1996 BUICK REGAL flat tire

The 1996 Buick Regal Owner’s Manual
7-
Seats and Restraint Systems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains “SRS” system.
This section explains how to start and operate your Buick.
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you
what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or
overheated engine, etc.
Here the manual tells you how to keep
your Buick running properly and looking good.
This section tells
you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications.
It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-7.
Index ........................................................................\
........ 9-1
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something
you want to read.
Features and Controls .................................................................. 2-1
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 3-1
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
Service and Appearance Care. ........................................................... 6-1
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................ 8-1
i
ProCarManuals.com

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Windsh.ield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires
on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than
a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan
the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
4-20
ProCarManuals.com

OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS.
KG
MAX. LOADING
& GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE
SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG
PSliKPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSIi28KPa
SEE OWNER‘S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
. INFORMATION MFDBYGENERALMOTORSCORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT
GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE
U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON
THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge
of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity
of your vehicle, called the GVWR
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry.
The Tire-Loading Information label
is inside the trunk lid. The label tells
you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you important
information about the number
of people that can be in If you do have a heavy load, spread it out. Don’t carry
your vehicle and the total weight you can carry. This more than
167 ibs. (75 kg) in your trunk.
weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and includes
the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options. (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle.
4-27
ProCarManuals.com

Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the
recommended pressure for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the Tire-Loading Information label (found
inside the trunk lid) or see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the
Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for
your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
Hitches
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:
0
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.
Safety Chains
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
manufacturer’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 lbs. (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.
4-32
ProCarManuals.com

If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if
you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane. .
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In
any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other,
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
5-22
ProCarManuals.com

To remove a center cap, use
the wrench
to pry gently at
the notch. Don’t use
a tool
that is narrower than the
wrench to pry at this notch.
If your vehicle has wheel
Removing the Flat Tire a]
Spare Tire
LP the
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don’t remove them yet.
2. Turn the jack handle clockwise to raise the jack lift
head
a few inches.
- 5-25
ProCarManuals.com

/A CAUTION: NOTICE:
Getting under a
vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack. Raising your
vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned will damage the vehicle
or may allow
the vehicle to
fall off the jack. Be sure to fit the
jack lift head into the proper location before
raising your vehicle.
I I
~
i I
L
200 rnm4 h- -d L130 mrn
3. Position the jack under
the vehicle and raise the
jack lift head until it fits
firmly into the notch in
the vehicle’s frame
nearest the flat tire.
Put the compact spare
tire near you.
5-26
ProCarManuals.com

4. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the spare tire
to fit under the vehicle.
5. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
6. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
A CAUTION:
I
~ Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make the 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 the 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.
ProCarManuals.com