towing BUICK PARK AVENUE 1994 Owners Manual

3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
“Start” for about three seconds. If the car starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine. After
waiting about
15 seconds, repeat the normal starting
procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to
do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Car”
in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
I NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come
in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block
Heater) (Canada Only)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 “C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt outlet.
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NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of “P” (Park) or “N” (Neutral) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
@ Automatic Overdrive
This position is for normal driving. If you need more
power for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more
power.
D or 3 (Third Gear)
This is like @, but you never go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
“D or 3 ”
instead of @:
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill
between
gears
2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but lower fuel
economy.
You can use “2” on hills. It can help
control your speed as you go down steep mountain
roads,
but then you would also want to use your
brakes
off and on.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right
foot. Push down the
parking brake pedal with
your
left foot. If the
ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will
come on.
The parking brake uses
the brakes on the rear wheels.
To release the parking brake: This vehicle has a push
to release parking brake pedal. Hold
the regular brake
pedal down and push the parking brake pedal with your
left foot. This
will unlock the pedal. When you lift your
left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
release position.
If
you try to drive off with the parking brake on, the
brake light stays on and a chime sounds until you release
the parking brake or recycle the ignition.
I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your
rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace
them, and you could
also damage other parts of
your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any
hill:
See “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section
shows what to
do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle
won’t
move. See “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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A green arrow on the
instrument panel will flash
in the direction of the turn
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the green arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the green arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a
turn, check the fuse (see “Fuses” in the Index)
and for burned-out bulbs. If you
have a trailer towing option
with added wiring for
the trailer lights, a different turn signal flasher is used.
With this flasher installed, the signal indicator
will flash
even
if a turn signal bulb is burned out. Check the front
and rear turn signal lights regularly to make sure they
are working.
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system (headlights,
parking lights, fog lamps, side marker lights and
taillights) meets all applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states and provinces may apply
their own lighting regulations that may require special
attention before you operate these lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may require that you
operate your fog lamps only when your lower beam
lights are also on, or that headlights be turned on
whenever you must
use your windshield wipers. In
addition, most jurisdictions prohibit driving solely
with
parking lights, especially at dawn or dusk. It is
recommended that you check with your own state or
provincial highway authority for applicable lighting
regulations.
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Brake System Warning Light
BRAKE
Your Buick’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be
a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start the vehicle. If
it
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s
a problem. If
the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal
is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to
the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Car”
in the Index.)
The brake system warning light will also come on when
you set your parking brake, and
it will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If you try to drive
off
with the parking brake set, a chime will also come on
until you release the parking brake. If the light and
chime stay on after your parking brake is
fully released.
it means you have a brake problem.
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@ Part 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions . We’ve also
included many other useful tips on driving
.
Part 4 includes:
DefensiveDriving .................................................................
DrunkenDriving ..................................................................
ControlofaVehicle ................................................................
Braking .....................................................................
Steering .....................................................................
Passing .....................................................................
LossofControl .....................................................................
DrivingatNight ...................................................................
DrivingintheRain .................................................................
CityDriving ......................................................................
FreewayDriving ...................................................................
HillandMountainRoads ............................................................
WinterDriving ....................................................................
TowingaTrailer ...................................................................
162
162
165
166
170 172
173
175 176
179 180
182
184
184
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel
for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later
on
with your headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when
you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this section, and see your Buick
dealer for important information about towing
a
trailer with your vehicle .
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Your car can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the 3800
(L27) engine or (L67) Supercharged engine and proper
trailer towing equipment. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight
of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section. But trailering
is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has
to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In
it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before
you pull a trailer.
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. 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).
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.
0 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:
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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 (1350 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.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at Buick Motor Division,
Customer Assistance Center,
902 E. Hamilton Avenue,
Flint,
MI 48550.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited,
Customer Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7.
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total capacity
weight
of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight
of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in
it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And if you will
tow a trailer,
you must subtract the tongue
load from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A
If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh
10% of the total loaded trailer weight
(B). If you have a “weight-distributing” hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh
12% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B).
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