wheel BUICK SKYLARK 1993 Owner's Manual

If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill, turn the
wheels to the right.
If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left
side of a one-way street, your wheels should be turned
to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into“‘F” (Park) properly, the weight
of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of
T“ (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, always be sure to shift into “P”
(Park) properly before you leave the driver’s seat. To
find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in t\
he Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
“P” (Park) BEFORE you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure
from the transaxle, so you can pull the shift
lever out of
“P” (Park).
174

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

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.
183

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

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.
193

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.

1 Front Towing
i
Use a wheel lif? or a car carrier only. Additional ramping
may
be required for the car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
195

Rear Towing
Use a wheel lift or a car carrier only. Additional ramping
may be required for the car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
NOTICE:
o not tow with Ui
ascia/fog lamp damage will occur.
196

.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:
1
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
I. - to a
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)

-
Wheel Covers Aluminum Wheel Nut Covers
To remove this wheel cover
use the flat end
of the
wheel wrench. Take the
small cover
‘off to access
the wheel nuts.
Remove either of these wheel covers by using the flat Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
end
of the wheel wrench. Pry along the edge of the Don’t remove them yet.
wheel cover until it comes
off. Be careful; the rim edges Lift the handle from the jack and raise it straight up.
may be sharp. Don’t try to remove it with your bare
hands. Turn the
jack handle to raise the jack lift head slightly.
206