1997 BUICK CENTURY brakes

Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you 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.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless
you know for sure that you are near help
and you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to
do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers safe:
0 Turn on your hazard flashers.
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If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else
-- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there
is a crash, they’ll keep going.
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or in
a crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them
as far forward as you can.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don’t leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
Towing a Trailer
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Buick dealer
for
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Buick dealer
for important information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
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Safety Ch: - 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.
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
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. 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.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Buick dealer. 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 before 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.
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and shift
to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
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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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Buick. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then
it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted
to its appearance care.
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6-5
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5
6-7
6- 10
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6-25
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6-30
6-37 6-45
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6-48
6-49 Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Buick
Cleaning the Built-in Child Restraint
Care
of Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness 6-49
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6-50
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3
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6-54
6-55
6-55
6-56 6-62
6-62
6-63
6-63
6-63 Cleaning
Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside
of the Windshield and
Wiper Blades
Weatherstrips
Cleaning the Outside of Your Buick
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Cleaning Tires
Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Vehicle Dimensions
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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~ NOTICE:
e
e
e
e
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
three-quarters full when it’s very cold. This
allows for expansion
if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might
go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during normal brake lining wear. When new linings are
put in, the fluid level
goes back up.
The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
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system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If
you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when
you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid,
as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @I (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean
the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
A
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid
will burn if the engine is hot
enough. You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See “Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.
CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
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