wheel BUICK REGAL 1994 Owner's Manual

least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing
(32 OF; OOC) 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.
0 Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 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.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and you can
hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe: Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth
to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a
blanket around you. If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap
162 - -
ProCarManuals.com

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.
0 There are many different laws, incuding speed limit
restrictions, 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.
0 Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
0 Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1600 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.
0 Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers, or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h) to
save wear
on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
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
2,000 pound (900 kg) trailer towing
option 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.
165
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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.
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 and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than
1,000
pounds (450 kg), you may prefer to drive in “D” instead
of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
168
ProCarManuals.com

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:
0 Shift into a gear; and
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
then shift to “P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
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, belt, 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.
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
169
ProCarManuals.com

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.
A
3 W
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.
0 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.
179
ProCarManuals.com

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 k/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.
ProCarManuals.com

Front Towing Hookups
(Custom Sedan and Gran Sport Only)
Attach “T” hook chains in
front of the wheels into the
side slots
of the cradle on
~ both sides. Position
a
4” x 4” wood beam across the sling chains
against the bottom of the cradle horns. Position the
lower sling crossbar against the front
of the 4” x 4”
wood beam.
Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
182
ProCarManuals.com

Front Towing Hookups (Limited Sedan and Gran Sport
Only)
Attach “T” hook chains in
front of the wheel into the
side slots in the cradle
on
both sides.
Position a
4” x 4” wood beam across the sling chains
and center
in the middle of the lower facia. Position the lower sling crossbar against the front
of the
4” x 4” wood beam.
Attach a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of each lower control
ann.
.
183
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Towing Hookups (Coupes Only)
Attach “T” hook chains
into slots
in the bottom of
the floor pan just ahead
of
the rear wheels on both
sides.
______~
A 4” x 4” wood beam is NOT needed. Position the lower
sling crossbar
just ahead of the front edge of the rear
bumper. Attach
a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
184
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Towing Hookups
(Limited 8z Custom Sedans Only) NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper valance will be damaged.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle
to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted
in
T-hooks slots.
Use T-hook slots as identified in sling tow hookups on
previous page.
Use wheel
lift or car carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chain and wheel straps.
ProCarManuals.com