brake BUICK ROADMASTER 1993 Owner's Manual

Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in
flat or rolling terrain.
' A CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
o hot that they wouldn't work well. You wou.,
..len have
poor braking or even none going
. down a hill. You could crash. Shift dowr tn Ifit
,our engine assist vnur brakes on a stec,
down hill slope.
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.

D.riving on Snow or Ice What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice c.an be slick and hard to drive
on, But wet
ice can be even more’trouble because it may offer
the.
leait traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when’ it’s , ’
about freezing (3ZoF..O0C) and freezing rain begins to
fail. Try to avoid driving on we1 ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
,.
Whatever the conditio,n - smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose. snow
.- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try .not
to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate,,
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to 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.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
road.

Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you
run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This:
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later
on
with your headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do
it as 'little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Towing, a Trailer
/! CAUTION-
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,
I 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
I the steps in this section.

Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for
cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the Certification
label at the rear edge
of the driver’s doqr (or see “Tire
Loading” in the Index). Then be sure you don’t go over
the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are
a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
0
0
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to
use a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch
and sway control of the proper size. This equipment
is very important for proper vehicle loading and
good handling when you’re driving.
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install
a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the
bumper.
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. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow safety
chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes
- and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. 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.
198

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 so
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform,
safety chains, electrical connector, lights, tires and
mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has electric biakes, start
your yehicle 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 Lights.and any trailer brakes
are .still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help
you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turris.
.
Passing
You’ll need. more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal \
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
.
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
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 mo.ve the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide
you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have .a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever
you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
199

I
I
You eou be injured ! V€ !s roll
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transmission
in ‘‘P” (Park) or a
manu nsl in 9
3. Twm off the ignition .on both vehicles. Turn ofr all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks- and help save both batteries. And
it could
save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery. Your Buick has two remote positive.
(+) jump
starting terminals.
The terminals are in the red box
on the. same side’of the engine compartment BS your
battery.You should always use one, of the remote
.positive
(+) terminals instead of the positive (+)
terminal on your battery.
To open the remote positive (+) terminal box, pull
the tab and open the cover.

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing .a Flat Tire
I! CAUTIO1
can slip off the jack and roll over you or othe-
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your
=
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in
3. Turn off the engine. Park),
To be even
more certain the vehicle won't move.
you can put chocks 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 otmosite end.

Compact Spare T,ire
Although the compact spare was fully inflated when
your vehicle -was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi (420
Pa). The compact spare is made to g6 up to 3,000 miles
(50,OO km), so you can finish your trip and have. your
full-size tire repaired
or replaced where you want. Of
course, it’s best to replace your spare with a full-size ti\
re
as soon as you can. Your spare will last longer and be in
good shape in case you need it again.
Your anti-1ock.brake system warning light -may come on
when you are driving with a compact spare. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System Waming Light”
in the Index.
Don’t-use
your compact spare on some other vehicle. And don’t mix your compact spare or wheel
with other
wheels or tires. They. won’t
fit.. Keep your spare and its
wheel together.
., ,. .. .. , ...
L CAUTIOF
s J a Jal , a we, or orner equlpmenr in rn
passenger compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In
a sudden stop or collision,
loose equipment could strike someone. Store al
these
in the proper place
3s

To check the fluid hot or cold:
0 Park your vehicle on a level place.
Place the shift.lever in “P” (Park) with the parking
brake applied.
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about 3
seconds in each range. Then, position the shift lever
in
“P” (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for 3 minutes or more.
Then, without shutting
off the enpine, follow these
steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait 3 seconds and then
pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluid level must be in the
COLD area for st
cold check or in the HOT area or cross-hatched area
for
a hot check.
4. If the fluid level is where it should be, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
255

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modem vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to’ be of top quality and work. well
together if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts in them, as your: Buick, does when it is new. When
you replace parts
of your braking system - for
example, when.your brake linings wear down and you
have-to have
new ones put in - be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your
brakes may no longer work properly. For example,
if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between
your front and rear brakes
can change, for the worse.
The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Buick has a,Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have.to add water
to one of these. When it’s time
for a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom@
battery. Get one that has the catalog number shown
on
the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage,
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, take
off the black, negative (-) cable from the
battery. This
will help keep your battery from running
down.
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gat
that can explode. You can be badly hurt
if you
aren’t careful. See “Jump Starting” in the lndl
for tips on working around a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
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