1993 BUICK LESABRE tires

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.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’!! find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil. Other Fluids: Have
you checked
all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
- Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:
Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea
or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.

On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access, you’ll want to watch for some situations not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and school zones, vehicles turning left and right off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a second, and you could crash and be
injured. What can you
do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors frequently
and your instruments from time
to time. This can
help you avoid
a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can
cause drowsiness. But don’t wear sunglasses at
night. They will drastically reduce your overall
vision
at the very time you need all the seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and
allow adequate following distances.

Hill and Mountain Roads
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Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are
some tips that can make
your trips safer and
more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain
roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Don't make your brakes do it all.
Shift
to a lower gear when you go down a steep or
long hill. That way, you will slow down without
excessive use of your brakes.
A CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking
or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on
a steep downhill
slope.
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Parking on Hills
Hills and mountains mean spectacular scenery. But
please be careful where you stop if you decide
to look at
the view or take pictures. Look for pull-offs or parking
areas provided for scenic viewing. Another
part
of this manual tells how to use your parking
brake (see “Parking Brake” in the Index). But on
a
mountain or steep hill, you can do one more thing. You
can turn your front wheels
to keep your vehicle from
rolling downhill or
out into trafflc.
Here’s how:
Parking Downhill
Turn your wheels to the right.
You don’t have to jam your tires against the curb, if there
is a curb.
A gentle contact is all you need.
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Winter Driving 0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix
is correct.
0 Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give
you less traction
on ice than regular tires. If you do
not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may have
to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all. Include an ice scraper,
a small brush
or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of
sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to
help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these
items in your vehicle.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very
careful.
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard
to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing
(32 OF; OOC) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a
hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want
to begin stopping
sooner than
you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-lock‘’ in
the Index.
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from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
If You’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep
snow without damaging it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Towing a Trailer
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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. You
and your passengers could be seriously iniured.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all tt
steps in this section.
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vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a traAer correctly,
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the advice in this section.
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
later in this section. But trailering
is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be
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
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
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
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
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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.
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If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
If you have a “weight-distributing” hitch, the trailer
tongue
(A) should weigh 12% 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:
0 If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg), be sure to
use a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch
and sway control
of the proper size. This equipment
is very important for proper vehicle loading and
good handling when you’re driving.
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