wheel.
Tighten each nut
by
hand or with the
wheel wrench until
the wheel
is held
against the hub.
5-31

c
10. Lower the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench to
the left. Lower the jack completely.
11. Tighten the wheel
nuts firmly in a
criss-cross sequence,
as shown.
5-32