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- When towing a trailer, so there.is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill between gears
’ 2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but lower fuel
economy. You can use
2 on hills. It can help
control your speed as you go down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want
to use your
brakes
off and on.
bb 97
miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 kmih),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use
‘@” or
“D” as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
“2” unless you are going slower
1 (First Gear)
This position gives you even,more power (but lower
fuel economy) than
“2.” You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow
or mud. If the selector lever is
put’in
“1 ,” the transaxle won’t shift into first gear
until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
Maximum engine speed
is limited when the transaxle is
in “D” (Drive) or
“N” (Neutral) to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
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Pump-to-Set Parking Brake
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear wheels.
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot.
Pump your parking brake pedal several times with your
left foot until the pedal feels firm. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
Over time, more pumps may be needed to set the
parking brake firmly.
If it ever takes more than two full
pumps, have the brake system adjusted by your dealer.
To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull the brake
release lever.
.
NOTIC% I
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your
rear brakes to overheat. You may have to replace
your vehicle. them, and
you could also damage
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Cruise Control (Option)
I
A CAUTION:
Cruise Control can be dangerous where
you can’t drive safely at
a steady speed.
So, don’t use your Cruise Control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise Control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause needless
wheel spinning, and you could lose
control. Don’t use Cruise Control
on
slippery roads.
With Cruise Control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips. Cruise
Control
does not work at speeds below about 25 mph
(40 h/h).
When you apply your brakes, the Cruise Control shuts
off.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
(Option) anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, see “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
With anti-lock, this light will go on unless you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you
if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when you’re driving,
stop
as soon as possible and turn the key off. Then start
the engine to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes
on again while you’re driving, your Buick
needs service. Unless the regular brake system warning
light is also
on, you will still have brakes, but not If
the anti-lock brake system warning light ever flashes,
your anti-lock brake system is still working but needs
.service as soon as possible.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
TEMP
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
hot
!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
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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.
I 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:.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time.
First, you nave
to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
-
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long
as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20
m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface
of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and
the condition of your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some,
however, overwork the braking system with poor
driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster
if you do a lot of heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly on the brake pedal while driving.
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“Riding” your brakes can cause th%m to overhed
to the point that they won’t work well. You might
not be able to stop your vehicle in time to avoid
an accident.
If you “ride” your brakes, they will
get
so hot they will require a lot of pedal force to,
SI0 lown. Avoid “rid a’’ the brak . ...4.L,::z .I_ : ,+ . ., ., ii: = ‘ :. 3 .
.. c. -.
I
“Riding” the brakes rs them out K%ch faster.
You would need costly brake replacement much
I
sooner th
economy.
I
If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
0 If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (Option)
If your Buick has this system, your Buick has an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
If you have an anti-lock brake system (ABS), the brake
pedal will say
so. And this light on the instrument panel
will go
on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle
and begin to drive away,
you may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise. And
you may even notice that your brake pedal moves a little
while this is going on. This is the
ABS system testing
itself. If you have your foot
on the brake pedal, this
check won’t happen until the vehicle goes about
4 mph
(6 km/h) or until you take your foot off the brake pedal.
After an
ABS stop, you may hear a clicking noise the
next time the vehicle goes about 4 mph (6 km/h).
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If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system warning light will stay
on or
flash.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light”
in the
Index.
I
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps
out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. The
computer separately works the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels.
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