traction control BUICK REGAL 2003 User Guide

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the“driver lost control”accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to
steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
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 apply the brakes. Both control
systems—steering and braking—have to do theirwork where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose
control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems—steering and acceleration—can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control. SeeFull-Range Traction
Control System on page 4-9orTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-10.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or 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.
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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 vehicle’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.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues—such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a“mirrored surface”—and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the
brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores
steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
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.
If you have the Full Range Traction Control System or
the Traction Control System, keep the system on. It
will improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction
control system, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your
driving to the road conditions. SeeFull-Range Traction
Control System on page 4-9orTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-10.
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Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
SeeFull-Range Traction Control System on page 4-9or
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-10. 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. By slowly spinning your wheels in the
forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. 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”following.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see“Recreational Vehicle Towing”following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle–such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as“dinghy towing”(towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and“dolly
towing”(towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a
“dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See“Dinghy
Towing”and“Dolly Towing,”following.
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Buying New Tires
Tofind out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an“MS”(for
mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See“Compact Spare
Tire”in the index.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rimanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction–AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
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Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P225/60R16 size tires, don’t
use tire chains, there’s not enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it’s contacting your vehicle, and don’t
spin your wheels.
If you dond traction devices that willt,
install them on the front tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P225/60R16 size tires, use tire chains only where
legal and only when you must. Use only SAE Class
″S″type chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the front tires and tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues, slow down until
it stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.
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Fuel............................................................... 5-4
Additives...................................................... 5-5
California Fuel.............................................. 5-5
Filling a Portable Fuel Container..................... 5-8
Filling Your Tank........................................... 5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries.............................. 5-6
Gage .........................................................3-41
Gasoline Octane........................................... 5-4
Gasoline Specifications.................................. 5-5
Low Warning Light.......................................3-42
System Inspection.......................................6-15
Full-Range Traction Control System..................... 4-9
Fuses
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................5-87
Windshield Wiper.........................................5-86
G
Gage
Engine Coolant Temperature.........................3-34
Fuel..........................................................3-41
Speedometer..............................................3-28
Tachometer.................................................3-29
Gasoline
Octane........................................................ 5-4
Specifications............................................... 5-5Glass Surfaces...............................................5-80
Glove Box.....................................................2-35
GM Mobility Program for Persons with
Disabilities.................................................... 7-5
H
Hazard Warning Flashers................................... 3-4
Head Restraints............................................... 1-5
Headlamp
Aiming .......................................................5-48
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.................... 3-6
Headlamp Wiring
............................................5-86
Headlamps
....................................................5-51
Bulb Replacement
.......................................5-50
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps
.............5-52
Halogen Bulbs
............................................5-50
Heated Seats
................................................... 1-3
Highway Hypnosis
...........................................4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads
..................................4-24
Hitches
..........................................................4-38
Hood
Checking Things Under
.................................. 5-8
Release
....................................................... 5-9
Horn
............................................................... 3-5
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L
Lamps
Exterior......................................................3-10
Interior.......................................................3-13
Lap Belt........................................................1-20
Lap-Shoulder Belt...................................1-12, 1-22
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-38
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System...................................1-40
Leather.........................................................5-79
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-11
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running......2-26
Light
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-30
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-32
Brake System Warning.................................3-31
Change Engine Oil......................................3-39
Charging System.........................................3-31
Cruise Control.............................................3-40
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning...............................3-40
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-34
Low Fuel Warning.......................................3-42
Low Oil Level.............................................3-39Light (cont.)
Low Traction...............................................3-33
Low Washer Fluid Warning...........................3-40
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-35
Oil Pressure...............................................3-38
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-29
Security.....................................................3-40
Service Vehicle Soon...................................3-41
TCS Warning Light......................................3-33
Tire Pressure..............................................3-35
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-33
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirrors..............................2-15
Loading Your Vehicle
.......................................4-33
Lockout Protection
..........................................2-11
Locks
Door
........................................................... 2-9
Leaving Your Vehicle
....................................2-11
Lockout Protection
.......................................2-11
Power Door
................................................2-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks
.............2-10
Loss of Control
...............................................4-15
Low Fuel Warning Light
...................................3-42
Low Traction Light
..........................................3-33
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
.......................3-40
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Tire
Pressure Light.............................................3-35
Tire Inflation Check.........................................6-10
Tires.....................................................5-56, 5-82
Buying New Tires........................................5-61
Chains.......................................................5-65
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-66
Compact Spare Tire
.....................................5-77
If a Tire Goes Flat
.......................................5-66
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
...............................5-57
Inspection and Rotation
................................5-59
Pressure Monitor System
..............................5-58
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
.........................5-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
.................5-63
Wheel Replacement
.....................................5-63
When It Is Time for New Tires
......................5-60
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
....................2-20
Top of the Instrument Panel
.............................5-80
Top Strap
......................................................1-36
Top Strap Anchor Location
...............................1-37
Torque Lock
...................................................2-26
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
..................4-37Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-31
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-35
Your Vehicle...............................................4-31
Traction
Control System (TCS)..................................4-10
Control System Warning Light.......................3-33
Full-Range Control System............................. 4-9
Low Light...................................................3-33
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-38
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-20
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-21
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit
Repair Manual............................................7-10
Transportation Options...................................... 7-8
Trip Odometer................................................3-28
Trunk............................................................2-12
Trunk Assist Handle........................................2-13
Trunk Lock....................................................2-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-5
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer..................4-40
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