wheel BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 Owner's Manual

Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level
of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up
to 1/4 turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn
your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
If the shoulder appears to be about four inches
(100 mm) or more below the pavement, this difference
can cause problems.
If there is not enough room to pull
entirely onto the shoulder and stop, then follow the same
procedures. But
if the right front tire scrubs against the
side
of the pavement, do NOT steer more sharply. With
too much steering angle, the vehicle may jump back
onto the road with
so much steering input that it crosses
over into the oncoming traffic before you can bring it
back under control.
Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering
input, straddle
the pavement once more, then try again.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back
into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
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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.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for
the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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
“overdriving” 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 corner
on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal as soon as you 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 the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
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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.
The 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)!
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways,
there are still many made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular
highways
is the same in some ways. The trip has to be
planned and
the vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns
behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more
if you and your vehicle
are in good shape. Here are some tips for a
successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help if
you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
all levels?
trouble-free trip. Is
the tread good enough
for
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long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access, you’ll want
to watch
for some situations
not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers
with direct access to
the highway, no passing zones and
school zones, vehicles turning left and right off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call
it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road
in less than a second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
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Parking on Hills
I
You can turn your front wheels to keep your vehicle
from rolling downhill or out into traffic.
Here’s
how:
Parking Downhill
Hills and mountains mean spectacular scenery. But
please be careful where
you stop if you decide to look at
the view
or take pictures. Look for pull-offs or parking
areas provided for scenic viewing.
Another part of this manual tells how
to use your
parking brake
(see “Parking Brake” in the Index). But
on
a mountain or steep hill, you can do one more thing. Turn
your wheels
to the right.
You don’t have to jam your tires against the curb, if
there is a curb.
A gentle contact is all you need.
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Parking Uphill
If there is a curb, turn your wheels to the left if the curb
is at the right side
of your vehicle.
If you’re going uphill on a one-way street and you’re
parking on the left side, your wheels should point to the
right.
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If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill, turn the
wheels to the right.
If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left
side of
a one-way street, your wheels should be turned
to
the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
“P” (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of “F‘” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, always be sure to shift into “P”
(Park) properly before
you leave the driver’s seat. To
find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in the Index.
When
you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
“P” (Park) BEFORE you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur,
you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the transaxle, so you can pull the shift
lever out of “P” (Park).
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between
your tires and
the road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very
careful.
c
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be
even more trouble because
it may offer the least traction
of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid
driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try
not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to 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
“Anti-lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
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. road.
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Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at
full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with
trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal,
not only
where you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A
good source for this information can be state or
provincial police.
Consider using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh
2,000 pounds (900 kg) or less. You should
always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh
more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg).
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg),
unless you have the optional
3,000 pound (1 350 kg)
trailer towing package. But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
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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.
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.
Passing
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. 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.
lbrn 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,
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