towing BUICK PARK AVENUE 1994 User Guide

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 you 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.
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 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.
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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.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug
trailer lights into your vehicle’s lighting system, its bulb
warning lights may not
let you know if one of your
lights goes out.
So, when you have trailer lights plugged
in, be sure to check your vehicle and trailer lights from
time to time to be sure they’re all working. Once you
disconnect the trailer lights, the bulb warning lights
again can tell you
if one of your vehicle lights is out.
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 or 3” (Drive)
and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how
to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P”
(Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and the shift to
“P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belts, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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Part 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Part 5 includes:
Hazard Warning Flashers .................................................. ....
Other Wa-ning Devices ........................................ ...............
“Jump”Starting ...................................................................
TowingYourBuick ................................................................
Engineoverheating ................................................................
IfaTireGoesFlat .................................................................
ChangingaFlatTire ................................................................
Compact Spare Tire .................................................................
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ..............................................
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Towing Your Park Avenue
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type
(A), wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow
truck.
B
C
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding after market 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.
0 The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 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 your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off.
The steering wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with
a clamping device designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The
transaxle should be
in Neutral and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
55 mph (88 km/h) or
farther than
500 miles (800 km) or your transaxle will
be damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
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Front Towing Hookups
Attach “T” hook chains
behind the front wheels into
the bottom slots
of the
cradle
rails on both sides. Position
a
4” x 4” wood beam across the sling chains
contacting the bottom of the radiator
support. Position
the lower sling crossbar just behind the rear edge of the
front bumper.
Attach a separate safety chain around
the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
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Rear Towing Hookups
Attach “T” hook chains to
the slots in the bottom of
the floor pan
of the rear
wheels
on both sides. Position the
lower sling crossbar directly under the rear
bumper. A
4” x 4” wood beam is not needed.
Attach
a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
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NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your traction control system off. (See “Traction Control
System” in
the Index.) Then shift back and forth
between
“R” (Reverse) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out.
If
you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your Car”
in the Index.
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Section A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
Using Your Maintenance Schedules
This section tells you the maintenance services you
should have done and when you should schedule them.
Your Buick dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you
to be happy with it. If you go to your dealer for your
service needs, you’ll know that GM-trained and
supported service people
will perform the work using
genuine GM parts.
These schedules are for vehicles that:
0
0
0
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits.
You will find these limits on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See “Loading Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces
within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended unleaded fuel. See “Fuel”
in
the Index.
Selecting the Right Schedule
First you’ll need to decide which of the two schedules is
right for your vehicle. Here’s how to decide which
schedule to follow:
Schedule I
Is any one of these true for your vehicle?
Most trips are less than 4 miles (6 km).
0 Most trips are less than 10 miles ( 16 km) when
outside temperatures are below freezing.
door-to-door delivery, or
in stop-and-go traffic).
0 The engine is at low speed most of the time (as in
You operate your vehicle in dusty areas.
You tow a trailer. (With some models, you should
never tow a trailer. See “Towing
a Trailer” in the
Index.)
If any one (or more) of these is true for your driving,
follow Schedule
I.
Schedule I1
Follow Schedule I1 only if none of the above conditions
is true.
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