brakes BUICK REGAL 1997 User Guide

I 1
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly
an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels
is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work
the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer
is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up
to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead
to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
-‘sing Anti-Lock
uon’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal.
LOW TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid
a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
Traction Control System
(With
3800 Supercharged Engine)
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel
spin. This is especially useful
in slippery road conditions.
The system operates only if it senses that one or both
of
the front wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
When this happens,
the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
LOW TRAC
This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Traction Control
System Active Light” in
the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the Index.)
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The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in
a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
What should
you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want
it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before
you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out
of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your Buick can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It
is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available.
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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.)
0 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.
following driver
to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
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.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
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I . . . . . . . . . . .
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.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling
to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
I After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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If you drive regularly 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 your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
,A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none go
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes
on a steep
downhill slope.
m
ling Coasting downhill
in NEUTRAL (N) or
with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have
poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle
in gear when you go downhill.
0
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb
the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center of
the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
You may
see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples
are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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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 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.
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 ma
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:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
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Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
0 Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
0 Don’t leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
Towing a Trailer
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Buick dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Buick dealer
for important information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into
your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
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.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Buick dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
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 kmh) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
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’s 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 shift to PARK
(P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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