BUICK SKYLARK 1993 Owners Manual

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer Three important considerations have to do with weight:
If you do, here are some important points.
Weight of the Trailer
0 There are many diflerent laws having to do with
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you’ll be driving. A It shou\
ld never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg).
good source for this information can be state or But even that can be too heavy.
provincial police. It depends on how you plan to use your
rig. For I
1 Consider using a sway control. example, speed, altitude, road g\
rades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used
to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
You
can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
0 Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged. advice, or you can write us \
at Buick Motor Division,
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you Customer Assistance Center, 902 E. Hamilton Avenue,
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 h/h) and Hint, MI 48550.
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited,
heavier loads. Oshawa, Ontario L1H
8P7.
en€!ine and other Paas Of Your wear in at the Customer Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
.I

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in
it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And
if you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the tongue load from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity. The trailer tongue (A) should weigh
10% of
the total
loaded trailer weight (B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
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 door (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:
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.
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The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them.
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
Does your trailer have its own brakes? 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. ff 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
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 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 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 turns.

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.
d
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 move 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.
nrn 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, the trailer lights 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, use the highest gear. possible. If
you cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a lower
speed may help avoid overheating your engine and
transaxle.
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.
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But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
, how to do it:
1 1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into.“P”
I (Park) yet.
I 2. Have someone place chocks under.the trailer wheels.
1
I
I I
I 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 then shift to
“F’” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
,. I I
~ When You Are Ready to Leave After
I Parking on a Hill
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before
you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
I 1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
284

Part 5 Problems on the Road
I
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Part 5 includes:
Hazard Warning Flashers
............................................................ 186
OtherWarningDevices
............................................................. 187
“Jump”Starting
................................................................... 188
TowingYourBuick
................................................................ 193
Engineoverheating
................................................................ 197
IfaTireGoesFlat
................................................................. 204
ChangingaFlatTire
................................................................ 204
CompactSpareTire
................................................................ 212
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
.............................................. 214

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have
a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lights will flash on and
off.
186

Move the switch to the
right to make your front
and rear turn' signal lights
flash on and off.
Your hazard flashers work no matter what position your
key is in, and even
if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers,
move the switch to the left.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind your
vehicle.

You could be injured if the whicles rd. Sat ths
parking brake firmly on each ve,hicle, ‘Put an
automatic tra’nsaxle in “P*” (Pa~k) or a. ._,an#ual
transaxle in ‘W’ (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off 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 hood and locate the batteries.
/1 CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the eng
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands
clothing and tools away from
electric fan.
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
189