engine Oldsmobile Achieva 1998 s User Guide

! To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
1 2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 0-volt AC oatlet.
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.
I
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.everyhng here, we ask that you contact
your retailer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The retailer can give you the best advice for
that particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
P
R
N
ID1
3
2
1
Your automatic transaxle
has a
shift lever located
on the console between
the seats.
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.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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/! CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock (BTSI). You have to
apply your regular brake before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key
is in the RUN position.
If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P)
-- as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
(Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.) See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” later in this section.
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REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL
(N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
‘A TION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can
use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed
as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) or
THIRD
(3) as much as possible. Don’t shift
into
SECOND (2) unless you are going slower
than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you can damage
your engine.
With an automatic overdrive transaxle,
SECOND (2)
will select either first or second gear depending on
vehicle speed.
If your vehicle is slowing, the transaxle
will downshift to first gear at
20 to 25 miles per hour
(32 to 40 km/h) for engine braking. You may notice
some variation in shift speed in SECOND
(2) when
accelerating
or braking. FIRST
(1): This
position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You
can use it
on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the selector lever is put in FIRST (I), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a
solid object. You can damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK
(P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
I
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this:
a Hold in the button on the lever.
a Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key in your hand, your
vehicle is in PARK (P).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK
(P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK
(P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how,
see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

Engine Exhaust
,A CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if
you ever have to, here are some things to know.
A 1
a CAUTION:
I
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan switch is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
2-

I A CAUTION:
I Windows
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, tlieVehiele can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and
if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
Manual Windows
On a vehicle with manual windows, use the window
crank
to open and close each window.
Power Windows (If Equipped)
Switches on the driver’s
armrest control each
of the
windows when the ignition
is on. In addition, each
passenger door has a switch
for its own window.
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Rotate the turn signal lever middle ring up two positions
to turn on: The
DRL system
will make your high-beam neadlamps
come
on at a reduced brightness when:
0 Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
0 License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
Rotate the switch to
OFF to turn all of the lamps off.
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.
Daytime Running Lamps
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.
0 The engine is running,
0 The headlamp switch is in the OFF position,
0 The light sensor detects daytime light,
0 The parking brake is released and
0 The shift lever is not in PARK (P).
When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker,
park lamps and instrument panel lights will not
be illuminated.
The
DRL and the ALC systems will remain off any
time your vehicle is in
PARK (P) and the parking
brake is engaged.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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Tachometer
The tachometer shows your
Q 1 OQI engine speed in revolutions
9 5 6 7 c’o per minute (rpm). d 8 \3
RPM X 1000
0
I
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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