tow BUICK SKYLARK 1993 User Guide

Ihrn Signal tCONSS Chime
A chime will sound if your turn signal is left on after
having gone
3/4 of a mile, to remind you to turn your
signal
off.
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system (headlights,
parking lights, fog lamps, side.marker lights and
taillights) meet all applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states and provinces may apply their own lighting regulations that may require special
attention before you operate these lights. For example,
some jurisdictions may require that you operate your
lower beam lights with fog lamps at all times, or that
headlights be turned on whenever you must use your
windshield wipers. In addition, most jurisdictions
prohibit driving solely with parking lights, especially at
dawn or dusk. It
is recommended that you check with
you own state or provincial highway authority for
applicable lighting regulations.
Headlight High-Low Beam
To change the headlights
from low beam to high or
high to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this blue light on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
It lets you use your high beam headlights to signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass. It works
even
if your headlights are off.
To use it, pull the multifunction lever toward you a little
(but not
so far that you hear a click).
If your headlights are off Your high beam headlights
will
turn on. They’ll stay on as long as you hold the
lever there. Release the lever to turn them
off.
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I

If your headlights are on, but on low beam: The
system works normally. Just pull the lever until it clicks.
Your headlights will shift to high beam and stay there.
To return to low beam, just pull the lever toward you.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by moving the lever
marked
“WIPER.”
For a single wiping cycle, move the lever down to
“MIST.” Hold it down until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the lever down to “MIST” longer.
i
For steady wiping at low speed, move the lever to the
“LOW’ position. For high speed wiping, move the lever
further, up to “HIGH” To stop the wipers, move the
lever to “OFF.”
Low Speed Delay Wipers (Option)
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Move the lever to DELAY then, turn the band to
choose the amount of delay.
I A CAUTION:
Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from
seeing well enough
in a storm to drive safely. To
avoid damage, be sure to clear ice and snow
from the wiper blades before using them.
If
they’re frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen
or thaw them.
If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.

This light will also come on when you set your parking
brake, and will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the
light comes on while driving, pull
off the road and stop
carefully, You may notice that the pedal is harder to
push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Car” in
the Index.)
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1
I A CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
brake warning light on can lead to an accident. If
the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefl
r, have the vehicle towed for
service.
I
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI.-
LOCK
With anti-lock, this light will go on unless you start your
engine and it will stay on for three .seconds. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when you’re driving,
stop as soon
as possible and turn the key off. Then start
the engine to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you’re driving, your Buick
needs service. Unless the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you will still have brakes, but not
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
111

Part 4 Your Driving and the Road
I
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds\
of roads and io varying weather conditions . We’ve also
included many other useful tips
on driving .
Part 4 includes:
RoadSigns
....................................................................... \
DefensiveDriving .................................................................
DrunkenDriving ..................................................................
ControlofaVehicle ................................................................
Braking ......................................................................
Steering .....................................................................
Passing .....................................................................
LossofControl ...............................................................
DrivingatNight ...................................................................
DrivingintheRain .................................................................
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze ........................................................
CityDriving ......................................................................
FreewayDriving ...................................................................
DrivingonaLongTrip .............................................................
HillandMountainRoads ............................................................
ParkingonHills ...................................................................
WinterDriving ....................................................................
TowingaTrailer ...................................................................
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144
145
148
149
154
156
158
159
161
164
165
166
168
170
172
175
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Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars,
often followed by other children. Expect occupants in
parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for
movement in parked cars
-- someone may be about to
open a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are on a
through street. Be ready to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have to use the
brake, but if you do, you will be ready. following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving.
You never
know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit
of information about defensive driving.
The most dangerous time for driving in the
U.S. is very
early on Sunday morning. In fact,
GM Research studies
show that the most and the least dangerous times for
driving, every week, fall an the same day. That day is
Sunday. The most dangerous time is Sunday fi-om
3 a.m.
to 4 a.m. The safest time is Sunday from 10 a.m. to
11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a Sunday at 3 a.m.
isn’t just a little more dangerous than it is at 10 a.m. It’s
about 134 times more dangerous!
That leads to the next section.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
Drunken Driving
where there are well-marked lanes, directional arrows, Death and\
injury associated with drinking and driving is
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
ignore all these markings and dash straight toward one highway \
death toll, claiming.thousands of victims every
part
of the lot.
year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone needs
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general,
you must give way to pedestrians even
if you know you
have the right of way.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough to drive a vehicle: Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
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Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you expect to
blend with the flow. If traffic is light, you may have no
problem. But if it is heavy, find a gap as you move along
the entering lane and time your approach. Try to merge
into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on
your turn signal, check your rearview mirrors as you
move along, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
If you are on a
two-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slow lane
and the left lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as
the slower-speed through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through lane, and the left lane as the
passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors.
Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a
freeway having more than two lanes, make sure another vehicle isn’t about to move into the same spot.
Look at
the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving
toward the edge of the lane. Be prepared
to delay your
move.
Once
you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute is dangerous. If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it
should be long enough for you to enter it at freeway
speed (after signaling, of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit ramp.
Unfortunately, not all deceleration lanes are long enough
-- some are too short for all the braking. Decide when to
167 2-

1 CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes COL., get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a
3‘
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on a steep downhi
Know.how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
slope.
I.
A CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in “N” (Neutr; or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They cou
get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle
in gear when you go downh
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane. That way, you won’t be surprised by a vehicle coming toward you in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle when you’re
going uphill. You’ll want to leave extra room to pass.
If a vehicle is passing you and doesn’t have enough
room, slow down to make it easier €or the other
vehicle to get by.
..
1
I As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
I
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or 1
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
I You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
Winter driving can present special problems. See
“Winter Driving” in the Index.
171

Towing a Trailer
A 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. the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. Yo
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section.
i ~ ~, ~~ ~~
~~~ ~~ before you pull a trailer.
Your
car can tow a trailer.
To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the Trailer”. that appears
I later in this section. But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
I in. handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be
I used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your safety and that of
I your passengers. So please read this section carefully
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
ulling a trailer improper1 required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
Do not tow a trailer if your vehicle is equipped with the
0 Handling
2.3 Liter, L4 engine. Durability
Fuel economy
179

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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