BUICK CENTURY 1997 Owners Manual

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.
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
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
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.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Buick dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked
up, the trailer lamps
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.
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and shift
to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
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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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& NOTES
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b NOTES
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fi NOTES
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@) Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3
5-9
5-15
5-
17
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
Cooling System 5-25
5-25
5-37
5-38
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing
a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
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Hazard Warning Flashers
.- c
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have
a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash
on and off. Press the switch on top
of
the steering column
to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and
off. Your hazard warning
flashers work no matter
what position your key is in;
they even work
if the key
isn’t in the ignition.
To turn off the flashers, press the switch again. When
the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
won’t work.
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.
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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.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Trying to start your Buick by pushing
or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
U
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground sysl 1.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
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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.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling,
set the parking brake
firmly on both vehicles
involved
in the jump start procedure. Put your
automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) before setting
the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlet.
Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
I
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. (Your
vehicle’s battery is located under the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.)
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
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