steering wheel BUICK REGAL 1996 User Guide

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you
are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But
you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel o,nce you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving
out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
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 lamps 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.
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Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the
road, you can have
a very slippery situation. You’ll have a
lot less traction or “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 and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0°C) 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 vehicle’s stability
when you make
a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti-lock bralung 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.
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Driving with a Trailer Following Distance
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel
of can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
handling and braking with the added weight of the and sudden turns.
trailer. And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
Passing -
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector, longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
Backing Up
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 lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working. 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.
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A V
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. 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 (N) and the parking
brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if
you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane. .
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In
any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other,
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
L
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
,
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of you%
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.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get it Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) 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 Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Fuse
15
16
19
21
23
24
28
Description
HVAC #1 -- Air Temperature
Valve Motor: Trip Computer,
Daytime Running Lamps Module
(DRL), HVAC Control Assembly,
Multifunction Lever Cruise
Control Switch
Control Assembly Rear Window
Defogger Switch
POWER ACCESSORY
#1 -- Antenna Relay, Power
Mirror Switch, Door Lock
Switches,
Door Handle Switches,
Trunk Courtesy Lamp
AIR BAG SYSTEM
STOPLAMPS
-- TCC/Brake
Switch
CRUISE CONTROL
CTSY LAMPS -- Vanity Mirrors,
T/P Courtesy Lamps, I/P
Compartment Lamp, Header
Courtesy and Reading Lamp,
I/S
Lighted Rearview Mirror, Dome
and Reading Lamps, Quarter
Courtesy Lamps
REAR
DEFOG
-- HVAC
Fuse
29
30
32
37
38
39
Description
WIPER -- Wiper Switch
TURN SIGNAL
-- Turn
Signal Flasher
POWER LOCKS
-- Door
Lock Relay
AUXILIARY POWER
RADIO
-- Radio, Steering Wheel
Radio Switches
I/P ELECTRONICS IGNITION
FEED
-- Headlamp Switch,
Cruise Control Cut-Out Switch,
Air Bag System, TCC/Brake
Switch, Instrument Cluster, Chime
Module, Second-Gear Start
Switch, Daytime Running Lamps
Module (DRL)
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Part C: Periodic Maintenance
Inspections
Listed below are inspections and services which should
be performed at least twice
a year (for instance, each
spring and fall). You should let your GM dealer’s
service department or other qualified service center
do these jobs. Make sure any necessary repairs are
completed at once.
Proper procedures to perform these services may be
found in a Buick service manual. See “Service and
Owner Publications’’ in the Index.
Steering, Suspension and Front- Wheel-Drive
Axle Boot and Seal Inspection
Inspect the front and rear suspension and steering
system for damaged, loose or missing parts, signs of
wear, or lack of lubrication. Inspect the power steering
lines and hoses for proper hookup, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc. Clean and then inspect
the drive
axle boot seals for damage, tears or leakage. Replace
seals if necessary.
Exhaust System Inspection
mspect the complete exhaust system. Inspect the body
near the exhaust system. Look for broken, damaged, missing
or out-of-position parts as well
as open seams,
holes,
loose connections, or other conditions which
could cause
a heat build-up in the floor pan or could let
exhaust fumes into the vehicle. See “Engine Exhaust”
in the Index.
Radiator and Heater Hose Inspection
Inspect the hoses and have them replaced if they are
cracked? swollen or deteriorated. Inspect
all pipes,
fittings and clamps; replace
as needed.
Throttle Linkage Inspection
Inspect the throttle linkage for interference or binding,
and for damage
or missing parts. Replace parts as
needed. Replace any cables that have high effort or
excessive wear.
Do not lubricate accelerator and cruise
control cables.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses for proper hookup, binding, leaks, cracks, chafing,
etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors for
surface condition. Inspect other brake parts, including
calipers, parking brake, etc. Check parking brake
adjustment. You may need to have your brakes inspected
more often if your driving habits or conditions result in
frequent braking.
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(@ Section 9 Index
I- .I
Accessory Outlet .............................. 2-4 I
AirBag ....................................... 1-18
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-22
How
it Works ................................ 1-20
Location
.................................... 1-20
Readiness Light
......................... 1 . 19. 2.47
Servicing
................................... 1-23
What Makes
it Inflate .......................... 1-2 1
What Will You See After it Inflates ............... 1-22
When Should
it Inflate ......................... 1-21
AirCleane
r .................................... 6-16
Air Conditioning
................................ 3-3
Alarm, Theft-Deterrent ........................... 2-8
Alignment and Balance. Tire
...................... 6-40
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning
...................... 6-48
Antenna, Fixed
................................. 3-26
Antenna, Power
................................ 3-26
Antifreeze ................................... 6-20
Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
................. 2-50.4-8
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2-49.4-6
Brakes
...................................... 4-6
Anti-Theft, Radio
.............................. 3-2 I
Appearance Care ............................... 6-42
Air Conditioning Refrigerants ..................... 6-63 Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-50
Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-6
Armrest. Storage
............................... 2-38
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-40
Astroroof
..................................... 2-42
Audio Controls
. Steering Wheel Touch Control ....... 3-23
Audio Equipment. Adding
........................ 3-24
Audio Systems
.................................. 3-6
Auto-Down Window
............................ 2-25
Automatic DoorLocks
................................... 2-4
Overdrive
. Automatic Transaxle ................. 2-16
Shifting ..................................... 2-14
Transaxle Check
.............................. 7-36
Transaxle Fluid
............................... 6-17
Transaxle Park Mechanism Check ................ 7-38
Battery
...................................... 6-30
J~np Starting ................................. 5-2
Saver
...................................... 2-36
Warnings
................................ 5.2. 5.4
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-6
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-6
Replacement. Remote Keyless Entry ............... 2-5
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