1993 BUICK ROADMASTER brake

Using LruIse Control on Hills
How well your Cruise Control will work on hills
depends upon your speed, load, and the steepness ofthe
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain: your speed. When
going downhill, you
may have to brake or shift to a
lower gear to keep your speed duwn.
Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of Cruise Control.
Many drivers find this to be too much trouble and don't
use Cruise Control
on steep hills., , .
To Get Out of Cruise'Control
There are two ways to turn off the Cruise Control:
1. Step lightly on the
., .-..
1; ;', , ;;brake pedal ; OR
! it
E
To Erase Speed Memory
When you turn off the Cruise Control or the ignition,
your Cruise Control .set speed memory is erased.

Brake System Warning Light
I Your Buick’s hydraulic .. . -
brake system is divided intd
two parts..If Qne-part isn’t
working, the other
part’ can
stil1,work:aT;lCl stop you. For
g,ood. braking, though, you.
need ‘both parts working,
.. ’.
well. - ’ . i; &. ..
If the. warning light goes an,
there -cbuld be a brake
.L_ ., . - , >.
problem. Have your brake ’
’ system inspected .. . right .. . ,
away.-
. . . , .I -.., . .II . ,( ’,: :I !_.
This light should come’ on as you start the vehicle. If it
doesn’t corne on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you
if there’s a problem.
This light will also come on when you set your parking
brake,
and will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t
release fully.
If it stays on after. your parking brake is
fully released,
it means you have a brake problem. If the
light comes on while driving, p.d off the- road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal is harder
to
push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the-
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Car” in
the Index.)
/! CAUTION.
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
brake warning light on can
lead to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the
road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle
ta
?d for SE ice

iI
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
. -, i’
.. I. ,:,:
With anti-lock, this light will go on when you start your
engine and may stay on for several seconds or
so. That’s
normal.
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 Buiek
needs service. Unless the regular ‘brake system warning
light is also
on, you will still have brakes, but not
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also
on, see “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
The anti-lock brake system warning .light may also come
on when you are driving with
a compact spare. tire, If
this happens, the light means you won’t have anti-lo,ck
until you replace the compact spare ,with
.a fuU-simtire.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays
on after
you replace the compact spare with a full-size tire, or if
it comes
on again when you’re driving, your Buick
needs service.
121

Your Own Signals Defensive Driving
Drivers signal
to others, too. It’s not only more polite,
it’s safer ‘to let other drivers know what you are doing.
And in some places the law requires driver signals.
Turn and lane change signals. Always signal when you
plan to turn or change lanes.
If necessary, you can
use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight out for
a left turn, down- for slow or
about-to-stop, and up for a right turn.
Slowing. down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice
in advance of slowing or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your -four-way flashers signal that your
vehicle is disabled or is a hazard. See “Hazard Warning
Flasher” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information.
The officer’s signals govern, no matter
what the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some of the road conditions
you
may encounter. The
best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
i
defensively. !
Please start with a very important safety device in your
Buick: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.) i
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cas,
often-followed by other children. Expect occupants
in
parked cars to open doors into traffic., Watch for
movement
in parked cars - someone may be about to
open a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when. you are on a
through street. Be ready to brake if necessary
as you go
through intersections. You may not have
to use the
brake, but if you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
where there are well-marked lanes, directional arrows,
and designated parking areas, expect.some drivers to
159
__

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
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.
1- -
/q CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, and judgment
will be
affected by even a small amount
04 alcohol. You
could have a serious - or even fatall - 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.
163

Braking
Braking action- involves perceDtion time and reaction
’time.
First, you have 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 314 ‘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. a part. So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. .But even in
3/4 0f.a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (1 00 h/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 saiface- of the raad.(whether it’s pavement or
gavel); the condition of the road (wFt, 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 lat of heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly on the brake pedal while driving.

Riding” your brake
overheat to the point that they won’t work well,
You might not be able to stop your vehicle
it
time to avoid an accident. If you “ride” your
brakes, they will get
so hot they will require a 1st
of pedal force to slow you down. Avoid “ridil
the brakes.
If you keep pace with the traffic and al1,ow realistic
followirig distance.s, you will eliminate a lot
of
unnecessary braking. ‘That means better braking and
longer brake
life.
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.
165

I
1 /! CAUTION: A CAUTION:
The brake wear warn g s
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well
That could lead
to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning
-- -3 your
vehicle serviced. -. --I - ,~
I
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This
does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.