warning BUICK CENTURY 1993 Owner's Manual

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Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the next
section, “Freeway Driving?)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is
there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light
turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may
be running the red
light.
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.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of
intersections when you see or hear emergency vehicles.
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.
Here
are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Try
not to drive around trying to pick out a familiar street
or landmark. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-
country trip.
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If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a
freeway, having more than two lanes, make sure another
vehicle isn’t about
to move into the same spot. Look at
the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving
toward the edge of the lane. Be prepared to delay your
move.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to-leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute is dangerous.
If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it should
be long enough for you to enter it at freeway speed (after
signaling, of course) and then do your braking before
moving onto the exit ramp. Unfortunately, not all
deceleration lanes are long enough-some are too short
for
all the braking. Decide when to start braking. If you
must bkke on the through lane, and if there is traffic
close behind you, you can allow a little extra time and
flash your brake lights (in addition to your
turn signal) as
extra warning that you are about to slow down and exit. The ,exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit
speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to
think you are going slower than you
actually
are. For example, 40 mph (65 km/h) might. seem
like only
20 mph (30 ludh). Obviously, this could lead
to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 ludh)!
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
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.
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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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Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
Part 5 includes:
HazardWarningFlashers ..............................................................184
Other Warning Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Jumpstarting
........................................................................\
..
Towing Your Buick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Engine Overheating
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
IfaTireGoesFlat
...................................................................205
ChangingaFlatTire ........................................,........................205
CompactSpareTire ..................................................................218
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lights will flash on
and off.
Press the button in to make
your front and
rear turn signal
lights flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter
what position your key is
in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers,
pull out on
the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your
turn
signals won't work.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at the
side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your
vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to
start your
Buick.
But please follow the steps below to do it safely.
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangernus because:
@ They contain add that can burn you.
* They contain gas that can explode or Ignite.
9 They contaln enough mlectrielty to burn
If you don’t follow these step exactly, same or
all of these things can hurt you.
you.
To Jump Start Your Buick
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery
with
a negative ground system.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If ‘they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t
be able to
start your Buick, and the bad grounding could damage
the electrical
systems.
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12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don't touch
each other or any other metal. Towing Your Buick
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service
tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-
tvPe (A) or wheel-lift (B) or a car carrier (C) tow truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it was
fhctory-new by adding aftermarket items
like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage or the warning
light about a hot engine on your Buick’s instrument panel. A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you
just open the hood. Stay
away from the engine if you see
or hear steam
coming from
it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until
it cools
down. Wait
until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You -w others could be badly burned. Stop your
~gine if
it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your-Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no steam,
the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the
engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with
no sign of steam, try
this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed
and open the window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load (in a drive gear
where the engine runs slower). If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine\

for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to
see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the warning,
TURN OFF THE ENGRVE AND GET EVERYONE
OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide
not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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All Cooling Systems
A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your c.ooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mix.
With plain water or the wrong mix, your
engine could 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
50/50 mix of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
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A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on
a hot engine. I
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