towing BUICK REGAL 1996 Owners Manual

If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work, and the
SECURITY light will flash. But you don’t have to wait
three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Buick dealer
or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and the SECURITY light comes
on, you will be able to restart your engine if you turn it
off. Your PASS-Key I1 system, howevcr, is not working
properly and must be serviced by your Buick dealer. Your
vehicle is not protected by the PASS-Key I1 system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key I1 ignition key, see
your Buick dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key I1 to have a new key made.
New Vehicle CCBreak-InSS
NOTICE:
Your modern Buick doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
0 Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow -- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
See “Towing
a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
0 Avoid making hard stops for the first
0 Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
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NOTICE: (Continued)
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 Vehicle” in the Index.
lr
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key
to START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try
to help avoid draining your battery.
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 vehicle 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 engine 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 Vehicle” in the Index.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever on the
steering column
or on the console between the seats.
Maximum engine speed is limited
on automatic
transaxle vehicles when you’re
in PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) to protect driveline components from
improper operation.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use
when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always
set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for
normal driving. It is the overdrive position. If you need
more power for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than 35 mph (56 kmh), push your
- Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 kmh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (0) for higher speeds. THIRD
(3): This
position is also used for normal
driving, but
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill.
- When driving in non-highway scenarios (i.e. city I
between gears.
streets, etc.).
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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.
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.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When you lift your left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
released position.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You
or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
Column Shift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
I-
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly
set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” 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.
indows
?ewer Windows
r
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
2-24
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Brake System Warning Light
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.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. 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 comes 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, or if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
and “Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays 011 after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and
it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. 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.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in
the Index.)
A
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake
system warning light flashing can lead
to an
accident. After you’ve pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
f the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes
on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine againto reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Buick needs service. If the
light is
on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key
to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine.
If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle
of water?
Tf so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run
as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire.
The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install
the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips
to turn the light off.
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