low beam Oldsmobile Achieva 1998 Owner's Manuals

Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow
you to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction
of the turn or
lane change.
The lever
on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
Cruise Control To
signal a lane change, just raise
or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows flash
rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a signal bulb is
burned out, replace it to help avoid an accident. (See
“Bulb Replacement”
in the Index).
2-30

If the arrows don’t go on at all when you signal a
turn, check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index) or contact your Oldsmobile retailer
service department).
Turn Signal On Chime
A warning chime signal will come on if you have left
your turn signal
on for more than 3/4 mile (1 km).
Headlamp HighLow Beam
To change the headlamps
from low beam to high or
high to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, a light on the instrument
panel also will be on.
The headlamp high/low beam indicator may flash if the
Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) system is experiencing
a problem or if a headlamp is malfunctioning.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by moving the
stalk with the wiper symbol on it up or down,
For a single wiper cycle, push the stalk down to
MIST, then release it. For more cycles, hold the stalk
down longer.
2-31

Automatic Light Control (ALC)
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic light sensor
on top
of the instrument panel under the defroster grill,
so be sure it is not covered which will cause the
nighttime lights to be on continuously.
When it
is dark enough outside, your ALC will turn on
your headlamps that you were last using at the normal
brightness along with other lamps such as the taillamps,
sidemarker, park lamps and instrument panel lights.
There is a 20-second delay in the transition between
daytime and nighttime operation
of the DRL and the
ALC systems.
If the light sensor senses a reduction in
lighting that lasts longer than 20 seconds, it will activate
the nighttime lamps. If you are driving through a
parking garage, heavy overcast weather, a tunnel or
fueling your vehicle in a low light area, the ALC will
turn on your low-beam headlamps at a normal
brightness along with
the taillamps, sidemarker, park
lamps and the instrument panel lights. The radio lights
will be dimmer.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel cluster
lights by rotating the INT
LIGHTS switch.
Rotating the wheel to
MAX will turn on the
courtesy lamps.
2-39

Here are some tips on night driving.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re driving,
don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
.lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware
of it.

Headlamps .................................... 2-37
Bulb Replacement
............................ 6-32
High/Low Beam Changer
...................... 2-31
OnReminder
................................ 2-38
Wiring
..................................... 6-53
Heating
........................................ 3-3
Highway Hypnosis
.............................. 4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads
......................... 4-23
Hitches. Trailer
................................. 4-36
Hood Checking Things Under
......................... 6-8
Release
...................................... 6-9
Hydroplaning
.................................. 4-19
Hearing Impaired. Customer Assistance
.............. 8-4
High-Beam Headlamps
.......................... 2-3 1
Ho~ ......................................... 2-29
If a Tire Goes Flat
.............................. 5-24
Ignition Positions
............................... 2- 13
Transaxle Lock Check
......................... 7-33
Illuminated EntryExit System
..................... 2-40
Inflation. Tire
.................................. 6-37
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
................. 2-42
Inspections Brakesystem
................................ 7-35
Exhaust Systems
............................. 7-34
Front-Wheel-Drive Axle Boot
.................. 7-34
Front-Wheel-Drive Axle Seal
................... 7-34
Radiator and Heater Hose
...................... 7-34
Steering
.................................... 7-34
Caliper/Knuckle Maintenance
................... 7-34 Suspension
.................................. 7-34
Throttle Linkage
.............................. 7-34
Instrument Panel
............................... 2-46
Brightness Control
............................ 2-39
Cleaning
.................................... 6-46
Cluster
..................................... 2-48
FuseBlock
.................................. 6-54
Interior Lamps
................................. 2-39
Jack. Tire
.................................... 5-26
Jumpstarting
................................... 5-3
Key Lock Cylinders Service ..................... 7-31
Keys
.......................................... 2-2
Labels Certification
................................. 4-31
Service Parts Identification
..................... 6-52
Tire-Loading Information
...................... 4-31
Vehicle Identification Number
................... 6-52
Lamps
........................................ 2-37
Exterior
.................................... 2-37
Interior
..................................... 2-39
OnReminder
................................ 2-38
Leaving Your Vehicle
............................. 2-6
Leaving Your Vehicle with the Engine Running
....... 2-25
Lighter
....................................... 2-44
Lights Air Bag Readiness
............................ 1-23
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
............ 2.53, 4.7
9-5