Buick 2009 Enclave User Manual

Page 269

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Passing

More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. Because
the rig is longer, it is necessary to
go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before returning to
the lane.

Backing Up

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, 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. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.

When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,

curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.

Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer

The arrows on the instrument panel
flash whenever signaling a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.

When towing a trailer, the arrows
on the instrument panel flash
for turns even if the bulbs on the
trailer are burned out. For this
reason you may think other drivers
are seeing the signal when they
are not. It is important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.

Driving on Grades

Because of the added load of the
trailer, the vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days, when going
up a long or steep grade with a
trailer. If the engine coolant

temperature gage indicates
overheating, turn off the air
conditioning to reduce engine load,
pull off the road and stop in a
safe spot. Let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off.

Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long
or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.

On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce the vehicle speed
to around 55 mph (88 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of the engine
and the transmission overheating.

Driving Your Vehicle

4-29

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