1993 BUICK CENTURY brake light

If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight out for a left turn, down for slow or
about-to-stop, and up
for a right turn.
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice in advance of slowing
or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal that your vehicle
is disabled or is a hazard.
See “Hazard Warning
Flashers’’ in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter what
the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some
of the road conditions
you may encounter.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please
start with a very important sakty device in your Buick:
Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
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.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
where there are well-marked lanes, directional mows,
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to
ignore
all these markings and dash straight toward one
part of the lot.
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 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
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Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly
on the brake pedal while driving.
“Riding” your brakes can cause them to
overheat to the pointthat they won’t work
well. Mu might not be able to stop your
vehicle In tlme to avoid an accident. If you
6crlde” your brakes, they will get 80 hot they
will require a lot of pedal force to slow you
down. Avold “ridlng” the hralaas.
faster. vou would need cos
replacement
much sooner
also reduces fuel economy.
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If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you
will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when
you brake. Once the power assist
is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake
pedal will be harder to push.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Your Buick has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
I A CAUTION:
The brake wear wamlng sound means that
sooner or later pur brakes won't work well.
That could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehlcle serviced.
I
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
worn and new pads
are needed. The sound may come squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving applied. This do\
es not mean something is wrong with
(except when you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly). your brakes.
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Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops
or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it will
take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand
this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surhce, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through
a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly apply
the brakes. Both control systems-
steering and braking-have
to do their work where the
tires meet the road. Adding the hard braking can demand
too much at those places. You can lose control.
The
same thing can happen if you’re steering through a’
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems-steering and acceleration-can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose ‘control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Let up on the
brake or accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust
your
speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable
conditions you’ll want
to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels
are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so
you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are
out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
When you drive
into a curve at night, it’s harder to see
the road ahead of you because it bends away .from the
straight beams of your lights.
This is one good reason to
drive slower.
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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.
driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little
to the right.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following
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.
I
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’ll
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 surfhce
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
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.
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In a braking skid (where the wheels are no longer
rolling), release enough pressure on the brakes to get the
wheels rolling again.
This restores steering control. Push
the brake
pedal down steadily when you have to stop
suddenly.
As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have
steering control. 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.
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
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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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. They-won’t
work well in
a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. Ybu could lose control
of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or I car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until 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 find yourself out
of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen at higher
speeds. But it can
if your tires haven’t much tread or
if the pressure in one
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.
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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 start braking. If you
must bkke 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 ludh). Obviously, this could lead
to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 ludh)!
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.
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