warning BUICK LESABRE 1993 Owner's Manual

lights on, start your hazard warning flashers, and sound
your horn at intervals or when you hear approaching
traffic.
Pass other vehicles in fog only if you can see far enough
ahead to pass safely. Even then, be prepared
to delay
your pass if you suspect the fog is worse up ahead. If
other vehicles try
to pass you, make it easy for them.
City Driving
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One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
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Know the best way to get to where you are going.
Try not to drive around trying to pick out a familiar
street or landmark. Get a city map and plan your trip
into an unknown part of the city just
as you would
for a cross-country trip.
Try
to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next section, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared
the intersection or may be running the red
light.
Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they
are for ideal road, weather and visibility conditions.
You may need to drive below the posted limit in bad
weather or when visibility is especially poor.

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)!
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Winter Driving 0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix
is correct.
0 Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give
you less traction
on ice than regular tires. If you do
not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may have
to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all. Include an ice scraper,
a small brush
or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of
sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to
help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
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@ Part 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems
Part 5 includes:
Hazard Warning Flashers
..............
Other Warning Devices ...............
“Jump” Starting .....................
Engine Overheating ..................
If a Tire Goes Flat ...................
Changing a Flat Tire ..................
If You’re Stuck in Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow
Towing Your Buick
..................
Compact
Spare Tire ..................
that can occur on the road .
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Hazard Warning Flashers
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Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also
let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lights will flash on
and off.
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Press the button in to make your front and rear turn
signal lights flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key
is in, and even if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, pull out on the collar. 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 (1 00 m) behind your
vehicle.
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Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
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.
A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that
@ Never tow faster than safe or posted
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fully
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
@ Never use “J’* hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
is being towed.
speeds.
secured.
been lifted
by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
rn
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Engine Overheating
You will find the warning light about a hot engine on
your Buick instrument panel,
If you have the optional gage cluster, you may also have
a coolant temperature warning gage.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
CAUTION:
eam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open
the hood. Stay away
from
the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from
it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
From the vehicle until
it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool. badly
damaged. The costly
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.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N” (Neutral).
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If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you can drive
normally.
If
the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign
of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you're parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down. You
may decide not to lift
the hood but to get service
help right away.
I 4
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll
see:
0 Coolant recovery tank
Radiator pressure cap
Electric engine fans
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above
“FULL COLD,” add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and
a proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine
Coolant”
in the Index for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
‘A CAUTION: Q
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant
mix will. Your vbhicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the properecoolant mix. With
plain water or the’wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot
but you douldn’t get the overheat
warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
a proper antifreeze.”
I NOTICE 1
I fr ze an :rack In cold weather, water c
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Us€
the recommended coolant. I
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