Steering - Buick 2003 Century Owner's Manual

Steering
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Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
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it
will take much more effort.
To turn the system off, your gear shift lever must be in
FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. See "Rocking Your
Vehicle To Get It Out" under If You Are Stuck: In Sand,
Mud,
Ice or
Snow on page 4-31. When you turn the
system off, the Enhanced Traction System warning light
will come on and stay on. If the Enhanced Traction
System is limiting wheel spin when
you
turn the system
off, 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 limit wheel spin. Also, if you
set the parking brake, the system will turn off.
You can turn the system back on at any time by shifting
to OVERDRIVE (@) or THIRD (3). The Enhanced
Traction System warning light should go off.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a 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 against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you've ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll
nnderst2nd this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you're in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
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