ESP BUICK SKYLARK 1993 User Guide

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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 lights are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a.little to the right.
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.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you- turn a corner
on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot
off
the accelerator pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle start
to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out. As it does, straighten the front
wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you’l\
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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
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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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. Steer the way you want to
go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired
--
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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0 Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most
dangerous time. Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in
the Index for more
on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle ahead
is going just by looking at its taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your
headlights can light up only’s0 much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull
off the road in a safe place and
rest.

wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper bladesare in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse
for
vision than rain, especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they
show
signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
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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.

A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. The: ton’t
work well in
a quick stop and may cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
car wash, apply your brake pedal ligh rtil
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
You might not be aware of hydroplaning. You could drive
along for some time without realizing your tires aren’t in
constant contact with the road. -You could find out the
hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out to,pass
-- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly
fiid yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in ?ne or more
is low. It can happen
if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can
see reflections from trees, telephone
poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to
slow down when it is raining, and be
careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your headlights -- not just your parang
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
0 Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and
be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
If the road spray is so heavy you are
actually blinded, drop back. Don’t pass until
conditions improve. Going more slowly is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can
be
so mild that you can see through it for several
hundred feet (meters). Or it might be
so thick that you
can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be
reduced quickly. The biggest dangers are striking the vehicle ahead or being struck by the one behind. Try
to
“read” the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
ahead starts to become less clear or, at night,
if the
taillights are harder to see, the fog is probably
thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you a chance to slow down. Everybody then has a better
chance to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only for a few feet
(meters) or for miles (kilometers); you can’tyeally tell
while you’re in it. You can only treat the situation with
extreme care.
One common fog condition
-- sometimes called mist or
ground fog
-- can happen in weather that seems perfect,
especially at night or in the early morning in valley and
low, marshy areas. You can be suddenly enveloped
in
thick, wet haze that may even coat your windshield. You
can often spot these fog patches or mist layers with your
headlights. But sometimes they can be waiting for you
as you come over a hill or dip into a shallow valley.
Start your windshield wipers and washer, to help clear
accumulated road dirt. Slow down carefully.
Tips on Driving in Fog
If you get caught in fog, turn your headlights on low
beam, even in daytime. You’ll see
-- and be seen --
better. Use your fog lights if your vehicle has them.

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: Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing
or wrap a
blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap
bags, rags, flsor mats
-- anything you can wrap around
yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. I
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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A CAUTION:
dnow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide)
gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see
it or smell it, so you might
not know
it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow
from around the base of your vehicle, especia”--
any that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And
check around again from time to time to be’su
snow doesn’t collect there.
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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.

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.
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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.
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~ 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.
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.If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain yourtires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
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If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side: Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gentlv
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stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A “-CAUTION:
I Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured. Find
a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake K- Ay.
2. Put the shift lever in “P” (Park
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t mob
you can put chocks at the front and rear of t
tire farthest away from the one being changed,
I That would be the tire on the oP?r side of the
vehicle, the oppos’-
1 end.
CAUTION: (Continued)

Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90 ’ F (32 ’ C).
0 At high speed .for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180’F to 200’F (82OC
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about
15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50’F
(1 0 C). If it’s colder than 50 OF (10 ’ C), you may have
to drive longer.
To’check the fluid level:
to 93
“C).
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Park your vehicle on
a level place.
Place the
shift lever in “F”’ (Park) with the parking
brake applied.
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in “P,’ (Park).
Let the engine
run at idle far three to five minutes. Then; without shutting off the engine, follow these
steps:
.I. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. . Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.