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Towing a Trailer
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
I’
~ NOTICE:
~ Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
~ your warranty. TO pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Buick dealer
for important information about. towing a trailer
with your vehicle. Your
vehicle can tow a trailer.
To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle,
you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later
in this section. But traiiering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part.
In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull
a trailer.
Load-pulling components such
as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is
required
to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance. increasing
the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
0 There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state
01- provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
0
0
0 Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that
you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 kmrdh) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed
limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts. Three
important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg),
unless you have the 2,000-pound (900 kg) trailer towing
option package. But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig.
For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And,
it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for
OLI~ trailering information or
advice, or you can write 11s at Buick Motor Division,
Customer Assistance Center, 902
E. Hamilton Avenue,
Flint, MI 48550.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited,
Customer Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
Oshawa, Ontario
L 1 H 8P7.
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Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road,
you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving
is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer, This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the
left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible, have someone guide you.
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Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal
a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop. When
towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear Oefbve you start
down
a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down,
you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing
a trailer that weighs more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg), you may prefer to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to,
a lower gear).
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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
PARK
(P) 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 PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
I. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 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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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is:
A. Sling-type Tow Truck
B. Wheel-lift Tow Truck
C. Car Carrier
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year
of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to see them.
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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 (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless
you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56 km/h) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.
A CAUTION:
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r ront Towing Hookups
Attach T-hook chains in
front of the wheels into the
side slots
of the cradle on
both sides.
I
Use wheel lift or car carrier equipment. Additional
ramping may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
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