wheel alignment Oldsmobile Achieva 1997 Owner's Manuals

NOTICE: (Continued)
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 Pa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping
out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
( 10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or wheels.
See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and “Wheel
Replacement” later
in this section for more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
6-42

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
6-45

Section 9 Index
Accessory Power Outlet ......... ....... 2-54
AirBag
..................................... 1-21
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-25
How it Works
...... ... ............ 1-23
Location
.................................... 1-23
Readiness Light
......................... 1-22, 2-6 1
Servicing
................................... 1-26
What Makes it Inflate
.......................... 1-24
What Will
You See After it Inflates ............... 1-25
When Should it Inflate
......................... 1-24
Aircleaner
.................................... 6-18
Air Conditioning
................................ 3-3
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
..................... 6-62
Alignment and Balance, Tire
... ................ 6-46
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning
... .............. 6-53
Antifreeze
..................................... 6-24
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2-63, 4-7
Brakes
...................................... 4-7
Anti-Theft, Radio
.............................. 3-19
Appearancecare
............................... 6-48
Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-55
Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-7
Armrest, Storage
............................... 2-51
Ashtrays
....... .. ................... 2-53 Audio Equipment. Adding
. . ...... 3-21
Audio Systems
........... ........... 3-6
Auto-Down Window
... ...... 2-34
Automatic DoorLocks
................................... 2-5
Overdrive
................................... 2-23
Starting Your Engine
.......................... 2-16
Transaxle
................................... 2-16
Transaxle Check
.................. ........ 7-42
Transaxle Fluid
............................... 6-19
Transaxle Park Mechanism Check
................ 7-44
Automatic Transaxle Operation
.................... 2-21
Shifting
..................................... 2-21
Backing up with a Trailer
..................... 4-40
Battery
..................................... 6-35
Charging System Indicator Light
. . .......... 2-62
Jump Starting
................................. 5-3
Replacement. Remote Lock Control
............... 2-9
Saver
...................................... 2-48
Warnings
.................................... 5-3
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-7
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-7
Blizzard
...................................... 4-28
9-1

Theft-Deterrent Feature. CD Player ................ 3- 19
Thermostat
.................................... 6-28
Third Gear. Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-23
Third Gear. Manual Transaxle
..................... 2-26
Tilt Steering Wheel
............................. 2-35
Time. Setting the
................................ 3-6
Tire Chains
.................................... 6-47
Tire Loading
................................... 4-33
Tire-Loading Information Label
................... 4-33
Tires
......................................... 6-40
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-45
BuyingNew
................................. 6-44
Chains
..................................... 6-47
ChangingaFlat
.............................. 5-22
Cleaning
.................................... 6-53
Compact Spare
............................... 5-32
Inflation
.................................... 6-41
Inflation Check
............................... 7-41
Inspection and Rotation
........................ 6-42
Loading
.................................... 4-33
Pressure
.................................... 6-41
Temperature
................................. 6-46
Traction
.................................... 6-45
Treadwear
................................... 6-45
Uniform Quality Grading
....................... 6-45
Used Replacement Wheel
...................... 6-47
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-43
Wheel Replacement
........................... 6-46
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-43
THEFTLOCK
TM ................................ 3- 19
TopStrap
..................................... 1-37
TorqueLock
................................... 2-30
Torque. Wheel
Nut ......................... 5-29. 6-62 Towing
FromtheFront
............................... 4-30
From the Rear
............................... 4-31
Recreational Vehicle
.......................... 4-32
Towing
a Trailer ................................ 4-35
Towing Your Vehicle
............................. 5-8
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
Automatic Transaxle
.......................... 4-30
Manual Transaxle
............................. 4-31
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
................ 4-32
Trailer BaclungUp
................................. 4-40
Brakes
..................................... 4-39
Driving on Grades
............................ 4-40
Driving
with ................................. 4-39
Following Distance When Driving a
.............. 4-39
Hitches
..................................... 4-38
Maintenance When Towing
..................... 4-41
Making Turns with a
.......................... 4-40
ParlungonHills
.............................. 4-41
Passing with
a ............................... 4-39
Safety Chains
................................ 4-39
Tongueweight
............................... 4-37
Total Weight on Tires
.......................... 4-38
Towing
..................................... 4-35
Turnsignals
................................. 4-40
Weight
..................................... 4-37
Automatic
............... 2- 16. 2-2 1. 6. 19.7.42. 7.44
Manual
...................... 2- 16.2.25.6.22. 7.42
Transmitters. Remote Lock Control
.................. 2-7
Transportation. Courtesy
.......................... 8-6
TTYUsers
..................................... 8-4
Transaxle
9-10

i
Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals ............... 2-36
Turn Signal On Chime
........................... 2-36
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
................... 2-35
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
................ 4-40
Underbody Flushing Service
..................... 7-44
Underbody Maintenance
......................... 6-54
Up Shift Light
................................. 2-71
Vehicle Control
...................................... 4-6
Damagewarnings
.............................. iv
Dimensions
................................. 6-63
Identification Number
......................... 6-56
Loading
.................................... 4-33
Storage
..................................... 6-35
Ventilation System
............................... 3-5
Visor Vanity Mirrors
............................ 2-54
Visors. Sun
.................................... 2-54
warning Devices
............................... 5-3
Warning Lights. Gages and Indicators
............... 2-60
Warranty Information
............................. 8-8
Washer Fluid. Windshield
........................ 6-29 Washing
Your Vehicle
........................... 6-52
Weatherstrips
.................................. 6-51
Nut Torque ............................. 5.29. 6.62
Replacement
................................. 6-46
Used Replacement
............................ 6-47
Wheel
Alignment
.................................. 6-46
Wrench
..................................... 5-24
Windows
..................................... 2-34
Auto-Down
................................. 2-34
Lock-Out Switch
............................. 2-34
Power
...................................... 2-34
Windshield Washer
............................. 2-38
Fluid
.................................. 2.38. 6.29
FluidLevelCheck
............................ 7-41
Windshield Wiper
.............................. 2-37
Bladecheck
................................. 7-42
Blade Replacement
........................... 6-40
Fuses
...................................... 6-57
Winter Driving
................................. 4-26
Wiring. Headlamp
.............................. 6-57
WreckerTowing
................................. 5-8
Wrench. Wheel
................................. 5-24
Your Vehicle and the Environment
................. 7-2
9-11