2003 BUICK REGAL steering wheel

Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving”those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
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.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the
brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores
steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
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Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently, too. (If you do have anti-lock,
seeBraking on page 4-6. This system improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking
system or not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to
get the most traction you can.
Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you’ll just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still
steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might bene
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:
Turn on your hazardashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow.
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Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
SeeFull-Range Traction Control System on page 4-9or
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-10. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and
a forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and
press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the
forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see“Towing Your
Vehicle”following.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see“Recreational Vehicle Towing”following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle–such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as“dinghy towing”(towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and“dolly
towing”(towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a
“dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See“Dinghy
Towing”and“Dolly Towing,”following.
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Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
What’s the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s
recommendations.
How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
Do you have the proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering professional for
additional advice and equipment recommendations.
Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you’ll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be
towed. SeeBefore Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-23.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground will damage drivetrain components.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See“Dolly Towing”that follows
for more information.
Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
5. Releases the parking brake.
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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.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won’t strike
soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to“blowout”while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a“blowout”, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, theflat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheelfirmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop—well off the road if possible.
If a tire goesflat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change aflat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goesflat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your
hazard warningflashers.
{CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over you
or other people. You and they could be badly
injured. Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brakermly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t
move, you can put blocks at the front and
rear of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire on
the other side of the vehicle, at the
opposite end.
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Fuses Usage
CLUSTER Instrument Panel Cluster
CIGAR LTRCigarette Lighter, Auxiliary Power
Connection (Power Drop)
STOP LAMPS Stoplamps
ONSTAR OnStar
®
FRT PARK LPS Front Parking Lamps
POWER DROPAuxiliary Power Connection (Power
Drop): Hot in ACC and Run
CRANK
SIGNAL, BCM,
CLUSTERCrank Signal, Body Control Module,
Cluster, Powertrain Control Module
HVACIgnition Signal, Heating Ventilation
Air Conditioning Control Head
BTSI PARK
LOCKShifter Lock Solenoid
AIR BAG Air Bag
BCM PWR Body Control Module
HAZARD Hazard Flashers
LH HEATED
SEATDriver’s Heated Seat
Fuses Usage
Blank Not Used
BCM ACCIgnition Signal: Hot in ACC and Run,
Body Control Module
Blank Not Used
LOW BLOWER Low Blower
ABS Anti-Lock Brakes
TURN
SIGNALS,
CORN LPSTurn Signals, Cornering Lamps
RADIO, HVAC,
RFA,
CLUSTERRadio, Heating Ventilation Air
Conditioning Head, Remote Keyless
Entry, Cluster
HIGH BLOWER High Blower
RH HEATED
SEATPassenger’s Heated Seat
STRG WHL
CONTAudio Steering Wheel Controls
WIPER Windshield Wipers
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Underhood Fuse Block
Some fuses and relays are located in the underhood
fuse block on the passenger’s side of the vehicle in the
engine compartment. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-10or more information on location.
Fuses Usage
1 Anti-Lock Brake System
2 Starter Solenoid
3Power Seats, Rear Window
Defogger Heated Seats
4High Blower, Hazard Flasher,
Stoplamps, Power Mirror, Door
Locks
5Ignition Switch, BTSI, Stoplamps,
Anti-Lock Brake System, Turn
Signals, Cluster, Air Bag, Daytime
Running Lamps Module
6 Cooling Fan
7Retained Accessory Power, Keyless
Entry, Data Link, Heating Ventilation
Air Conditioning Head, Cluster,
Radio, Auxiliary Power (Power
Drop), Cigarette Lighter
8Ignition Switch, Wipers, Radio,
Steering Wheel Controls, Body
Control Module, Auxiliary Power
(Power Drop), Power Windows,
Sunroof, Heating Ventilation Air
Conditioning Controls, Daytime
Running Lamps, Rear Window
Defogger Relay
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