wheel BUICK REGAL 1996 Owner's Manual

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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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
PARK (P)
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 then shift
to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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;
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, 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.
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Tawing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle.
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 cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
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.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fully
secured.
* Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted
by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
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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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Front To!
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
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, 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 the
T-hook slots.
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Attach T-hook chains in
front
of the wheels, into the
side slots
of the cradle, on
both sides.
These slots are to be used when securing to car
carrier equipment.
Attach
a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of each lower control
arm.
Rear rowmg
Tow Limits -- 55 mph (90 kh), 500 miles (800 km)
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NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper valance will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
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.
Attach T-hook chains into
slots
in the bottom of the
floor pan, just ahead
of the
rear wheels, on both sides.
These slots are to be used when securing to car
carrier equipment.
Attach
a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of both lateral arms.
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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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A
a- &..; %L
c
Turn the nut holding the jack and wrench
counterclockwise and remove it. Then remove the
jack and wrench. The
tools you’ll be using include the jack (A), wheel
wrench
(B) and wheel nut socket (C).
If there is a wheel cover, loosen the plastic nut caps
with the wheel wrench. They won’t come off. Then,
using the flat end
of the wheel wrench, pry along the
edge
of the wheel cover until it comes off. Be careful;
the edge may be sharp. Don’t try to remove the cover
with your bare hands.
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To remove a center cap, use
the wrench
to pry gently at
the notch. Don’t use
a tool
that is narrower than the
wrench to pry at this notch.
If your vehicle has wheel
Removing the Flat Tire a]
Spare Tire
LP the
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the jack lift
head
a few inches.
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