1996 BUICK CENTURY wheel alignment

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be inspected every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km) for any signs of unusual wear.
If unusual wear is present, rotate your tires as soon as
possible and check wheel alignment. Also check for
damaged tires or wheels. See “When It’s Time for
New
Tires” and “Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information. When
rotating your tires, always
use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation,
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque”
in
the Index.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires
on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
1 A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When
you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt
off. (See
“Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index.)
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Treadwear Temperature -- A, B, C
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction. The temperature grades are
A (the
highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
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In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if you notice
unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset. If
you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Wl 21 Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded.
If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the
wheel leaks air, replace
it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
Buick dealer if any
of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind
of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the
same way as the
one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel
nuts for your
Buick model. Using
the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts
or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be dangerous. It
could affect the braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your
tires lose air and make you lose
control. You could have
a collision in which you or
others could be injured. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer
or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for more
information.
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Section 9 Index
Air Bag ...................................... I -2 1
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-23
How it Works ................................ 1-22
Location
.................................... 1-22
Readiness Light
......................... 1-21? 2-49
Servicing
................................... 1-25
What Makes
it Inflate .......................... 2-23
What Will
You See After it Inflates ............... 1-24
When Should it Inflate
......................... 1-23
Aircleaner
.................................... 6-14
Air Conditioning
................................ 3-2
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
..................... 6-64
Alignment and Balance. Tire
...................... 6-43
Aluminum Wheels. Cleaning
...................... 6-5 I
Antenna. Fixed ................................. 3-10
Antifreeze
..................................... 6-22
Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
................. 2-53. 4.8
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2-5 1. 4.6
Brakes
...................................... 4-6
Appearancecare
............................... 6-46
Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-54
Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-6
Armrest. Storage
............................... 2-39
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-42 Audio
Equipment. Adding
......................... 3-9
Audio Systems
.................................. 3-4
Automatic Door Locks
............................ 2-4
Automatic Overdrive
............................ 2-17
Automatic Transaxle Check
....................... 7-38
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
........................ 6-17
Automatic Transaxle Operation
.................... 2-16
Shifting
..................................... 2-16
Automatic Transaxle Park Mechanism Check
......... 7-40
Battery
...................................... 6.3 2
Jump Starting
................................. 5-2
Warning Light
............................... 2-50
Warnings
................................ 5.2. 5.4
BBB Auto Line ................................. 8-6
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-6
Brake Replacement.
Remote Keyless Entry
............... 2-6
Adjustment
.................................. 6-31
Fluid
....................................... 6-29
Master Cylinder
.............................. 6-29
Parking
..................................... 2-19
PedalTravel
................................. 6-31
Replacing System Parts
........................ 6-32
System Warning Light
......................... 2-50
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Tires ......................................... 6-38
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-43
BuyingNew
................................. 6-41
Chains
..................................... 6- 45
Changing a Flat
.............................. 5-24
Cleaning
.................................... 6-52
Compact Spare
............................... 5-37
Inflation
.................................... 6-39
Inflation Check
............................... 7-37
Inspection and Rotation
........................ 6-40
Loading
.................................... 4-28
Pressure
.................................... 6-39
Temperature
................................. 6-43
Traction
.................................... 6-43
Treadwear
................................... 6-43
Uniform Quality Grading
....................... 6-42
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-4 1
Wheel Replacement ........................... 6-44
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-41
TopStrap
..................................... 1-33
TorqueLock
................................... 2-22
Torque. Wheel
Nut .............................. 5-33
Torque. Wheel Nut
.............................. 6-62
Towing a Trailer
................................ 4-30
Traction
...................................... 6-43
Towing
Your Vehicle
............................. 5-7 Trailer
Brakes
..................................... 4-33
Drivingwith
................................. 4-34
Hitches
..................................... 4-33
Maintenance When Towing
..................... 4-36
Parking on Hills
.............................. 4-36
Safety Chains
................................ 4-33
Tongueweight
............................... 4-32
Towing
..................................... 4-30
Turnsignals
................................. 4-35
Weight
..................................... 4-31
Automatic
................................... 6-17
Transmitters, Remote Keyless Entry
................. 2-4
Transportation, Courtesy
.......................... 8-5
Trip Odometer
................................. 2-48
Trunk
Lock
........................................ 2-7
Release, Remote
............................... 2-7
TTYUsers
..................................... 8-3
Turn Signal
and Lane Change Indicator ............. 2-27
Turn Signal On Chime
........................... 2-28
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
................... 2-27
Driving on Grades
............................ 4-35
Total Weight on Tires
.......................... 4-32
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
................ 4-35
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Underbody Flushing Service ..................... 7-40
Underbody Maintenance ......................... 6-53
Vehicle
Control
...................................... 4-5
Damage Warnings .............................. ix
Dimensions
................................. 6-63
First Sold in Canada ........................... 1 - 13
Identification Number ......................... 6-55
Loading .................................... 4-28
Storage ..................................... 6-32
Ventilation System ............................... 3-3
Visor Vanity Mirrors ............................ 2-43
Visors. Sun .................................... 2-43
warning Devices ............................... 5-2
Warning Lights. Gages and Indicators ............... 2-48
Washer Fluid. Windshield ........................ 6-27
Washing Your Vehicle ........................... 6-50
Weatherstrips .................................. 6-50
Wheel
Alignment
.................................. 6-43
Nut Torque ............................. 5.33. 6.62
Replacement ................................. 6-44
Windows ..................................... 2-25
Power ...................................... 2-25
Wagon Rear Vent .............................. 2-26
Windshield Washer ............................. 2-29
Fluid .................................. 2-29. 6.27
Fluid Level Check ............................ 7-37
Rearwindow ................................ 2-30
Windshield Wiper .............................. 2-28
Blade Replacement ........................... 6-37
Winter Driving ................................. 4-24
Wiring, Headlamp .............................. 6-56
WreckerTowing ................................. 5-7
Fuses ...................................... 6-56
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