headlamp Oldsmobile Achieva 1995 Owner's Manuals

Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Steering Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive.
You can also raise it
to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever.
Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level, then
release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High-Low Beam Changer
Flash-to-Pass Feature
Cruise Control (Option)
The High-Low Beam feature
is discussed under
Headlamps. See “Headlamps” in the Index.
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Lamp Controls
Parking Lamps
Rotate the switch up one position to turn on:
Parking Lamps
Side Marker Lamps
Tai 1 I amps
0 License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lamps
Headlamps
Rotate the switch up two positions to turn on:
Headlamps
Parking Lamps
Side Marker Lamps
Taillamps
0 License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lamps
Rotate the switch to
OFF to turn all of the lights off.
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Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door and turn off the ignition
while leaving the lamps on,
you will hear a warning
chime.
Flash-to-Pass (Except Canada)
Flash-to-pass lets you use your high beam headlamps to
signal a driver
in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer you.
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high If your headlamps are off your high beam headlamps
will turn
on. They’ll stay on as long as you hold the to low, pull the turn signal lever all the way toward you.
Then release it. When the high beams are on, a blue
light
on the instrument panel also will be on. lever there. Release
thelever to turn them
off.
If your headlamps are on, there will be no flash-to-pass
feature. Use the lever
to change between high and low
beams.
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Fog Lamps (Option) Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
7 %.
OFF
LIGHTS
The
button for your
fog lamps is below the
instrument panel
intensity control. Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can
be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset. Several
countries, including Canada, require DRL.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL system
will make your high and low-beam headlamps come on
at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
Push the button to turn the fog lamps on.
When using fog lamps, the parking lamps or low beam
headlamps must be on.
Fog lamps will go off whenever the high beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go
off, the
fog lamps will come on again.
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released (manual transaxle); or
0 The transaxle is not in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
(automatic transaxle).
When the DRL are on, only your high and low-beam
headlamps will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and
other lamps won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t
be lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your headlamps will
come on at
full brightness. The other lamps that come
on with your headlamps will also come on.

When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go off, and your high and low-beam headlamps change
to the reduced brightness of the
DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake
on a manual transaxle or put the vehicle in PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) on an automatic transaxle, while
the ignition is in the
OFF or LOCK position. Then start
the vehicle. The
DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake on a manual transaxle or shift out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N) on an automatic transaxle.
Front Reading Lamps (Option)
As with any vehicle, you should turn the regular
headlamp system on any time you need it.
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps will come
on when you open the doors.
To turn on a reading lamp when
the doors are closed,
press the button. Press it again to turn the lamp
off.
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Driving at Night 0
0
0
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired
--
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here
are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0
0
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need
to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead,
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and
rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see
the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can
also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
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You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It
can take
a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or
a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
Keep your windshield and all
the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out, Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way,
it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware of it.
Driving in the Rain
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~--

more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road.
If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your
tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or
no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it
can if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
0 Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just your
parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible to
others.
0
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when
you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
4-16

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than
just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way
to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour
or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
There may be times when you want to tow your
Oldsmobile behind another vehicle for use at your
destination. Be sure to use the proper towing equipment
designed for recreational towing. Follow the instructions
for the towing equipment.
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Headlamp Bulb Replacement
For the type of bulb, see the Index under Replacement
Bulbs.
1. On the driver’s side only, unscrew the butterfly
fasteners. Then lift the plate.
Both Sides:
2. Twist the lock ring clockwise 1/6 turn and pull out
the bulb assembly.
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