Why is the ETS OFF light always on and is it expensive to repair on a 98 Olds Achieva?

Answer 1

i'm pretty sure that is your traction control system. look for a button labeled traction control, ets or something like that. then push it. Theres a rocker switch labeled "trac control" on the left of the steering column switch it one way to turn traction control on and the other way to turn it off, either way it wont harm anything. GM designed a glorious "Traction Control System", the purpose of which is unknown. What is known however, is that this system has broken on all Achievas known to be in existance. As you will notice if you follow the uninformed advice of the previous posters, activating the system causes any number of problems, many of which are dangerous. Naturally, rather than take any action to fix the problem, GM has tacitly advised dealers to merely turn the switch to off. (The fact that there even is a switch suggests that the system never worked, and indeed was never intended to.) Dealers typically then advice foolish consumers that the light "is meant to be off", which means they think Achieva drivers are among the dumbest people in America. I don't know what the "Traction Control System" is, but doesn't the light just mean you have turned the system ON and when light is off you have turned the system OFF? The traction control really only works in snow and ice. During the summer there is really no point in having it on. Without it your tires will spin. When activated it senses when the wheels starts spinning and cuts power for a second. It works the same as pumping the gas pedal. It works fine on my 96 and I wouldn't be able to get up my driveway without it. I would advise keeping the TCS off at all times, even during snow and ice. When I first started driving my 1996 Acheiva, I left the TCS on at all times. It took me about 6 months to burn out my rotors, repeatedly. I could not understand why they kept warping and getting destroyed. I have had it off for the past 3 years and I still have a good set of rotors. It is more trouble than it is worth. Drive slowly and sensibly in the rain and snow and you will be fine without it.