engine coolant Oldsmobile Achieva 1995 Owner's Manuals

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING
I-1
BATTERY SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wd
TEMP OIL 9b
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE -%-
RELEASE
RADIO
VOLUME
CONDITIONING
A'R 43
RELEASE TRUNK e
LIGHTER n
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
V

NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your retailer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0” F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-17

To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt outlet.
r
NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends
on the weather, the kind of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list
everything here, we
ask that you contact your
Oldsmobile retailer in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The retailer
can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
2-18

Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light (Standard Cluster) Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
(Gage Cluster)
This light tells you that
your engine coolant
has overheated or your
radiator cooling fan
is I
not working.
-
i you have been operating your vehicle under normal
~ driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual shows what to do.
1 See“Engine Overheating” in the Index.
TEMP
BRAKE WASH
FLUID
HN
LOW
COOLANT
LEVEL AIR
BAG
280
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too
hot! It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In
Problems on the Road, this manual shows what to do.
See“Engine Overheating” in the Index.

Low Coolant Level Warning Light
LOW
WASH
FLUID
LOW
COOLANT
1
If this light comes on and
stays on, the vehicle should
promptly be pulled off the
road and the coolant level
checked.
See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index. If there are visible
signs of steam, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index
before opening the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as you can.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon
Light)
I
LY
SERVICE
ENOINE
SOON
A computer monitors
operation of your fuel,
ignition and emission
control systems.
This light should come on when the ignition
is on, but
the engine is not running,
as a check to show you it is
working. If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right
away. If
it stays on, or it comes on while you are
driving, the computer is indicating that you have a
problem. You should take your vehicle in for service
soon.
2-65

MODE CONTROL: The right control knob changes
the functions
of your system.
VENT: Use when outside temperatures are mild, and
little heating or cooling is needed. Air flow is through
the instrument panel outlets.
Set the center control knob
to the temperature desired.
BI-LEV: Use on cool, but sunny days. This setting
brings in the outside air, but directs it in two ways. The
cool air is directed to the upper portion of your body
through the instrument panel outlets, but slightly
warmer air is directed through the heater ducts and
defroster vents. At times this temperature difference
may be more apparent than others.
HEAT This setting brings heated air through the heater
ducts, and some through the windshield defroster vents.
If you have the optional engine coolant heater (engine
block heater) and
use it during cold weather, 0°F
(- 1 8’ C) or lower, your heating system will more quickly
provide heat because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See “Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block
Heater)” in the Index.
DEFOG: This setting divides air flow equally between
the heater ducts and the windshield defroster vents.
DEF: This setting directs air through the
windshield defroster vents located on top
of the
instrument panel.
Defogging Windows
To defog the windshield, turn all three control knobs to
the far right.
3-2

Winter Driving
0
0
0 0
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area,
or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action. Here
are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Oldsmobile in good shape for winter. Be
sure your engine coolant
mix is correct.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
4-22

2. Attach a separate chain
to each side of the axle
inboard of the spring.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Oldsmobile's instrument panel. See "Coolant
Temperature Gage" in the Index.
You will also find a
low coolant level warning light on
your Oldsmobile's
instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine

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.
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.
0 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. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
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 (03) or DRIVE (D) for
automatic transaxles.
If you
no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten 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 off the 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.
5-13

When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
B. Electric engine fan
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
5-14