tire type BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 Owners Manual

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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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Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for
cold tires.
You’ll find these numbers on the Certification
label at the rear edge of the driver’s door (or see “Tire
Loading” in the Index). Then be sure you don’t go over
the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are
a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
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0 If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to
use a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch
and sway control
of the proper size. This equipment
is very important for proper vehicle loading and
good handling
when you’re driving.
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.
0 The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only
a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the
bumper.
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
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.
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Towing Your Car
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick
. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type
(A) or a wheel lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow
truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
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.
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When to Check: Check your tires once a month or
more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60
psi (420 Ha).
How to Check: Use a good quality pocket-type gage to
check tire pressure. Simply looking
at the tires will not
tell you the pressure, especially
if you have radial tires --
which may look properly inflated even if they’re
underinflated.
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If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back
on. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them inspected and
rotated at the mileages recommended
in the
Maintenance Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index. Use
this rotation
pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressure as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque”
in the
Index.
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The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed
on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get
new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way,
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by a
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
. CAUTION:
Xing tires could cause you to lose control
hile driving. If you mix tires ob different sizes or
types (radial and bias-betted tires;), the vehicle
may not handle properly, and you coutd have a
crash.
Be sure to use the same size and type
tires on all wheels.
It’s all right to drive
with your compact spare,
bbugh. It was developed for limited use on your
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold
in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half (1
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1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B,
and C. They represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability
to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a
level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger
car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional
equipment on General Motors vehicles may vary with
respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved
for use on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
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Use solvent-type cleaners in a well-ventilated area
If a ring forms after spot cleaning, clean the entire
only.
If you use them, don’t saturate the stained area.
area immediately or
it will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
Vacuum and brush the area to remove any loose dirt.
0 Always clean a whole trim panel or section. Mask
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner following the
Use suds only and apply with a clean sponge.
surrounding
trim along stitch or welt lines.
directions on the container label.
0 Don’t saturate the material.
0 Don’t rub it roughly.
0 As soon as you’ve cleaned the section, use a sponge
to remove
the suds.
Rinse the section with a clean, wet sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly damp paper towel
or cloth.
Then dry it immediately with an air hose, a hair
dryer or a heat lamp.
e careful with a hair dry
Wipe with a clean cloth.
Using Solvent-Type Cleaner on
Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type cleaner at all.
Some spots and stains will clean
off better with just
water and mild soap.
If you need to use it, then:
Gently scrape excess soil from the trim material with
a clean, dull knife or scraper. Use very little cleaner,
light pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start at
the outside of
the stain, “feathering” toward the center. Keep
changing
to a clean section of the cloth,
the area with an air hose, hair dryer, or heat lamp to
help prevent a cleaning ring. (See the previous
NOTICE.)
When you clean a stain from fabric, immediately dry
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Snow or Ice. Driving on ........................... 198
Snowstorm.
If You’re Caught in a Bad ............... 199
Solvent-Type Cleaner on Fabric
.................... 279
Sound Equipment. Adding
......................... 140
Sound Systems
.................................. 140
SpareTire
...................................... 237
Specifications Chart
.............................. 292
Speech Impaired, Customer Assistance for
............ 314
Speedometer
.................................... 117
Stains, Removing
................................ 280
Start (Ignition Key Position)
........................ 76
Starting Your Engine
.............................. 76
Starting Your Car if the Battery is “Dead”
............. 212
Steam From Hot (Overheated) Engine
................ 221
Steep Hill Parking
............................... 194
Steering in Emergencies
........................... 177
Steering Tips
................................... 176
Steering Wheel, Tilt
............................... 90
Steering Without Power Assist
..................... 176
Stereo Sound Systems
............................ 139
Storage Armrest
................................. 113
Storage,
. Garage Door Opener ...................... 11 0
Storing Your Car ................................ 265
Stuck, If Your Ignition Key is
....................... 76
Stuck,
If Your Car is ............................... 239
Steering
....................................... 176
Subscribing to Buick Product Service Publications
...... 317
Sunroof
........................................ ‘109
SunVisors
..................................... 114
Supercharged Engine
............................. 250 Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint System (SIR)
......... 34
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System Light
......... 35
Symbols on Road Signs
........................... 164
Symbols Used on Your Car
......................... 12
Table of Contents
................................. 9
Tachometer
..................................... 127
Taillamp Bulb Replacement
........................ 267
Tamper-Resistance
of Odometer .................... 117
Tape Player Care
................................ 155
Theft Deterrent System, PASS-Key
................... 73
Theft Deterrent System, Universal
.................... 71
Third Gear, When
to Use ............................ 82
Tilt Steering Wheel
............................... 90
Time, Setting the
..................... 142,145,148, 151
Time Out Feature, Lights
.......................... 113
Tire, Flat
....................................... 228
Tire Inflation
................................... 271
Tire Inspection and Rotation
....................... 272
Tire Quality Grading
............................. 274
Tires, When to Replace
........................... 373
Tires, White Sidewall Cleaning
..................... 283
Torn Safety Belts
................................. 58
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle) ................. 196
Theft
........................................... 71
Thermostat
..................................... 261
.................................... Tire Balance 275
Tirechains
..................................... 277
Tires
.......................................... 270
330
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