service BUICK SKYLARK 1993 User Guide

start bralung. If you must brake on the through lane, and
if there
is traffic close behind you, you can allow a little
extra time and flash your brake lights (in addition to your turn signal) as extra warning that you are about to
slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are. For example,
40 mph (65 km/h) might
seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this could
lead to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 krn/h)!
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways,
there are still many made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular
highways is the same in some ways. The trip has to be
planned and the vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns
behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and
your vehicle are
in good shape. Here are some tips for a
successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
WiDer Blades: Are they in good shape/
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
0 Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving?
Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
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0
0
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access;you’ll want to watch
for some situations not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and
school zones, vehicles turning left and right
off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
I
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors frequently and your instruments from time to time.
This can help you
avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can cause
drowsiness. But don’t wear sunglasses at 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
an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and
allow adequate following distances.
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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.
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Don't let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative cable doesn't go to
the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part
on the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good there,
but the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery is
much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for awhile.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
'-? - ' * < :.!. , .,_. = , .::.t, ._ .. . . c_
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don't touch each other or any other metal.

Towing Your Buick
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. Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service: That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
0 The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.:,.
0 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 wan.t to
see them.
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.
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P-
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device designed
for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock for this. The transaxle should be in Neutral
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (57 kmh) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
CAUTION:
I A vehicle 1 fall from a car cal t It isn’t
properly secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
on’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by
sh; 1
I
I edges underneath the towed vehicle.

If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the, warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, you can idle the engine
for two.or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down.
You may decide not.to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what \
you’ll see:
0 Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
Electric engine fan
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A CAUTION:
I
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above
“FULL COLD.”
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
-le engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Nt any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running.
If it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
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L
Doing Your Own Service Work
A CAUTION:
a
a
You can be injured if you try to do service work
on a vehicle without knowing enough about
it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners
can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or
fall off. You could be hurt.

Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM D48
14 in
the U.S. and CGSB
3.5-92 in Canada. These fuels
should have the proper additives,
so you should not have
to add anything to the fuel.
In the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you get the \
right kind of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
“UNLEADED” right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid\
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
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
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