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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. 
Remember:  Any  anti-lock  braking  system  (ABS)  helps  avoid  only  the braking  skid.  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. 
Here  are some  tips  on  night  driving. 
0 
0 0 
0 
0 Drive  defensively.  Remember,  this  is  the  most 
dangerous  time. Don’t  drink  and  drive.  (See  “Drunken  Driving”  in 
the  Index  for more 
on this  problem.) 
Adjust  your  inside  rearview  mirror  to  reduce  the  glare  from  headlights  behind  you. 
Since  you can’t  see as  well,  you  may  need  to  slow 
down  and  keep  more  space  between  you  and  other  vehicles.  It’s  hard  to tell  how  fast  the vehicle  ahead 
is  going  just by  looking  at its  taillights. 
Slow  down,  especially  on  higher  speed  roads. 
Your 
headlights  can  light  up only’s0  much  road  ahead. 
In  remote  areas,  watch  for animals. 
If  you’re  tired,  pull 
off the  road  in  a  safe  place  and 
rest.  
         
        
        
     
        
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start bralung. 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  speed  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 km/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 krn/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. 
Before  Leaving  on a Long Trip 
Make  sure  you’re  ready.  Try  to  be  well  rested. If you 
must  start  when  you’re  not  fresh 
-- such  as  after  a  day’s 
work 
-- don’t  plan  to  make  too  many  miles  that  first  part 
of  the  journey.  Wear  comfortable  clothing  and  shoes  you 
can  easily  drive  in. 
Is your  vehicle  ready  for a long  trip?  If  you  keep  it 
serviced  and  maintained,  it’s  ready  to go.  If it  needs 
service,  have  it  done  before  starting  out.  Of course, 
you’ll  find  experienced  and  able service  experts  in 
Buick  dealerships  all  across  North  America.  They’ll  be 
ready  and  willing  to  help 
if you  need  it. 
Here  are  some  things  you  can  check  before  a  trip: 
0 Windshield  Washer  Fluid:  Is the  reservoir  full?  Are 
all  windows  clean  inside  and  outside? 
WiDer  Blades:  Are  they  in good  shape/ 
Fuel,  Engine  Oil,  Other  Fluids:  Have  you  checked 
all  levels? 
0 Lights:  Are  they  all  working?  Are  the  lenses  clean? 
0 Tires:  They  are vitally  important  to a safe, 
trouble-free  trip.  Is  the  tread  good  enough  for  long-distance  driving? 
Are the  tires  all  inflated  to  the 
recommended  pressure? 
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Winter  Driving 
Here are some  tips  for winter  driving: 
Have  your  Buick in good shape  for  winter.  Be  sure 
your  engine  coolant  mix  is  correct. 
e Snow  tires  can  help  in  loose  snow,  but  they  may  give 
you  less  traction  on  ice  than  regular  tires.  If  you  do 
not  expect30  be  driving 
in deep  snow,  but  may  have 
to  travel  over  ice,  you  may  not  want  to switch  to  snow 
tires  at  all. 
YOU may  want  to  put  winter  emergincy supplies  in 
your  trunk.  Include 
an ice 
scraper,  a small  brush  or  broom,  a supply 
of  windshield  washer  fluid, a rag,  some  winter  outer 
clothing, 
a small  shovel,  a flashlight,  a red cloth, and a 
couple of reflective  warning  triangles.  And,  if  you  will 
be  driving  under  severe conditions,  include  a small  bag 
of  sand,  a piece 
of old  carpet  or a couple  of burlap  bags 
to  help  provide  traction. 
Be sure you  properly  secure 
these  items  in your  vehicle. 
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Hazard Warning Flashers 
Your hazard  warning  flashers  let you warn  others.  They 
also let  police  know  you  have 
a problem.  Your front  and 
rear  turn  signal  lights  will  flash  on  and 
off. 
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Move the switch  to  the 
right  to make  your  front 
and  rear  turn'  signal  lights 
flash  on  and  off. 
Your  hazard  flashers  work  no  matter  what  position  your 
key  is  in,  and  even 
if the  key  isn't  in. 
To turn off the  flashers, 
move  the switch  to  the  left. 
When  the  hazard  warning  flashers are on, your  turn 
signals  won't  work. 
Other  Warning Devices 
If  you  carry  reflective  triangles,  you  can  set one up at 
the  side 
of the  road  about 300 feet (100 m) behind  your 
vehicle.  
         
        
        
     
        
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when you are driving  with a compact  spare. See 
“Anti-Lock  Brake System  Warning  Light” in  the Index.  
         
        
        
     
        
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0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Give  freezing  protection  down  to -34°F (-37 "C) . 
Give  boiling  protection  up  to 262 F (128 " C) . 
Protect  against  rust  and  corrosion. 
Help  keep  the  proper  engine  temperature. 
Let  the  warning  lights  work 
as they  should. 
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1 Brake  Master  Cylinder 
Your brake  master  cylinder  is here.  It is filled  with 
1 DOT-3  brake  fluid.  won’t  work 
at all. 
So, it  isn’t  a  good  idea  to  “top off’ 
your  brake  fluid.  Adding  brake.  fluid  won’t  correct  a 
leak.  If  you  add  fluid  when  your  linings  are worn,  then 
you’ll  have  too  much  fluid  when  you  get  new  brake 
linings. 
You should  add  (or  remove)  brake  fluid,  as 
necessary,  only  when  work  is done 
on the  brake 
hydraulic  system. 
I 
A CAUTION: 
If you  have  too  much  brake fluid, it can spill on 
the  engine.  The  fluid  will  burn 
if the  engine  is hot 
enough.  You  or  others could be  burned,  and  your 
vehicle  could  be  damaged.  Add  brake fluid only 
when  work  is done  on  the  br, 
e hl  ‘raulic 
system. 
1 
There  are only  two  reasons  why  the  brake  fluid  level  in 
your  master  cylinder  might  go down.  The first  is that  the 
brake  fluid goes  down  to an  acceptable  level  during 
normal  brake  lining  wear.  When  new  linings 
are put  in, 
the  fluid  level  goes  back  up.  The other  reason  is that 
fluid  is leaking  out 
of the  brake  system. If it is, you 
should  have  your  brake  system  fixed,  since  a  leak  means 
that  sooner  or  later  your  brakes  won’t  work well,  or  When  your  brake  fluid  falls  to  a  low  level,  your  brake 
warning  light  will  come  on.  See  “Brake  System  Warning 
Light’’ 
in the  Index. 
What to Add: 
When  you  do need  brake  fluid,  use  only  DOT-3 brake 
fluid 
-- such  as Delco  Supreme  and  regular  11 (GM part 
#1052535).  Use  new  brake  fluid  from  a  sealed  container  only. 
I 
236