BUICK PARK AVENUE 1998 Owners Manual

Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them. Hydroplaning
is dangerous. S:, much water can build up
under
your tires that they cm actually ride on the water.
This can happerm If the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle
is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could
be hydroplaning.
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Mile for mile, freeways (dso called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of dl roads. But they have their QWII special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
UP with tp.&c and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. T~o-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a fkeeway as a passing lane.
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At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway 2s you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic.
Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your
mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or
to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your
rnkors. 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
“bIind” spot.
Once YOU are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly dower at night.
When you want
to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advmce. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop
and back up. Drive cn to
the next exit.
The exit
ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed
is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to
YOUP 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.
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Make sure you’re ready. Try to be wel rested. if par
must start when you’re not fresh -- such as after a day’s
wo& -- don’t plan to make too many des that Eirst part
of the journey. Wew comhrta’ole ciothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
1s your vehick ready for a Iong trip? If ycu keep it
serviced mb maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ET find experienced and able service experts in
Buickdealerships ail across North America.They’!l be
ready and
willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check befme a trip:
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]Is there actually such a ~~nrdition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
mere
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, dong with the hum of the tires on the
road, the &one
of the engine, and the msh 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 secondy and you could crash agld
be injured.
@ Keep YQW eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check YOLK rearview ~~II-QI-S and your
instruments frequently.
@ If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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HE you drive regdarly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep yoas vehicle in
good shape. Check all fluid
Bevels
and also the brkes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These par"cs can work had on
mountain
roads.
8 Know how to go down hills. "he most imp~rtmt
thing to how is this: le: your engine do some of the
slowing ~QWII. Shift to a lower gear whm YOU go
down a steep or long hill.
b
If you ddt shift down, your brakes coddl get so
hot that they wouldn't work wel. YQU would then
have poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to Bet your
engine assist YOW brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
8
a,
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
geX pOSSibke.
Stay in your own lane when driving an two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide GT cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds tha': let
you stay in your own lane.
As yo.^ go over the top of a -hill, be dert. There could be
somettzlng h you- lane, %e a stailed car or m accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that wanz of
specid problems. Examples ae H~ng grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate zction.
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p.......... ...........- ............ ......................... gg.&.$& ..............
Here are some tips for winter driving: hclude
an ice
scraper, a smdl 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 pperly secure
these items
in YOU vehicle.
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However, if there is snow OF ice between yorar tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction cr “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
..........
..-- ... .. ‘ _._ , .....
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick 2nd hard to drive on. 3ut wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may oEer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(,32”F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fail.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt 2nd sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or hose snow -- drive with caution.
If you have traction control, keep the systcrn on. It will
improve your ability
to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction
controi system,
you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to the road conditions. Sec ‘‘Trrrctionr
Control
System” in the Index.
If you don’t have the traction control system, accelerate
gently.
Try not to break thc FragiEt: Fraction. If you
acceierate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish
the surface under the tires even more.
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Your anti-lock brakes irr;.lp~~e your vehicle’s stability
when
you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though
you have the anti-lock braking system, p~’i8
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock)’ in the Index.
@ Allow greater following distance on a~y
@ Watch for slippery spots. The road might be he
until
you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. Ora an
otherwise clew 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 cka. ff
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, br&e before you
are on it. Try not to br&e while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
slippery
road.
If you are stopped by
heavy snow, you couId be in a
serious situation. YOE skhoald prsbably stay witk your
vehicle unless
you know for sure that you are zear help
and you cas hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to SUH~~QEZ kip and keep yourself and ~QUI-
passengers safe:
@ Turn on your hazard flashers.
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