stop start Oldsmobile Achieva 1997 s User Guide

Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light tells you if there
could be a problem with
your engine oil pressure.
This light can come on briefly, which is normal and
doesn’t show a problem:
0 As a bulb check, the light comes on when you turn
your key
to RUN and goes off when the engine is
started. If it doesn’t, be sure to have it fixed so it will
be there
to warn you.
For the four cylinder engine, when idling at a stop
sign, the light may blink on and then off. In addition,
if you make
a hard stop, the light may come on for
a moment.
But, when this light comes on and stays on, it means oil
isn’t going through your engine properly.
You could be
low on oil, or you might have some other oil problem.
Don’t keep driving
if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.

SEEK: Press the down arrow to go to the start of the
current track if more than eight seconds have played.
Press the up arrow to go to the next track. If you hold
the button or press it more than once, the player will
continue moving rearward or forward through the disc.
SCAN: Press this button to listen to each selection for a
few seconds. The disc will go to the next selection, stop
for a few seconds, then go on
to the next selection. Press
this button again to stop scanning. The sound will mute
while scanning, SCAN will appear on the display and
the disc direction arrow will blink while scanning.
RCL: Press this button to see which track is playing.
Press it again within five seconds to see how long it has
been playing.
To change what is normally shown on the
display (track or elapsed time), press the button until
you see the display you want, then hold the button until
the display flashes. While elapsed time is showing,
EL
TM will appear on the display.
AM-FM: Press this button to play the radio when a
disc is
in the player.
TAPE-CD: Press this button to change to the tape or
disc function when the radio
is on and either a tape or
CD is inserted. Press
AM-FM to return to the radio
while
a CD or tape is playing. The inactive tape or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
If
you have the optional CD changer and the CD changer
is loaded, the TAPE-CD button
will activate the changer
and a box will be lighted around CDC in the display.
EJECT Press this button to remove the compact disc
or cassette tape. The item with the box around
it on the
display will eject and the radio will play. EJECT may be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. Cassettes
and compact discs may be loaded with the radio and
ignition off if this button is pressed first.
If you leave a
compact disc in the player while listening
to the radio, it
may become warm.
3-18

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if
you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
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If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
4-7

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait
for another opportunity.
0 If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and
check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start
your left lane change signal before moving out
of the
right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the
passed vehicle to see its front
in your inside mirror,
activate your right lane change signal and move back into
the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from
you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a 1itt.le to the right.
4-14

Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek
an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your
Oldsmobile’s three control systems. In
the braking skid,
your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in
a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid,
too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System, remember:
It helps avoid only
the acceleration skid.
If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, or if
the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle
to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if
it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
You may
not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-15

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as
well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise
to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts
to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder
to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It’s wise
to keep your windshield wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
4-1 8

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If
it needs service,
have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile retail facilities all across North America,
They’ll be ready and willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wil2er Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lumps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated
to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?

Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to
come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to
use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If you
cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a lower speed may
help avoid overheating your engine and transaxle.
If you have a manual transaxle with
FIFTH (5) gear,
it’s better not
to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH
(4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
4-40

Parking on Hills 2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
You
really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet, or into gear for a manual transaxle.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift
to PARK (P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transaxle.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Towing A Trailer
(Except 3100 Engine)
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a
trailer.
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