1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

Avoid Reedless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking -- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to COO^ between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much Easter if you
dc a lot of heavy braking. If YOU keep pace with the
traffic ‘ad allow realistic follewing distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better
braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever steps while you’re driving, brake
nomctHBy but don’t pump your brakes. HE you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be hxder to push.
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You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your CQIII~U~~I- keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and c~ntgols braking pressure accordingly.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the the you need
to get your foot up to the br&e pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too dose to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
If that vehicle suddenly slows or stcps. Always leave
enough
room up ahead tu stop, even though yorr have
anti-lock brakes.
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
5mly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal gulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
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YQW vehicle may have a traction control system thzat
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one
or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is nomal.
__ . ... a
See ‘‘T~-acti~m Contra1 System Warning Eight” ii: the
Irzdex. WEen this warning light is on, the system will mt
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving zccsrdingly.
The traction COII~FO~ system arr;2smaticaily comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in siippery road conditio~s, y3u shouEd
always leave the system on. But you can turn- the
traction control system off‘ if you ever need to. (YQQ
should turn the system off if pur vehicBe ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rockr~g Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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To turn the system off, press the button l~cated at the
end of the shift lever.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button, the warning light will come
on -- but the system won’t turn off right away.
It will wait until there’s no longer a current need to hit
wheel spin.
Ym can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
?.he button again. The traction control system warning
Bi& xkcPetM go off.
Your vehicle may be equipped with GM Magnasteer ” ,
a steering system that continuousIy adjusts the effort you
feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
You- steering can be adjusted for an easier or more firm
setting. See your dealer for information
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It‘s important to take curves at ;r reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires agzjinst the roaC surface makes it
possible fcr the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia wiHl keep
the vehicle going in
the same direction. If you‘ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, YQK‘IB understacd this.
The
trzctionr YOU can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires md the road surface, the angle at
which Gie curve
is banked, and your speed. Mile you’re
in ip curve, speed is the one fxtor you can control.
Suppose ycu’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
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There are times when steering can be more effective
than brakmg. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, OH a child darts out from between
parked
cars md stops right in front of YOU. You can
avoid these problems by
braking -- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; trlere isn’t room. That’s
the time
for evasive action -- steering ~ound
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See ‘‘Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in ”s section.) It is better tc
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.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel a’:
the recomended 9 and 3 o’clock positloas, you can
tuna it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the
object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
dl times and wear safety belts properly.
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@ I4o not get too ciose to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
fblhwing too closely reduces YQUP area of visiorn,
cspecidly if you’re following a larger vehide. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows cx stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
8 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don‘t
get too close. Time YOUF move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance
you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancef your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars =e lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your
turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass YOU as you pull out +LO pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the
blind spot.
8 Check your minors, giance over your shoulder, and
start your left Bane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you =e far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle BO see its front in your
inside
minor, activate your right lafie change signal
2nd move back into the right laze. (Remember that
your
right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle YSU
just passed may seem to be f~ther away from you
than it really is.)
@ Don’t overtake a sEowIy moving vehdcIe too rapidly.
Even
though the br&e lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
@ If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
foilowing driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a littie to the right.
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