1993 BUICK CENTURY towing

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 t\
o
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 fit, 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.
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.
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 nrns
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.
Turn Signals When Towing a Mler
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.
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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, shift down and reduce your speed
to around
45 mph (70 Mh) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than 1,OOO
pounds (450 kg) and you have an automatic transaxle
with Overdrive, you may prefer
to drive in “D” instead
of Overdrive.
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.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how
to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P”
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels. (Park) yet.
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
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
brake, and then shift to
“P” (Park).
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
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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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.
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Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
Part 5 includes:
HazardWarningFlashers ..............................................................184
Other Warning Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185
Jumpstarting
........................................................................\
..
Towing Your Buick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189
Engine Overheating
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
IfaTireGoesFlat
...................................................................205
ChangingaFlatTire ........................................,........................205
CompactSpareTire ..................................................................218
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
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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-
tvPe (A) or wheel-lift (B) or a car carrier (C) tow truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it was
fhctory-new by adding aftermarket items
like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
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When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
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 want to
see them.
-
/i CAUTION:
. To help avoid injury to you or othem:
Never let passengers rlde In a vehlcle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully
Never get under your vehicle after it has
0 Always use separate safety chalns on each
@ Never use “J” hooks. Use T-hooks Instead.
being towed.
Secured:
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehlcle.
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when your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key Front Towing Hook-Ups
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.
I
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 (56 km/h) 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.
1
I
&!, CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if It Isn’t
properly secured.
This can cause a colllsion,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage.
The vehicle should be tightly secured with Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
chains or steel cables before it is transported. information in “Towing Your Buick” earlier in this part.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps, I
1. Attach T-hook chains behind the front wheels into the
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp bottom of the floor pan on both sides.
edges underneath the towed vehicle. I
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1;
4. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm. Before hooking up
to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information in “Towing Your Buick” earlier in this part.
1. Attach T-hook chains on both sides in the slotted holes
in the
floor pan just ahead of the rear wheels.
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