warning Oldsmobile Achieva 1997 s User Guide

Tachometer
The tachometer shows your
Q‘ 000
d 8
engine speed in revolutions
o 5 6 7% per minute (rpm).
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NOTICE:
Do not run your engine at speeds in the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them. Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see
in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar
with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be
a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re
a big help.
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Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system indicator light will come on
when you start the engine,
then it should go out.
+I
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the electrical charging system.
It could indicate that you have a loose generator drive
belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away. Driving while this light is on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain
to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part
can still work and stop
you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If
the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem or the brake fluid level could be low. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
I II
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
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If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
-: CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving
with the brake system warning light
on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If
it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when
you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to
OFF. Or, if the
light comes
on when you’re driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving, your Oldsmobile
needs service. If the regular brake system warning light
isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and
there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake
System Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is
a problem.
2-63

Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
(If Equipped)
ETS
OFF
With the Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this warning
light should come on briefly
as you start the engine. If
the warning light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If
it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your Enhanced Traction System
and your vehicle may need service. When this warning
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly. The Enhanced Traction System warning light
may come
on for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the button on
the instrument panel, the warning light will come on
and stay on.
To turn the system back on, press the
button again. The warning light should go
off. (See
“Enhanced Traction System’’ in the Index for more
information.)
0 The warning light will come on when you set your
parking brake with the engine running, and it will
stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release fully. If
the system is turned on and the warning light stays on after your parking brake
is fully released, it
means there’s a problem with the system.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light comes
on and stays on for an extended period
of time when the
system
is turned on and the parking brake is fully
released, your vehicle needs service.
2-64

Low Coolant Warning Light
--I If this light comes on and
LOW
COOLANT
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
(Check Engine
Light)
CHECK
ENGINE
Your Oldsmobile is
equipped with a computer
which monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition and
emission control systems.
This system
is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
(In Canada, OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The CHECK ENGINE light
comes on to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by
the
system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
2-64

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.

Check Oil Light (If Equipped) Passlock Warning Light
CHECK
OIL
If you have a 3 100 engine,
this light should come on
briefly when you start the
engine.
If the light doesn’t
come on, have it repaired.
If the light comes on and
stays on after starting your
vehicle, your engine oil
level should be checked. SECURITY
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
key toward the START
position. The light will stay
on until the engine starts.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring it
to the proper level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTE:
A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking on steep grades.
The
oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
If the light flashes, the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode,
If the vehicle fails to start, see “Passlock”
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your retailer.
2-70

Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
CRUISE
Up Shift Light (Manual Transaxle)
This light comes on when
you need to shift to the next
higher gear. See “Manual
Transaxle” in the Index.
Low Washer Light
LOW
WASH
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
The LOW WASH FLUID
light will come on when
you turn on the ignition, and
the fluid container is less
than one-third full.
This light will come on
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
If it
stays on, or if it comes on
and stays
on while you are
driving, check your various
gages to see
if they are in
the warning zones.

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.
1
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

ETS
OFF
When the system is on and
the parking brake is fully
released, this warning light will come on to let you
know if there’s a problem
with the system. See
“Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light” in
the Index.
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin, Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions,
you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the system off if
you ever need to. (You should turn
the system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See
“Rocking Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
To turn the system on or off,
press the button on the
instrument panel
to the left
of the steering column.
When you turn the system
off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light will come on and
stay on, and the
indicator light on the button
will go off. If the Enhanced
Traction System is limiting wheel spin when you press
the button to turn the system
off, the warning light will
come on and the indicator light will go off
-- but the
system won’t turn
off right away. It will wait until
there’s no longer a current need
to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Enhanced Traction System
warning light should go off, and the indicator light on
the button should come on.
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