brake light BUICK LESABRE 1993 User Guide

0 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.
0 Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly
on the brake pedal while driving.
I A CAUTION: -’+
“Riding” your brakes can cause them to overheat
to the point that they won’t work well. You might
not be able to stop your vehicfe
in time to avoid
an accident. If you “ride’’ your brakes, they will
get so hot they will iequire a lot of pedal force to
slow you down. Avoid “riding” the brakes.
Riding” the brakes wears them
out much
I You would need costly brake replacement much
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.
159

0 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 Buick has an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent skidding.
This light
on the instrument panel will go on when you
start your vehicle.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light”
in the
Index.
@
ANTI
LOCK
‘1 ”. j ’ ;I
- -’ y- ..-
a,
rn
e,
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. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. The
computer separately works the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels.
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.
160

Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery
road conditions. The traction control system works at
low speeds only, such
as when you accelerate from a
stop. It applies brake pressure
to an individual wheel
that the system senses is about to spin.
You may feel the system working, or
you may notice
some noise, but this is normal.
OFF
The “TRACTION OFF” warning light lets you know if
your traction control system is not working. See
“Traction Control System Warning Light” in the Index.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Your Buick has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing
on the brake pedal firmly).
A CAUTION:
0
The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
1 LC3

the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer
a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and y.our speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate.
Those two control systems
-- steering and acceleration --
can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Let up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed
so you can
“drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see
the road ahead of you because it bends away from the
straight beams of your lights. This is one good reason to
drive slower.
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 Buick can perform very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
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
164

0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next
vehicle.
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.
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps
you
can ease a little to the right.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
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 “over-
driving” 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.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when
you turn a comer
on a wet, snow-or icexovered road), ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal as soon as your feel the vehicle start
to slide. Quickly steer the way
you want the vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will
straighten
out. As it does, straighten the front wheels.
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 tires to slide.
You may
not realize the surface is slippery until your
168

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. Road spray can often be worse for
vision than rain, especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
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.
A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t
work 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.
I
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.
You might
not be aware of hydroplaning. You could
drive along for some time without realizing your tires
aren’t in constant contact with
the road. You could find
out the hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
172

If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as
the slower-speed through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through lane, and the left lane
as the
passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
Just before
you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
If you are moving from an outside
to a center lane on a
freeway having more than two lanes, make sure another
vehicle isn’t about to move into the same spot. Look at
the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving
toward the edge of the lane. Be prepared
to delay your
move.
Once
you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow
a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute
is dangerous. If you miss your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop
and back up. Drive
on to the
next exit.
AI each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it
should
be long enough for you to enter it at freeway
speed (after signaling,
of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit ramp.
Unfortunately,
not all deceleration lanes are long enough
-- some are too short for all the braking. Decide when to
start braking. If you must brake on the through lane, and
if there is traffic close behind you, you can allow a little
extra time and flash your brake lights
(in addition to
your turn signal) as extra warning that
you are about to
slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
I ne exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend
to think you are going slower than you
actually are.
For example, 40 mph (65 km/h) might
seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this could
lead to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 km/h)!
177

e e Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you
do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. adequate.
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.
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
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes
-- and they must be
192
~-
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.
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 nrns
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 to “D” (Drive) and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
193

’
A CAUTION:
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in
“P” (Park) or a manual
transaxle
in “N” (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could
save
your radio!
If you leave your radio on, It could be my
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
1
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
‘
A CAUTION:
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.
I
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery.