1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE tires

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels
and
also the brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle.
These parts can work hard on mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on
a steep
downhill slope.
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Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going down
a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine
running and your vehicle in gear when you
go downhill.
0 Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
gear possible.
0 Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something
in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; 0” C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
If you have traction control, keep the system on. It will
improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even
though your vehicle has a traction
control system, you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to the road conditions. See “Traction
Control System’’ in the Index.
If you don’t have the traction control system, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish
I the surface under the tires even more.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But
do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
‘ 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
PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSli28KPa
SEE OWNER’S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver’s door 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 your vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight
and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
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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.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for
this part. In it are many time-tested,
important trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are
important for your safety and that of your passengers.
So
please read this section carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
infomation can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you tow
a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and don’t
make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and
other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
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Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how
much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on any special
equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Buick Motor Division
Customer Relations Center
902
E. Hamilton Avenue
Flint, MI 48550 In
Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because
it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in
it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And
if you will tow
a trailer, you must subtract the tongue
load from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue (A) should weigh
10 percent of the total loaded
trailer weight
(B). If you have a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
12 percent of
the total loaded trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to
see if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
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Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You’ll find these numbers on the
Tire-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door 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 tongug.
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:
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.
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.
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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
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
you vehicle’s brake system.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
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.
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.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Buick dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Park Avenue. See “Roadside
Assistance’’ in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding after-market items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle can only be towed with certain
equipment, as described later in this section.
0 That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
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To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
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