BUICK REGAL 1993 Owners Manual

Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways,
there are still many made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular
highways is the same in some ways. The trip has to be
planned and the vehicle prepared,
you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns
behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and
your vehicle are in good shape. Here are some tips for a
successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
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Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go.
If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Eng;ine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
- Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:
Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind
the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend
to make some people sleepy.
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On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for some situations not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers
with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and
school zones, vehicles turning left and right
off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of
the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the wind
against the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to
you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a second, and you could crash and be
inj ured.
What can you
do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen. Then
here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors frequently
and your instruments from time
to time. This can
help you avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can
cause drowsiness. But don’t wear sunglasses at
night. They will drastically reduce your overall
vision at
the very time you need all the seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on
the highway as
an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and
allow adequate following distances.
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Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
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IL
CAUTION
If you don’t shift down, Jour brakes ,auld get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then I
have poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engirp
assist your brakes on a steep downhill
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CAUTION
Coasting downhill in “N” (Neutral) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do
all the work of slowing down. They could I
get so hot that they wouldn’t work well.
could crash. Always have your engine runn
g
and your vel - le i gear en ya-- go downhill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
. to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your
engine and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill
better.
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0 Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane. That way, you won’t be
surprised by a vehicle coming toward
you in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle when you’re
going uphill.
You’ll want to leave extra room to pass.
If a vehicle is passing you and doesn’t have enough
room, slow down to make it easier for the other
vehicle
to get by.
0 As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like
a stalled car or an
accident.
0 You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or
winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate
action.
0 Winter driving can present special problems. See
“Winter Driving’’ in the Index.
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Parking on Hills You can turn your front wheels to keep your vehicle
from rolling downhill or out into traffic.
Hills and mountains mean spectacular scenery. But
please be careful where you stop if you decide to look at
the view or take pictures. Look for pull-offs or parking
areas provided for scenic viewing.
Another part of this manual tells how to use your
parking brake (see “Parking Brake” in the Index). But
on a mountain or steep hill, you can do one more thing. Turn
your wheels to the right.
You don’t have to jam your tires against the curb, if
there
is a curb. A gentle contact is all you need.
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Parking Uphill
If there is a curb, turn your wheels to the left if the curb
is at the right side of your vehicle.
If you're going uphill on a one-way street and you're
parking on the left side, your wheels should point to the
right.
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If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill, turn the
wheels to the right.
If there is
no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left
side of a one-way street, your wheels should be turned
to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
“P” (Park) 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 “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, always be sure to shift into “P”
(Park) properly before you leave the driver’s seat.
To
find out how, see “Shifting Into “P” (Park)” in the
Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
“P” (Park) 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 transaxle, so you can pull the shift
lever out of “P” (Park).
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix is correct.
0 Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give
you less traction on ice than regular tires. If you do
not expect to be driving in deep snow, but may have
to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply
of windshield washer fluid,
a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include
a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple
of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items
in your vehicle.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have
a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very
careful.
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing
(32 OF; 0 O C) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving on wet
ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try
not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently,
too. (If you do have anti-lock,
see “Anti-lock” in the Index. This system improves your
vehicle’s ability to make a hard stop on a slippery road.)
Whether you have the anti-lock braking system or not,
you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes, if you feel your
vehicle begin to slide, let up
on the brakes a little. Push
the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction
you can.
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Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide.
Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance
on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch
of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually
on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to
do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle
to alert police that you’ve been
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