1996 BUICK REGAL towing

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A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. 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 drive wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
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Front To!
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can'occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, raise the vehicle until
adequate clearance
is obtained between the
ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or
J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear
bumper valance will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground
or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and raise
the vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in
T-hooks slots.
Attach T-hook chains into
slots
in the bottom of the
floor pan, just ahead
of the
rear wheels, on both sides.
These slots are to be used when securing to car
carrier equipment.
Attach
a separate safety
chain around the outboard
end
of both lateral arms.
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If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
L
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
,
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of you%
vehicle as well
as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get it Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as
little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on
the accelerator pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. If
that doesn’t get you out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Operating the engine with the air cleaner off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops flame if
the engine backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t
drive with it
off, and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner
off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine
oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous ten-ain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
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Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule
50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32°C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and.filter do
not require changing.
I DATE I ACTUAL MILEAGE SERVICED BYI
51,000 Miles (85 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
3 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
DATE SERVICED BY ACTUAL MILEAGE
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I Short TripKity Maintenance Schedule
100,000 Miles (144 000 km)
0 Drain, flush and refill cooling system
(or every
60 months since last service
whichever occurs first). See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for what to use. ‘7
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test cooling
system and pressure cap.
AI? E1nission Control
Service.
j-
0 Inspect spark plug wires. An Em.ission
0 Replace spark plugs. An Emission
Control Service.
Control Service.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32°C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the.fluid andfilter do
not require changing.
I DATE I ACTUAL MILEAGE ISERVICED RE I
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I Long Trip/Hig'-way Maintenance Schedule I
4 Miles (15 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
12 months, whichever occurs first).
0 Lubricate steering ball joints (or every
6 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service.
I I I 1
DATE ACTUAL MILEAGE SERVICED BY
50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32 O C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous rerram.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
lfyou do not use pour vehicle mder any of these
conditions,
the fluid and.filter do not require changing.
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