BUICK CENTURY 1993 Owners Manual

If there is a curb, turn your wheels to the left if the curb
is at
the right side of your vehicle. 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
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
“P” mk) 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 “I”’ (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.
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.
vehicle.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your
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.
r
-
I
.. .
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°F; OOC) 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 acceierate too hst, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more. You’ll want to brake very
gently, too. Begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. If you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up
on the brakes a little. fish the brake pedal down steadily
to get the most traction you can.
Remember, 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.
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
surfixe 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.
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If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
J 1
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 stopped by the
snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap 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.
I-
I A CAUTION:
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 is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base
of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe.
And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
I CAUTION (Continued)
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~ CAUTION (Contlnued)
1 Opien a wlndow Just a llttle on the side of the
vehlcie that’s
away fmm the wind. Thls will
help keep CO out.
I
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.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat
this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out
of the vehicle and do some fhirly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
If You’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep
snow without damaging
it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Towing a Trailer
A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a traller. For example, If the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well--or wen
at all. Mu and your passengets could be
seriously Injured. Pull a trailer only if you have
followed all the steps in this section.
hicle and result
Your Buick can tow a trailer. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later
in this section. But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle
by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering
takes correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly. That’s the reason for this section.
In it are many time-
tested, important trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of
these are important for your safety and that of your
passengers.
So please read this section carefully before
you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel economy
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If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with
trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only where you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A
good source for this information can be state or
provincial police.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged. .
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow
a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 Wh) and don’t
make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and
other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the heavier loads.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
Your vehicle can tow normally up to 1,OOO pounds
(450 kg). If your vehicle has a V6 engine with a four-
speed automatic transaxle and is equipped with the
optional heavy-duty engine cooling system,
it can tow
up to 2,000 pounds
(900 kg).
But even that can be too heavy. It depends on how you
plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can
also depend on any special equipment that you have on
your vehicle. You can ask your dealer for our trailering
information or advice, or you can write us at Buick
.
Motor Division, Customer Assistance Center, 902 E.
Hamilton Ave., Flint, MI 48550.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada
Limited, Customer Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel
Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario,
LlH 8W.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes
the curb weight
of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry
in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle.
And if you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the
tongue load from your vehicle’s capacity weight
because your vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index for more
information about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity. The trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10% of
the total
loaded trailer weight
(B). After you’ve loaded your
trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately,
to see if the weights are proper.
If they aren’t, you may
be able to get them right simply by moving some items
around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for
cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on
the
Tire-Pressure Certification label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door (or see “Tire Loading” in the Index). Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your
vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by,
and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules
to follow:
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch?
If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when you remove the
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hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) from your .exhaust can get into your vehicle
(see
“Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt and water can,
too.
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other bumper-
type hitches to them. Use only a frame-mounted hitch
that
does not attach to the bumper.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions about
safety chains may
be provided by the hikh manufacturer
or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s
recommendation for attaching safety chains. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And,
never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Mer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll
be able to install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the trailer\
’s
brake system will use more than
0.02 cubic inch
(0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle’s master cylinder. If
it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You
could even lose your brakes.
Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650 kPa)
of pressure? If not, the trailer brake system must not be
used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
fluid tap at the upper rear master cylinder port.
But
don’t use copper tubing for this. If you do, it will bend
and finally break off. Use
steel brake tubing.
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