service BUICK ROADMASTER 1993 User Guide

Night Vision
'No one can see as we11 at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require .at least twice as much light
to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision.
For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses.
Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night.
But'if you're driving, don't wear sunglasses at night.
They.may cut down on glare from headlights, but they
also make a lot
of things invisible that should remain
yisible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even train5 blocking railway crossings. You mzy want to
put on
your sunglasses -after ,you have pulled into a
brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes shie1ded.from that glare
may adjust.more quickly to
darkne,ss back on the road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before
you leave the service area.
When you .follow another vehicle
on a freeway or
highday, use low beams. True, most vehic1e.s now.have,
day-night mirrors that enable the driver to reduce glare.
But outside mirrors are not
of this type and.high beams
from behind can bother the driver ahead.
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Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can.
cause drowsiness.
But don’t wear sunglasses at I
night. They will drastically reduce your overall
vision at the very time you need all the seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into a’rest, service,
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise,
or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as.
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an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and
allow adequate following distances.
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11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
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Towing Your Car
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type (A) or a wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow
truck.
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 has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of- your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
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.

1. Turn off yom air conditioner.
If :No .Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a.hot day.
Stop :after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this
for a minute or so:
If there's still no. sign of steam, push the accelerator until
the .engine speed is about twice
as fast as normal idle-
speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes.
Now see if the warning stops.
But then,
if you still have the-warning, TURN OF'F THE
ENGINE AND GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE
VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to 1ift.the hood but to get service
help right away.
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11 parts, can be very hot. Don’t 1 Ich them. I
do, you can be burned.
Don’t
run the engine if ther I leak. If yo
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine Pire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leaK, start tne engine again to see
if the fan runs when the engine does. If it doesn’t,, your
vehicle needs service. Turn
off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you,haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above
“FULL COLD,” add-a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant’’ i\
n
the Index for more information about the proper coolant
mix.)
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other I
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the, proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire.and you
or others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of
clean
---- s-- -1 a proper antifr ze.
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Service Doing Your Own Service. Work
perform. see “Maintenance Record” in the Index.

What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen, such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is, no
more than 15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or .grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that
is no more than 10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or
wood alcohol. Gasolines
for Cleaner Air
Your use
of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine:and
fuel
system. That helps keep your ,engine in. tune and your
emission control system working properly. It’s good
for
your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. General Motors .recommends that you use
gasolines with these blending materials, such as MTBE
and-ethanol. By doing so, you can help clean the
ak,
especially in those parts of the country that have high
carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, som-e gasoline suppliers are now .producing
reforniulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts
of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators if their
gasolines contain detergents and oxygenates, and
if they
have been reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
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It’s below freezing outside and most trips are less:
than
10 miles (16 km).
. The engine is -at low .speed most of the time (as in
door
tp door delivery, or in stop-and-go traffic).
You tow a trailer often.
Most trips are through dusty places.
If -any one of these is true for your vehicle, then you
need-to change
your oil.and filter every 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) or, 3 months - whichever comes first.
If none of them is true, change the oil every 7,500 miles
(12 -500 km) or 12 months - whichever comes first.
Change the filter at the first oil change and
at every
other oil change after that.
Engine Block Heater: An engine block heater can be a
big help if-you have
to park outside in very cold
weather,
-20 * F (-29 C] or .colder. If your vehicle has
this option, see
“Engine Block Heater” in the Index.
What to Do with Used Oil:
Used engine oil contains things that have
caused skin cancer in laboratory animals.
Da
let used oil stay on your skin for very long
Clean your skin and nails with soap and water,
away clothing or rags containing used engine
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lr a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
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Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your
own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
Erom the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by pouring
it on the ground, into sewers, or into streams
or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by taking it.to a
place that collects used oil. If you have a problem
properly disposing of your used oil, ask your dealer, a
service station or
a local recycling center for help.
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Air Cleaner
The air cleaner is located behind the engine fan. To
access the filter, lift up on the latches and let the cover
down. Replace the filter and snap the latches.
Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to replace-the air filter and the
PCV filter.
See “Scheduled .Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
Operath e engine wltn tne air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air,
it stops flame i
the engine backfires. If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t
drive
with it off, and be careful working on tT
engine with t‘ air cf - - -- -8r om-
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