tow BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owner's Manual

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 5 Problems on the Road
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I
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Part 5 includes:
HazardWarningFlashers ............................................................ 172
OtherWarningDevices
............................................................. 173
“Jump”Starting
................................................................... 174
TowingYourBuick
................................................................ 178
Engineoverheating
................................................................ 184
IfaTireGoesFlat
................................................................. 193
ChangingaFlatTire
................................................................ 194
CompactSpareTire
................................................................ 205
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .............................................. 206
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Towing Your Buick
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type
(A) or a wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C)
tow truck. If
your
vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-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.
When you call, tell
the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
0 The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to
see them.
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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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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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I
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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10. Then replace the
pressure cap. At any
time during this
procedure if coolant
begins to flow
out of the
filler neck, reinstall the
pressure cap. Be sure
the arrows on pressure cap line up like this.
11. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the
“HOT”
mark when the engine is hot or at the “ADD” mark
when the engine
is cold.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are
a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your
foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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