1993 BUICK RIVIERA brake

Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a
freeway having more than two lanes, make sure another
vehicle isn’t about to move into the same spot. Look at
the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed,
or moving
toward the edge of the lane. Be prepared to delay your
move.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following. distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute is dangerous.
If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it
should be long enough for you to enter it at freeway
speed (after signaling, of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit ramp.
Unfortunately, not all deceleration lanes are long enough
-- some are too short for all the braking. Decide when to
start braking. If you must brake on the through lane, and
if there is traffic close behind you, you can allow a little \
extra time and flash your brake lights (in addition to
your turn signal) as extra warning that you are about to
slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit spwd is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are. For example,
40 mph (65 h/h) might
seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this. could
lead to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 km/h)!
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.
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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 thisi 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.
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
11 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
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0
/d CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in "N" (Neutral) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You
could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle
in gear -]en you go downhill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool
your
engine and transaxle, and you can climb the hill
better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane. That way, you won't be
surprised by a vehicle coming toward you
in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle when you're going uphill. You'll want
to leave extra room to pass.
If a vehicle is passing you and doesn't have enough
room, slow down to make it easier for the other
vehicle to get by.

As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident. Parking on Hills
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area, or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
Winter driving can present special problems. See ,
“Winter Driving” in the Index.
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 traffic.
175

traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
freezing (32oF; O°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can
get there. Y
. . ._ . . .
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.
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.
180

I A CAUTION:
u could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
arking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
utomatic transaxle
in “P” (Park) or a manual
axle
in “N” (Neutral).
P
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This
will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
I A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you. Keep
hands; clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
~~
Find the positive .(+) and negetive (-), terminals on
each battery.

/! CA TlON:
To help-avok rjury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that I
Never tow fastt than safe or postec
Never tow ith damaged parts not fully
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on
is being towed.
speec
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
each.side when towing a vehicle.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
0 Never use “J” hooks. Use T-hooks
instead.
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.
192

I
8.
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 lepk 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.
Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on
the pressure
cap line up like this.
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 from the
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.
204
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91
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.
I Find a level place to change your tire. To
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in “P” (Park).
3. Turn off the engine.
prevent the vehicle
from moving: I
help I
I To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put chocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
I