Oldsmobile Achieva 1998 s Manual Online

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2.4L Engine
3100 Engine
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 1 8 O 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 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.
2-18

/! 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.
2-19

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.
2-20

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): If your automatic
transaxle has AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@), this
position is for normal driving. If you need more power
for passing, and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down. You’ll shift down to
the next gear and have more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@). Here
are some times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ((9):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
between gears.
NOTICE:
This NOTICE applies only
if you have an
automatic overdrive transaxle.
If your vehicle is
so equipped and if it seems to start up rather
slowly, or if it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor.
If you drive very far that way,
your vehicle can be damaged. So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving
less than
35 mph (56 kmh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(0) for higher speeds.

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.
2-22

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right
foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning
light will come on.
To release
the parking
brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
BRAKE RELEASE lever.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first
to keep the trailer from moving.
2-23

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).
2-24

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).

Sh '"ting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to apply your regular brake before you can shift
from
PARK (P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See "Automatic Transaxle" in the Index.
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.)
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Remove the ignition key.
There
is a small cap on the passenger's side of
the center console. Gently remove it with a
small screwdriver.
Insert the ignition key into this opening until
it contacts with a small paddle. This is the
override feature.
While pushing forward on the paddle, press the shift
lever button, then pull the shift lever from PARK
(P).
Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.