brakes BUICK CENTURY 1994 User Guide

e If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull
out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
e Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When
you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see
its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
e 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.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a
little to the right.
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.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The
water may affect your brakes. Try
to avoid puddles.
But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen
if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one or
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Hill and Mountain Roads
I.
. ...
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain. If you
drive regularly
in steep country, or if you're
planning
to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain
roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
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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 accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to begin stopping
sooner than
you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-lock” in
the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 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 surface 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.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
e
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
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The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
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.
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
hitch 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.
Trailer 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. Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try
to tap into your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both
brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly
so
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform,
safety chains, electrical connector, lights, tires and
mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric brakes, start
your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help
you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
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Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows
on your instrument panel
will flash whenever
you signal
a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lights
will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel
will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure
the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have
to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long
uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45
mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than 1,000
pounds (450
kg) and you have an automatic transaxle
with Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in “D” instead
of Overdrive.
An overdrive transmission is required if
towing a trailer more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on
a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could
start to move. People can be injured, and both
your,vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if
you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
“P”
(Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then, apply your
parking brake, and then shift to
“P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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.
@) Part 6 Service and Appearance Care
~ ~~~~~
Here you will find information about the care of your Buick . This part begins with service and fuel information.
and then
it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels . There is also technical information about your
vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Part 6 includes:
Service ........................................................................\
..
Fuel ........................................................................\
.....
HoodRelease .....................................................................
EngineOil ....................................................................... \
Aircleaner ....................................................................... \
TransaxleFluid ....................................................................
Enginecoolant ....................................................................
Powersteering ....................................................................
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................................
Brakes ........................................................................\
...
Battery ........................................................................\
..
BulbReplacement .................................................................
LoadingYourVehicle ...............................................................
Tires ........................................................................\
....
Appearancecare ..................................................................
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ..................................................
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ...........................................................
ReplacementBulbs .................................................................
Capacities and Specifications .........................................................
208
209
212
213 218
220
223
226
227
228
231
232
236 238
245
253
254 258
259
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Open the cap labeled “WASHER FLUID ONLY.” Add
washer fluid until the bottle is full.
NOTICE:
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to
freeze and damage your washer fluid tank
and other parts of the washer system.
Also,
water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only 3/4 full
when it’s very
cold. This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
windshield washer.
It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
Brakes
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is filled with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
your master cylinder might go down. The first is
that the
brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that
fluid
is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
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should have your brake system fixed, since a leak means
that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well,
or
won’t work at all. So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’
your brake fluid. Adding brake fluid won’t correct a
leak. If you add fluid when your linings are worn, then
you’ll have too much fluid when you get new brake
linings. You should add (or remove) brake fluid, as
necessary, only when work
is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When
your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing it.
NOTICE:
DOT-5 silicone brake fluid can damage
your vehicle. Don’t use
it.
a Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of
fluid. For example,
just a few drops of
mineral-based
oil, such as engine oil, in
your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to
be replaced.
Brake fluid can damage paint, so be careful
not to spill brake
fluid on your vehicle. If
,you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
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