1997 BUICK CENTURY engine

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 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3
5-9
5-15
5-
17
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
Cooling System 5-25
5-25
5-37
5-38
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing
a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
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2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to start your Buick, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling,
set the parking brake
firmly on both vehicles
involved
in the jump start procedure. Put your
automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) before setting
the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlet.
Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
I
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. (Your
vehicle’s battery is located under the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.)
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
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5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery. Your Buick has a remote positive
(+)
jump starting terminal. The terminal is on the same
side
of the engine compartment as your battery. To
uncover the remote positive (+) terminal, squeeze the
sides
of the red plastic cap and pull the cap upward.
You should always use the remote positive
(+)
terminal instead of the positive (+) terminal on
your battery. Using
a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom’ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or
on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
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6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
b
the battery and maybe other parts too.
r
‘A( J?
-- -
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep
your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running. 7. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
LI
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8. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect
it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use
a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the
black negative
(-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative cable
duesn ’I go to the
dead battery.
It goes to
a heavy, unpainted, metal part on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
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10. 11.
12.
13.
14. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 c’m)
away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection
is just as good
there, but
the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it
won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
Reinstall the red protective remote jump start cover
on the vehicle that was jump started. A.
Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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