brakes BUICK CENTURY 2001 User Guide

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. Also see ªEnhanced Traction Systemº
in the Index.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up
your foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second.
But that's only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is
an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your anti
-lock brake system will check
itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise while this test is going on, and you may even
notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little.
This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-8
Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each wheel.The anti
-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
This can help you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Enhanced Traction System
Your vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) that limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates
only if it senses that one or both of the front wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See ªEnhanced
Traction System Active
Lightº in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº
in the Index.

4-12 Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left
or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.

4-15
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 ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle'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.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for
a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.

4-18
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people walking.
It's wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank
filled with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.
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.

4-19
CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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 do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops ªdimpleº the
water's surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just isn't a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles
or standing water, water can come in through
your engine's air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you
can't avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.

4-25
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.

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.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going down
a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine
running and your vehicle in gear when you
go downhill.

Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better.

Stay in your own lane when driving on two
-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.

As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.

You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no
-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.

4-28
Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when you 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 ªAnti
-Lockº in the Index.

Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.

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
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.