1995 BUICK REGAL brakes

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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NOTICE:
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When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution
to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
3/4 full
when it’s very cold. This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
windshield washer. It can damage your washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is filled with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
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
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should have your brake system fixed, since a leak means
that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or
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.
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 ll@ (GM Part No.
1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed container
only, and always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
before removing it.
NOTICE:
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Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of
fluid. For example, just
a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in
your brake system can damage brake system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced.
Brake fluid can damage paint,
so be careful
not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle.
If
you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care’’ in the Index.
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Brake Wear
Your Buick has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come
and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving
(except when you are pushing
on the brake pedal
firmly),
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
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.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate
or heavier stop, then your brakes might not adjust
correctly.
If you drive in that way, then -- very
carefully
-- make a few moderate brake stops about
every
1,000 miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust
properly.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts
in them, as your Buick does when it is new. When
you replace parts of your braking system -- for example,
when your brake linings wear down and you have to
have new ones put
in -- be sure you get new genuine
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may
no longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts
in brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the
balance between your front and rear brakes can
change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Buick has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for
a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom@
battery. Get one that has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, take off the black, negative
(-) cable from the
battery. This
will help keep your battery from running
down.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
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3. With the engine off, turn the key to the RUN position,
but don’t start the engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) with normal effort. If the shift lever moves
out
of PARK (P), your vehicle’s BTSI needs service.
Steering Column Lock
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the key to LOCK in each shift lever position.
0 The key should turn to LOCK only when the shift
lever is
in PARK (P).
0 The key should come out only in LOCK.
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle PARK (P)
Mechanism Check
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake.
To check the parking brake: With the engine running
and transaxle
in NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake pedal.
Do this until
the vehicle
is held by the parking brake only.
0 To check the PARK (P) mechanism’s holding ability:
Shift to PARK (P). Then release
all brakes.
Underbody Flushing
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from the underbody. Take care to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
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