ESP BUICK RIVIERA 1993 User Guide

Driving in the Rain It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get
wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse for
vision than rain, especially
if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate
from the inserts.
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll ge\
t even less traction.
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if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a
lot of water
is standing on the road. If you can see
reflections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could \
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining, and be
.
careful.
Some Other .Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles corning from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray. If the road spray is
so heavy you are
actually blinded, drop back. Don’t pass until conditions improve. Going more slowly
is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger
if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in the Index.)
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
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Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can,
be
so mild that you can see through it for several
hundred feet (meters).
Or it might be so thick that you
can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be
reduced quickly. The biggest dangers are striking the
vehicle ahead
or being struck by the one behind. Try to
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Don’t use your high beams. The light will bounce off
the water droplets that make up fog and reflect back at
you.
Use your defogger.
In high humidity, even a light
buildup of moisture on the inside of the glass will cut
down on your already limited visibility.
Run your
windshield wipers and washer ‘occasionally. Moisture
can build up on the outside glass, and what seems to be
fog may actually be moisture on the outside of your
windshield.
Treat dense fog as an emergency.
Try to find a place to
pull off the road. Of course you want to respect
another’s property, but you might need to put something
between you and moving vehicles
-- space, trees,
telephone poles, a private driveway, anything ,that
removes you from other traffic.
If visibility is near zero and you
must stop but are
unsure whether you are away from the road, tu_m your
lights on, start your hazard warning flasher, and sound your horn at intervals or when you hear approaching
traffic.
Pass other vehicles in fog only if you can see far enough
ahead to pass safely. Even then, be prepared to delay
your pass if you suspect the fog is worse up ahead.
If
other vehicles try to pass you, make it easy for them.

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
0 Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they
are for ideal road, weather and visibility conditions.
You may need to drive below the posted limit
in bad
weather or when visibility is especially poor.
0 Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of
intersections when you see or hear emergency
vehicles.
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bags, rags, floor mats -- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can’t see
it or
smell it,
so you might not know it was in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the ba
!
of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking
your exhaust pipe- And check ar
from time to time to be sure snow
collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This
will heir
keep CO out.
I CAUTION: (Continued)
Run your engine only
as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make
it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
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8.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly.
If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to lepk out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few\

tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on
the pressure
cap line up like this.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in
a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system. That helps keep your engine in tune and your
emission control system working properly. It’s good €or
your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called oxygenates. General Motors recommends that you use
gasolines with these blending materials, such as MTBE
and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air,
especially in those parts
of the country that have high
carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing
reformulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high Ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators if their
gasolines contain detergents and oxygenates, and if they
have been reformulated
to reduce vehicle emissions.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
U.S. or Canada, unleaded fuel may be hard to find. Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even one tankful,
your emission controls won’t work well or at all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust system can corrode, and your engine oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will be damaged.
All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors of Canada Ltd.
International Export Sales
P.O. Box 828
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7N1, Canada
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are made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRONs-IIE is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under
“How to Check.”
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
The proper coolant for your Buick
will:
Give freezing protection down to -34’F (-37 ’ C) .
0 Give boiling protection up to 262 ’ F ( 128 ’ C) .
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights work as they should.
What to Use:
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half antifreeze that meets “GM Specification 1825-M,” which won’t damage aluminum
parts. Use GM Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer) with
any complete coolant change. You can also use a
recycled coolant conforming to “GM Specifications
1825-M” with a complete coolant flush and-refill.
If you
use these, you don’t need to add anything else.
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warnin!
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine coul
get
too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you
or others could be burned. Use a
50150 mix of
clean water and
a proper antifreeze.
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When to Check: Check your tires once a month or
more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60
psi (420 kPa).
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How to Check: Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. Simply looking at the tires will not
tell you the pressure, especially
if you have radial tires --
which may look properly inflated even if they’re
underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. They help prevent leaks .by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them inspected and
rotated at the mileages recommended
in the
Maintenance, Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance
Services”
in the Index.
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Use this rotation pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressure
as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque”
in the
Index.

(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and C. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
whicrall passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
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excessive loading, either separately or in combination, !
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Those grade
b are molded on the sidewalls of passenger
car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use
on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
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