
Clock
To set the clock:
Press the SET button.
0 Within 5 seconds, press and hold SCAN until the
correct hour appears on the display.
Press and hold SEEK until the correct minute
appears on the display.
Treble
Slide the TREBLE lever up to increase the treble
response. If station is weak or noisy, slide the TREBLE
lever down
to reduce the noise.
Bass
Slide the BASS lever up to increase the bass response.
Adjust the BASS lever to give a pleasing sound to your
ear.
DNR~
This is the Dynamic Noise Reduction button, DNR@
helps remove background hiss from the radio or tape
player. You may want to leave
it pushed in all the time.
To Play A Cassette
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer than
that are
so thin they may not work well in this player.
With the radio on, push
a tape into the slot marked
AUTO REVERSE (tape side goes in first).
Once
the tape is playing, use the upper and lower knobs
for volume, balance and fade just as you did for radio.
The arrows indicate which side
of the tape is being
played. Your tape player has an auto reverse feature
which automatically plays the other side
of the tape after
the first side has played.
FWD
To advance the tape forward, press b and the tape will
rapidly go forward until you press
the 4 button or
STOP-EJECT lightly.
REV
To reverse the tape, press 4 and the tape will rapidly go
backward until you press the p button or STOP-EJECT
lightly.
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But it’s very important to keep in mind that the ability to
drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent.
Research shows that the driving skills
of many people
are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and
that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics
show that the chance
of being in an accident increases
sharply for drivers who have
a BAC of 0.05 percent or
above.
A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent (three
beers in one hour for
a 180-pound or 82 kg person) has
doubled his or her chance of having an accident. At a
BAC level of
0.10 percent, the chance of that driver
having an accident is six times greater; at a level
of 0.15
percent, the chances are twenty-five times greater! And,
the body takes about an hour
to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll
be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an
emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a
child darts into the street? A person with a higher BAC
might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision. There’s
something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in
a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord and
heart injuries. That means that if anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the
chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher
than if that person had not been drinking. And we’ve
already seen that the chance
of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
A CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, and judgment
will be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You”
could have
a serious - or even fatal -- accident If
you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and
drive
or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in
a cab; or if you’re with a group,
designate
a driver who will not drink.
0
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Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially
useful in slippery
road conditions. The traction control system works at
low speeds only, such
as when you accelerate from a
stop. It applies brake pressure
to an individual wheel
that the system senses is about to spin.
You may feel the system working, or
you may notice
some noise, but this is normal.
OFF
The “TRACTION OFF” warning light lets you know if
your traction control system is not working. See
“Traction Control System Warning Light” in the Index.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Your Buick has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing
on the brake pedal firmly).
A CAUTION:
0
The brake wear warning sound means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
1 LC3

So here are some tips for passing:
0
0
0
0
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and
lines. If
you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A
broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to
pass (providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross
a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid
line, even
if the road seems empty of approaching
traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the vehicle you want
to pass isn’t aware
of your presence, tap the horn a
couple of times before passing.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following
too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause
you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into
the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
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0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next
vehicle.
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.
following 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
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 “over-
driving” 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.
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 comer
on a wet, snow-or icexovered road), ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal as soon as your 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 surface 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 tires to slide.
You may
not realize the surface is slippery until your
168

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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid. 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.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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.
169

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder
to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse for
vision than rain, especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show
signs
of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. 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. You could lose control
of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or a
car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
I
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
172

to pass -- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could
suddenly find yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
ir 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.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
0 Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even
in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
bv road spray. If the road spray is so heavy you are actually blinded,
drop back. Don’t pass until
conditions improve. Going more slowly is better
than having an accident.
0 Use your defogger if it helps.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in the Index.)
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze