1993 BUICK REGAL steering

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 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 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.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then 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.
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Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide.
Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance
on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch
of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually
on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help
and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to
do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle
to alert police that you’ve been
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Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far 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 Turns
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.
firn Signals When Towing a Trailer
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.
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 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs more than
1,000
pounds ( 450 kg), and you have an automatic transaxle
with Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
“D” instead
of Overdrive
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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0
0
0
0 0
0
'AA"TT
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride
in a vehicle that
is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or posted
speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not fully
secured.
Never get under your vehicle after
it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always use separate safetv chains on each
side when towing
a vehic ~
Never use "J" hnnks- Use T-hanks i
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
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.
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 55 mph (88 Km/h) or
farther than
500 miles (800 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 CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn't
properly secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don't use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if
you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off
the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot fromthe
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well
off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured. Find
a level place to change your tire. TO help prevent
be
! licle from moving:
. the parking brake firmly.
L. Put the shift lever in “P” (Park).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put chocks at the front and rear of
th
tire farthest away from the one being ehangec
That would be the tire
on the other side nG the
vehicle, at the
opposit- md. ;
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/;1 CAUTION:
I
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment in the
passenger compartment of the vehicle could
equipment could strike someone. Store
all the$$
in the proper place.
3use
injury. In a sudden stop or collision,
loose
!-
1
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of you1
vehicle
as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you
can destroy your transaxle
Aocking your vehicle to get it out:
If - You’re Stuck: In Sand; Mud’ Ice Or First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
Snow clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
What
you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is and forth between “R” (Reverse) and a forward gear,
to spin your wheels. The method known as “rocking” spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
can help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly
on
use caution. the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If
that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
IT you let your tires spin at h I speea, they can
explode and you or others could be injured. And
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as
shown on the speedometer.
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Part 6 Service And Appearance Care
vehicle, and a section devoted to its appearance care.
Part
6 includes:
ServiceTips
...................................................................... 214
Fuel ........................................................................\
.....
HoodRelease ..................................................................... 218
EngineOil ....................................................................... \
AirCleane r.. ..................................................................... 225
Automatic Transaxle Fluid ...........................................................
Enginecoolant .................................................................... 228
Power Steering Fluid .......................... % ....................................
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................................ 232
Brakes ........................................................................\
...
Battery ........................................................................\
.. 235
BulbReplacement ................................................................. 236
LoadingYourVehicle ...............................................................
Tires ........................................................................\
....
Appearancecare ..................................................................
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ..................................................
FusesandCircuitBreakers ........................................................... 257
Capacities and Specifications ......................................................... 263
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Radiator Pressure Cap rower Steerlng Fluid
1; NOTICE: 1
.:: Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (1 05 kPa)
:: pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed
,*to prevent coolant loss and possible engine
q:. damage from overheating. Be sure the arrows on
,. the cap line up with the overflow tube on the
8: radiator filfer neck.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an AC@
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
When you replace your thermostat, an
AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
L
How To Check Power Steering Fluid:
Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.
Replace the cap and completely tighten
it. Then remove
the cap again and look at the fluid level on the dipstick.
0 When the engine compartment is hot, the level
should be at the
“HOT” mark.
0 When the engine compartment is cool, the level
should be at the
“FULL COLD” mark.
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