warning BUICK PARK AVENUE 1999 User Guide

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2-73
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a driver information system
that works along with the warning lights and gages. See
ªDriver Information Systemº in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver's safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds.
If the driver's belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.
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2-74 Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag's electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see ªAir
Bagº in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Battery Warning Light
When you turn the key
to RUN, this light will
come on briefly, to show
the battery charging
system is working.
When the light goes off and stays off, the charging
system is working.
If the light stays on, a chime will sound indicating
you need service, and you should take your vehicle to
the dealer at once. To save your battery until you get
there, turn off all accessories and turn off your climate
control system.
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2-75 Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
when you turn the key to
START. If it doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if
there's a problem.
If the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See ªTowing
Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will also come on when you set your parking
brake. The light will stay on if your parking brake
doesn't release fully. If you try to drive off with the
parking brake set, a chime will also come on until you
release the parking brake. If the light and chime stay on
after your parking brake is fully released, it means you
have a brake problem.
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2-76 Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on and the chime sounds, turn the ignition
to OFF. Or, if the light comes on and the chime sounds
when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and turn the
ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on and the chime sounds, or
the light comes on again while you're driving, your
vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system warning
light isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti
-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning light
is also on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System Warning
Light (Option)
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem. If it
stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system and your
vehicle may need service. When this warning light is on,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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2-77
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the end of the shift lever, the warning
light will come on and stay on. To turn the system
back on, press the button again. The warning light
should go off. (See ªTraction Control Systemº in the
Index for more information.)

If there's a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off, the warning light will come on and the
chime will sound.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off,
the warning light will come on and the chime
will sound.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage measures the
temperature of your engine.
If the pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
hot. A temperature indicator
light will turn on and a
chime will sound.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, and the temperature indicator light
turns on, you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle
and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The section ªProblems on the Road,º in this manual
explains what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.
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2-81 Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on if
you have certain
non
-emission related
vehicle problems.
For example, if the entire electrical system fails to send
and receive messages from the vehicle's components, the
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON warning light comes on.
These problems may not be obvious and may affect
vehicle performance or durability. Consult a qualified
dealership for necessary repairs to maintain top vehicle
performance. The light will come on briefly when your
ignition is turned on to show that it is working properly.
Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on when you set your cruise
control. See ªCruise
Controlº in the Index.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in your
tank. It works only when
the ignition is on.
When the indicator moves to the edge of the low fuel
warning band, the low fuel light will turn on and a
chime will sound. You still have a little fuel left, but you
need to get more fuel right away.
A concern owners have had about the fuel gage is that it
takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated
half full, but it took more (or less) than half of the tank's
capacity to fill it. This situation is normal and indicates
nothing wrong with the fuel gage.
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2-82
Head-Up Display (HUD)
(If Equipped)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up Display
(HUD), you can see some of the driver information that
appears on your instrument cluster.
The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as a reflection in the windshield. The
HUD consists of the following information:

Speedometer Reading

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-Beam Headlamp Indicator

CHECK GAGES Message
The HUD shows these images when they are lighted on
the instrument panel cluster.
Be sure to continue scanning your displays, controls and
driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel, you may not see something important, such as a
warning light.
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2-84 Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield as necessary to
remove any dirt or film that reduces the sharpness or
clarity of the HUD image.
To clean the HUD lens, spray household glass cleaner
on a soft, clean cloth. Gently wipe and dry the HUD
lens. Do not spray cleaner directly on the lens to avoid
cleaner leaking inside the unit.
If You Can't See The HUD Image When the
Ignition is On
If the ignition is on and you can't see the HUD image,
check to see if:

The headlamps are on.

Something is covering the HUD unit.

The HUD dimmer control is adjusted properly.

The HUD image is adjusted to the proper height.

A fuse is blown. See ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in
the Index.
Keep in mind that your windshield is part of the HUD
system. If you ever have to have your windshield
replaced, be sure to get one that is designed for HUD or
your HUD image may look blurred or out of focus.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Driver Information
Center (DIC). The DIC will display information about
how your vehicle is functioning, as well as warning
messages if a system problem is detected.
The following buttons are
on the DIC control panel
which is located to the left
of the steering column:

ODO/TRIP: Use this button to display your total and
trip miles.

FUEL INFO: Press this button to display fuel
information such as fuel used, fuel range and
fuel economy.
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2-87
Tire Pressure Status: Press the GAGE INFO button
until TIRE PRESSURE appears in the display. TIRE
PRESSURE NORMAL is displayed when the Check
Tire Pressure System believes your vehicle's tire
pressures are normal. If a potential tire pressure problem
is detected, the display will show TIRE PRESSURE
LOW: CHECK TIRES. If you see the TIRE
PRESSURE LOW: CHECK TIRES message, you
should stop as soon as you can and check all your tires
for damage. (If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire Goes Flatº in
the Index.) Also check the tire pressure in all four tires
as soon as you can. See ªInflation
- Tire Pressureº and
ªCheck Tire Pressure Systemº in the Index.
There are times when you will have to reset (calibrate)
the Check Tire Pressure System. See ªCheck Tire
Pressure Systemº in the Index.
DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display such as:

WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW

ENG COOLANT LOW
- CHECK LEVEL

ENGINE OIL LOW
- CHECK LEVEL

CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVE

DOOR AJAR

TRUNK AJAR
Pressing any of the DIC control buttons will remove the
above messages or warnings from the DIC display.
DIC Display and
Personal Choice Programming
The DIC is used to program the personal choices of two
drivers. The drivers are recognized as DRIVER #1 and
DRIVER #2. The DIC will identify a person as UNKNOWN
DRIVER if they are neither DRIVER #1 nor DRIVER #2.
You will let the DIC know which driver you are by using
your remote keyless entry transmitter or by pressing one of
the MEMORY buttons located on the driver's door. Each
remote keyless entry transmitter was pre
-programmed to
belong to DRIVER #1 or DRIVER #2. Each transmitter may
be programmed differently for each driver.
After you press UNLOCK on your transmitter and the
ignition is in RUN, the DIC will automatically display
the identified driver number. The vehicle will recall the
personal choice settings that were last made to
correspond to your transmitter, including your radio and
comfort control settings. See ªComfort Controls,
Personal Choiceº in the Index.
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Avoid needless 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 cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If 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 harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.
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