heater Oldsmobile Achieva 1997 Owner's Manuals

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Oldsmobile, and information on starting,
shifting and braking.
Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly -- and what to do if you have a problem.
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1
Keys
Door Locks
Remote Lock Control (If Equipped)
Trunk
Theft Passlock
TM
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Manual Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic Transaxle
Models Only) Shifting Out
of PARK (P) (Automatic
Transaxle) 2-3
1
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2-50
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2-55
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2-60 Parking
Your Vehicle
(Manual Transaxle)
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transaxle)
Windows
Tilt Wheel
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Accessory Power Outlet
Sunroof (If Equipped)
Instrument Panel
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 "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.

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 110-volt AC outlet.
ION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and 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 outside temperature, 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.
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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.
The air conditioner compressor
is enabled in all three air
conditioning positions.
VENT Use when outside temperatures are mild, and
little heating or cooling is needed. Airflow comes
through the instrument panel outlets. Set the center
control knob to the temperature desired.
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
(- 18 O C) or lower, your heating system will more quickly
provide heat because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See “Engine Coolant Heater” in the Index.
DEFOG: This setting divides airflow 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.
Air Conditioning
The air conditioner and heater work best if you keep
your windows closed while using them. Your vehicle
also has the flow-through ventilation system described
later in this section.
Your system has three air conditioner settings in
addition to the standard climate control system. Before
using your air conditioner on very hot days, open the
windows long enough
to let hot inside air escape. This
reduces the amount
of work your air conditioner’s
compressor will have to do, which should help
fuel economy.

Heating
On cold days, use HEAT with the temperature knob all
the way in the red area. The system will bring in outside
air, heat
it and send it to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it’s
cold outside
(O’F (-18°C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms
the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See “Engine Coolant
Heater” in the Index.
Defogging and Defrosting
There are two settings for clearing your windows. For
each setting, adjust the temperature control as desired.
To rapidly defrost the windshield, rotate the temperature
control to maximum heat and rotate the mode control to
the defrost symbol. Rotate the
fan to the highest speed.
Your vehicle is equipped with side window defogger
vents. The side window defogger vents are located on
each end of the instrument panel. For additional side
window defogging, rotate the mode control to the
BI-LEV position, rotate the fan control to the highest
speed and aim the side vents on the instrument panel to
the side window. For increased airflow to the side vents,
close the center vents.
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Air Outlets
Adjust the direction of airflow by moving the louvered
vents with the center control knob.
Ventilation Tips
0 Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside
of your windows.
0 When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
fan control to the highest setting for a few moments
before driving
off. This helps clear the intake ducts
of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Audio Systems
Your Delco@ audio system has been designed to operate
easily and give years
of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if
you acquaint yourself
with it first. Find out what your Delco system can do
and how
to operate all its controls, to be sure you’re
getting the most out of the advanced engineering that
went into
it.
Setting the Clock
Press and hold HR until the correct hour appears. The
letter A or P may appear on the display for
AM or PM.
Then, press and hold MN until the correct minute
appears. The clock may be set with the ignition on
or off.
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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.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
Follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
I NOTICE: I
Do not tow your vehicle with the front wheels in
contact with the ground, or the automatic
transaxle could be damaged.

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.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
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 (@) 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 10 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 ofthe 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.

If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until
it cools down.
Lne coolant level should be at or above
FULL COLD.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
J AUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see
if the electric engine fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the
fan should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
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A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant.
A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
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