1993 BUICK REGAL weight

Police records show that half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol
- a driver, a
passenger or someone else, such as
a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are the result
of someone who was drinking and driving. Over 25,000
motor vehicle-related deaths occur each year because of
alcohol, and thousands of people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is too much if
a person plans to
drive? Ideally, no one should drink alcohol and then
drive. But if one does, then what’s “too much”? It can be
a lot less than many might think. Although
it depends on
each person and situation, here
is some general
information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who is
drinking depends upon four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
0 The drinker’s body weight.
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking.
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume
the alcohol. According
to the American Medical Association, a
180-pound
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
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BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have a
slightly lower BAC level.
OF DRINKS (as In plcture) 4
3
I IG THAT WILL
RE! LI IN A BAC OF .05%
IN THE TIME SHOWN
1
3 HOURS
23 1 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
rn 2 HOURS
1 HOUR
The law in most U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In Canada the limit is
0.08 percent, and
in some other countries it’s lower than that. The BAC
will be over
0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one
hour).
Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how
much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the
person drinks them.
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
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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
“P” (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 “P” (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 the
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).
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Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable
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
(n 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 injured.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps
in this section.
I NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result
in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follov
the advice in this section. ‘I
Your vehicle 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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trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
0 Fuel economy
If
You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with
trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you’ll be driving. A
good source for this information can be state or
provincial police.
0 Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other
i)a’rts of your
vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or
you can write us at Buick Motor Division,
Customer Assistance Center,
902 E. Hamilton Avenue,
Flint,
MI 48550.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited,
Customer Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
Oshawa, Ontario L1H
8P7.
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
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curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
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.
-
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 €or 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
The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10% of the total
,loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer; weigh the trailer,and
then the tongue, separately,
td 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.
0
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide’’ in the Index). Dirt
and ‘water can, too:
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the
bumper.
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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to
the road if it becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be provided by the
hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow safety
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs
its own brakes -- and they must be
adequate. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, do not try
to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system. If you do, both brake systems won’t work well,
or at all. Even if your vehicle doesn’t have anti-lock
brakes, don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if
the
trailer’s brake system will use more than 0.02 cubic inch
(0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle’s master cylinder. If it
does, both braking systems won’t work well.
You could
even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi (20 650
kPa) of pressure? If not, the trailer brake system
must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
fluid tap at the upper rear master cylinder port. But
don’t
use copper tubing for this. If you do, it will
bend and finally break
off. Use steel brake tubing.
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
to 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.
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I
4. Pull the bulb straight out to remove it from its
socket. The new bulb must be aligned properly, then
push it in the socket. Reinstall the socket, taillight,
and rear trunk trim.
Loading Your Vehicle
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING
INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING
& GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE RTG PSVKPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA. IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSV28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
ll]m' .$$;i#..:.
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the deck lid, tells you the proper size, speed
rating and recommended inflation pressures
for the tires
on your vehicle. It also gives you important information
about the number of people that can be in your vehicle
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