1994 BUICK CENTURY ABS

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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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. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The
anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer
is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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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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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on
a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could
start to move. People can be injured, and both
your,vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if
you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
“P”
(Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb
the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then, apply your
parking brake, and then shift to
“P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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UT WHEEL
WRENCH
FULL SIZE FLAT /
JACK
USE TOP HOLE WITH VALVE STEM OUTBOARD FOR STORAGE OF
FULL-SIZE FLAT
Wagon Spare Cover Replacement
To install the spare tire cover in your station wagon
when
you are finished changing the tire:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Wagon 5.
Put the front lower corner of the cover into the floor
track. Overlap the lower rear edge of the front panel
one to two inches.
Slide the cover to the front;. the tabs must go
under
the rear edge.
Insert the front upper corner into the track, at the
bottom of the glass.
Adjust the position
of the cover to fit over the
weatherstrip. Push the panel down into the track in
the floor.
Push the panel to lock it into the track
of the molding
at
the bottom of the glass.
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