1995 BUICK REGAL brake

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain
roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine
do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long
hill.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes eould get so
0
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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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
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the least traction
of all. You can
get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing
(32” F; 0” C) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate
too fast, the drive wheels
will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to begin stopping
sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock”
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear
in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
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Hitches Safety Chains
It’s
important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by, and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
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0
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install
a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get
into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide”
in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only
a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the
bumper. You
should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or
by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufxturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to
the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)
loaded, then
it needs its own brakes -- and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. Because you have anti-lock
brakes, do not try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system. If
you do, both brake systems won’t work well,
or at
all.
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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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2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach,
but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection
you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your Buick, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured
if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) or a manual
transaxle
in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
iamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could
save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered
by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery. Your Buick has a remote positive
(+)
jump starting terminal. The terminal is on the same
side of
the engine compartment as your battery. You
should
always use the remote positive (+) terminal
instead of the positive
(+) terminal on your battery.
To uncover the remote positive
(+) terminal, lift the
red plastic cap.
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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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