BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owners Manual

When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed
for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock
for this. The transaxle should be in
Neutral and the parking brake released.
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Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels,
don’t go more than 35 mph (56 km/h) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
Front Towing Hookups
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Buick” earlier in this part.
1. Attach T-hook chains behind the front wheels into
the bottom
of the floor pan on both sides.
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2. Position a 4" x 4" wood beam across sling chains
with spacer blocks contacting the forward extensions
of the engine cradle.
3. Position the lower sling crossbar halfway between
the timber and the lower edge of the fascia.
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4. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard
end of each lower control arm.
Rear Towing Hookups
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information
in “Towing Your Buick” earlier in this part.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides in the slotted
holes
in the floor pan just ahead of the rear wheels.
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2. Position the lower sling crossbar directly under the
rear bumper. 3. Attach a separate safety chain to each side of the
axle inboard of the spring.
4. Be certain your vehicle is towed no faster than 35 mph
(56 km/h) and no farther than 50 miles (80 km) to avoid
damage
to your transaxle.
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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.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
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.
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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 ENGINE AND GET EVERYONE
OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools down. When you
decide it's safe to
lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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A
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above the
“FULL
HOT” mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in
the cooling system.
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1 NOTICE: I
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Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the
fan should be running. If
it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the
“ADD” mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze at \
the coolant recovery
tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the
Index for more information about the proper coolant mix.)
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NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the the
“FULL HOT” mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you
do it.
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