ESP Oldsmobile Achieva 1998 Owner's Manuals

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q.’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle
a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you
can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered
for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 kmh).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-11

Door Locks
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash
if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you
will be far
better
off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle. From the outside,
use
your door key or remote lock
control, if your vehicle has this
option.
From the inside, to lock the door, slide the locking
lever rearward.
To unlock the door, slide the locking lever forward.
2-4

To replace the battery in the remote lock control:
1. Use a small coin or flathead screwdriver to separate
the bottom half from the top half of the transmitter.
one. Make sure
the positive (+) side of the battery
faces down. Use one,
3 volt, CR2032, or equivalent,
type battery.
2. Remove the battery and replace it with the new
3. Put the two halves back together. Make sure the
cover
is on tightly, so water won’t get in.
4. Check the operation of the transmitter with your
vehicle. If the transmitter does not
work, try
synchronizing the transmitter with the receiver.
Synchronization
Your Remote Lock Control system is equipped with a
security system that prevents anyone from recording
and playing back your signal. The transmitter does not
send the same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver
will not respond to a signal that has been sent to it more
than once.
To resynchronize your transmitter and receiver, follow
these directions:
1.
2.
3.
Stand close to your vehicle.
Press and hold the
LOCK and UNLOCK buttons on
the transmitter at the same time.
Hold the buttons for five seconds. In this time, the
doors should lock and unlock once. This confirms
the resynchronization. If the doors do not lock and
unlock, see your retailer for service.
2-9

Remote Trunk Release Lockout (If Equipped)
Your remote trunk release may be equipped with a
lockout feature to help prevent unauthorized entry into
the trunk when leaving the vehicle unattended. The
switch is located on the inside of the trunk lid, mounted
to the trunk lid latch.
To turn the lockout on, slide
the switch all the way to the
right. To turn the lockout
off, slide the switch all the
way
to the left.
When the lockout is on, the remote trunk release,
located in the vehicle, will not release the trunk lid.
However, the trunk lid can still be opened with the key.
If you have the optional Remote Lock Control feature,
your vehicle is not equipped with the
trunk lockout switch.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
And remember to lock
the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
2- 11

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.
2-38

Disabling the Theft-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY or RUN.
Turn the radio off.
Press the
1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until
SEC shows on the display.
Press
MN and 000 will appear on the display.
Press
MN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
Press
HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
Press AM-FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written down
The display will show ---, indicating that the radio
is no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect,
SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured until the correct
code is entered.
When battery power is removed and later applied to a
secured radio, the radio won’t turn
on and LOC will
appear
on the display.
To unlock a secured radio, see “Unlocking the
Theft-Deterrent Feature After a Power
Loss”
earlier in this section.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until
it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be
loud and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
3-18

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful’’ isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need
to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
A CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount
of alcohol. You can have
a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with
a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate
a driver who will
not drink.
4-5

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Enhanced Traction System
If your vehicle has the optional four-speed automatic
transaxle, it also has an Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) that limits wheel spin. This
is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one
or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power and may also upshift
the
transaxle to limit wheel spin.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See “Enhanced
Traction System Active
Light” in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen,
so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
31 When the system is on and
ETS
OFF
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.
4-9

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. 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.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
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.
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen
on curves. Here’s why:
4-10

Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows
or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way
is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
4-13