2007 BUICK TERRAZA Owner's Manual

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways,
parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or
superhighways — are the safest of all roads.
But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is:
Keep up with traffic and keep to the right.
Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers
are driving.Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic
ow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a
passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads
to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the
freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you
should begin to check traffic. Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the ow. Try to
merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and
glance over your shoulder as often as necessary.
Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed
to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it
is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want
to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then
use your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly
over your shoulder to make sure there is not
another vehicle in your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make
certain you allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
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When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your
exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite
sharply. The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After
driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may
tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If
you must start when you are not fresh — such
as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too
many miles that rst part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily
drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it
needs service, have it done before starting out.Of course, you will nd experienced and able
service experts in GM dealerships all across North
America. They will be ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir
full? Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you
checked all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses
clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough
for long-distance driving? Are the tires
all inated to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather
outlook along your route? Should you
delay your trip a short time to avoid a major
storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway
hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of
awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road
with the same scenery, along with the hum of
the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and
the rush of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First,
be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with
a comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get
some exercise, or both. For safety, treat
drowsiness on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different
from driving in at or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that
can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all uid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transaxle. These parts
can work hard on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes
could get so hot that they would not 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.
{CAUTION:
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
would not 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.
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.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift
down to a lower gear. The lower gears help
cool your engine and transaxle, and you can
climb the hill better.
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Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not 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.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 449.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some
winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight, a
red cloth, and a couple of reective warning
triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe
conditions, include a small bag of sand, a
piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to
help provide traction. Be sure you properly
secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires
meet the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery
situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip,
and will need to be very careful.What is 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 is 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.
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Traction control improves your ability to accelerate
when driving on a slippery road. But you can
turn the traction system off if you ever need to.
You should turn the traction system off if your
vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow on page 377. Even though your vehicle
has a traction system, you will want to slow
down and adjust your driving to the road
conditions. Under certain conditions, you may
want to turn the traction system off, such as when
driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to
help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 353
andStabiliTrak
®System on page 355.
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 351.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patchesmay appear in shaded areas where the sun
cannot reach, such as 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 are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are 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 hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you do not have blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, oor
mats — anything you can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be
careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO
(carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you. You
cannot see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away
snow from around the base of your
vehicle, especially any that is blocking
your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow
does not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of
the vehicle that is away from the wind.
This will help keep CO out.
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.
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