1996 BUICK REGAL traction control

Cruise Control
A CAUT1,ON:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads. or in heavy traffic.
Cruise, control can be dangerous
on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. .Don’t
use cruise control
on slippery roads.
With cruise control, you can rqaintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving
on curves. The
traction of
the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction
you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering
and acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires
meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand
too much of those places. You can lose control.
What should
you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower. If
you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through
the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait
to accelerate until
you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
’Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find
a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time
for evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Buick can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from
a possible
collision.
Then steer around the problem, to the left
or right depending on the space available.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road.
For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking
by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make
a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only
the braking skid.
DrivinP at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason
is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get
new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design,
the TPC number will be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
Mixing tires coula cause you to lose control while
driving. If you mix tires
of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires
of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires
on all four wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed
for use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
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nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must
also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
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.
Temperature - A, B, C
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.
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Spare Tire. Compact ............................. 5-32
Specifications and Capacities
...................... 6-6 I
Specifications. Engine ........................... 6-62
Speech Impaired. Customer Assistance
............... 8-3
Speedometer
................................... 2-45
SRS
......................................... 1-18
Stains. Cleaning
................................ 6-43
Starter Switch Check
............................ 7-37
Starting Your Engine
....................... 2- 1 I. 2- 12
Steam
........................................ 5-12
Steering
....................................... 4-8
Column Lock Check
.......................... 7-38
In Emergencies ................................ 4-9
Power ....................................... 4-8
Tips
......................................... 4-8
Variable Assist
................................ 4-8
Wheel. Tilt
.................................. 2-25
Steering Wheel Touch Controls
.................... 3-23
Storage Compartments
........................... 2-38
Storage. Vehicle
................................ 6-30
Stuck:
In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow .................. 5-33
Sunvisors
.................................... 2-40
Supplemental Restraint System
.................... 1 - I8
Symbols. Vehicle
.................................. x
System Controls. Electronic Climate Control .......... 3- 1
Tachometer .................................. 2-45
Taillamp Bulb Replacement
....................... 6-32
Tape Player Care
............................... 3-25
Temperature Control. Passenger
.................... 3-2
Theft
.......................................... 2-7
Theft-Deterrent Alarm System
..................... 2-8 Theft-Deterrent Feature.
CD Player
................ 3-21
Thermostat
.................................... 6-24
Third Gear. Automatic Transaxle
................... 2-16
Tilt Steering Wheel
............................. 2-25
Time. Setting the
................................ 3-6
Tire-Loading Information Label
................... 4-27
Tires
......................................... 6-34
Alignment and Balance
........................ 6-40
BuyingNew
................................. 6-38
Chains
...................................... 6-42
Changing a Flat
.............................. 5-22
Cleaning
.................................... 6-48
Compact Spare
............................... 5-32
Inflation .................................... 6-35
Inflation Check
............................... 7-35
Inspection and Rotation
........................ 6-36
Loading
.................................... 4-27
Pressure
.................................... 6-35
Storing the Flat
............................... 5-30
Storing the Spare
............................. 5-31
Temperature
................................. 6-39
Traction
.................................... 6-39
Treadwear
................................... 6-39
Uniform Quality Grading
....................... 6-38
Wear Indicators
.............................. 6-37
Wheel Replacement
........................... 6-40
When It’s Time for New
....................... 6-37
TorqueLock
................................... 2-21
Torque, Wheel
Nut ......................... 5-29, 6-61
Towing a Trailer ................................ 4-29
Towing Your Vehicle
............................. 5-7
THEFTLOCK
TM ................................ 3-21
TopStrap
..................................... 1-38
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