lights BUICK CENTURY 1993 User Guide

Sun Visors Luggage Carrier (Option)
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. If you have
the optional luggage carrier, you can load
Visor Vanity Mirrors vehicle. The luggage cairier has slats attached to the deck
things
on top of a wagon,
or on the deck lid of your
- . lid, a rear rail, and tiedowns. The wagon has slats
attached to the roof, side rails, and adjustable crossrails.
The crossrails can be adjusted by loosening the screws.
After moving the crossrails, be sure to tighten the screws
securely.
Standard Mirror: Open the cover to expose the vanity
mirror.
Lighted Mirrors: If your vehicle has the optional lighted
vanity mirrors, the lights come on when you open the
cover. These can even be used for reading. Close the
cover to
turn out the lights. Don’t exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when loading
your Buick. For more information on vehicle capacity and loading,
see “Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles per
hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (ludh). Your odometer
shows how
fkr your vehicle has been driven, in either
miles (used
in the U.S.) or kilometers (used in Canada).
Your Buick has a “tamper-resistant odometer? If you can
see silver lines between the numbers, probably someone
has
tried to turn it back. The numbers may not be true.
You
may wonder what happens if a vehicle has to have a
new odometer installed. If possible, the new one has to
be set to the same reading the old one had. If it can’t \
be,
then it’s set at zero, but a label on the driver’s door\
must show the old reading and when the new one was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell
you how
far your vehicle
has been driven since you last set the trip odometer to
zero.
To set the trip odometer to
zero, press the reset knob to
the right of the trip
odometer.
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This section describes the warning lights and gages that may
be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to your
warning lights and gages could
also save you or others
from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you will see in
the details on the next few pages, some warning lights
come on briefly when you
turn the ignition key just to let
you know they’re working. If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow the manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly-and even dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights and gages.
They’re a big help.
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NO U’ NO NO
TURN PARKTNG BICYCLES
The basic message of many of these signs is in pictures
or graphic symbols.
A picture within a circle with a
diagonal line across it shows what not to do.
Traffic Lights
We’re all familiar with traffic rights or stop lights. Often
green arrows are being used in the lights for improved
traffic control. On some multilane roads, green arrows
light up, indicating that traffic in one or more lanes can
move or make a turn. Green arrows don’t mean “go no
matter what? You’ll still need to proceed with caution,
yielding the right of way to pedestrians and sometimes to
other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red
arrows to signify that you I
must stop before turning on red.
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If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight out for a left turn, down for slow or
about-to-stop, and up
for a right turn.
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice in advance of slowing
or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal that your vehicle
is disabled or is a hazard.
See “Hazard Warning
Flashers’’ in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter what
the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some
of the road conditions
you may encounter.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please
start with a very important sakty device in your Buick:
Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything:’
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected:’ Assume that pedestrians
or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars,
often followed by other children. Expect occupants in
parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for movement
in parked cars-someone may be about to open
a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are on a
through street. Be ready to brake
if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have to use the brake,
but if you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
where there are well-marked lanes, directional mows,
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to
ignore
all these markings and dash straight toward one
part of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general,
you must give way to pedestrians even if you
know you
have the right of way.
Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver, in both
city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle
in front of you is going
to brake or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about defensive driving.
The most dangerous time for driving in the
U.S. is very
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Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops
or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it will
take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand
this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surhce, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through
a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly apply
the brakes. Both control systems-
steering and braking-have
to do their work where the
tires meet the road. Adding the hard braking can demand
too much at those places. You can lose control.
The
same thing can happen if you’re steering through a’
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems-steering and acceleration-can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose ‘control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Let up on the
brake or accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust
your
speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable
conditions you’ll want
to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels
are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so
you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are
out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
When you drive
into a curve at night, it’s harder to see
the road ahead of you because it bends away .from the
straight beams of your lights.
This is one good reason to
drive slower.
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Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it
may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little
to the right.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the tires
meet the road
to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly
seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable
care suited
to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your Buick‘s three
control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t
rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed
or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
I
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal. If
your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn a corner on
a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your
foot off the
accelerator pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle start to
slide. Quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If
you
start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will
straighten out. As it does, straighten the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surfhce
with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking
by shifting to a lower
gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues-
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road
to
make a “mirrored surface”-and slow down when you
have
any doubt.
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In a braking skid (where the wheels are no longer
rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes to get the
wheels rolling again.
This restores steering control. Push
the brake
pedal down steadily when you have to stop
suddenly.
As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have
steering control. Steer the way you want to go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired-by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most
dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in the
Index for more on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare
from headlights behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle ahead is
going just by looking at its taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlights 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.
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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 afkct 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 headlights, but they
also make a lot of things invisible that should remain
visible-such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to
put on your sunglasses after you have pulled into a
brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes
shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly to
darkness back on the road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before you leave the service area.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It
can take
a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are hced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower the \
high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlights) slow
down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching
lights. If there
is a line of opposing traffic, make
occasional glances over the line of headlights to make
certain that. one of the vehicles isn’t starting to move
into
your lane. Once you are past the bright lights, give your
eyes time to readjust before resuming
speed.
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High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on,
signal by flicking yours to high and then back to low
beam. This is the usual signal to lower the headlight
beams. If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams,
resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This
only makes two half-blinded drivers.
On a freeway, use your high beams
only in remote areas
where you won’t impair approaching drivers.
In some
places, like cities, using high beams is illegal.
When you follow another vehicle on a freeway or
highway, use low beams. True, most vehicles now have
day-night mirrors that enable the driver to reduce glare.
But outside mirrors are not
of this type and high beams
from behind can bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
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 fdm caused by dust. Tobacco smoke also
makes inside glass surfaces very filmy and can be a
vision hazard
if it’s left there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean
glass would, making the pupils
of your eyes contract
repeatedly. You might even want to keep a cloth and
some glass cleaner in your vehicle if you need to clean
your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights light up
fhr 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 headlights 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.
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Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your headlights-not just your parking
lights-to help make you more visible to others.
-
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming 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
,. .,,
Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can
be
so mild that you can see through it for severa1,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
“read” the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
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