1994 BUICK CENTURY warning

NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Battery Light
Then it should go out. If it stays on, or corn-es 6n %bile
you are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that
you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have
it checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain
to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
The battery warning light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, but
the engine
is not running,
as a check to
show you it is
working.
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Voltage Indicator
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
on (in the “Run” position),
the gage shows your
battery’s
state of charge in
DC volts. When the engine
is running, the gage shows
the condition
of the
charging system. Readings
between
the red warning
zones indicate the normal
operating range.
Readings
in either red warning zone indicate a possible
problem in the electrical system. Have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
Liftgate Ajar Warning Light (Wagon)
The “TAILGATE AJAR”
light on your instrument
panel
will come on if your
liftgate
is not completely
TAILGATE
AJAR
closed.
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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.
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. 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.
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 (ABS)
Your Buick has an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent skidding.
ANTI-
LOCK
This light on the
instrument panel will
go on when
you start
your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle, or when you 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 there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, the anti-lock brake system warning light
will stqy on or flash.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in
the
Index.
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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
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.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
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Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
0 Know the best way to get to where you are going.
Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown
part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country
trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See
the
next section, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red
light.
Freeway Driving
..
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways,
parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways)
are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own
special rules.
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.I. L.
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.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the
road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very careful.
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive
on. But wet
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@) Part 5 Problems on the Road
I
I
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Part 5 includes:
HazardWarningFlashers ............................................................ 172
OtherWarningDevices
............................................................. 173
“Jump”Starting
................................................................... 174
TowingYourBuick
................................................................ 178
Engineoverheating
................................................................ 184
IfaTireGoesFlat
................................................................. 193
ChangingaFlatTire
................................................................ 194
CompactSpareTire
................................................................ 205
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .............................................. 206
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Hazard Warning Flashers
m
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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