brake BUICK REGAL 1996 User Guide

It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly
set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
indows
?ewer Windows
r
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
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Cruise Control
A CAUT1,ON:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads. or in heavy traffic.
Cruise, control can be dangerous
on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. .Don’t
use cruise control
on slippery roads.
With cruise control, you can rqaintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then
you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch
OFF until you
want to use
it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release it. The
CRUISE light on the
instrument panel will
come on.
4. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
WA (Resume/Accelerate)
for about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to
your chosen speed and
stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go ,to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
0 Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed
you want, and
then release
the switch. To increase your speed in
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very small amounts, move the switch to R/A.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 kdh) faster.
The accelerate feature will
only work after you set
the cruise control speed by pushing the
SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want,
then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
SET button for less than half a second. Each time
you do this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 kmh) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or
shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down.
Of course, applying the brake
takes you out
of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, or
shift into PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), your cruise
control set speed memory
is erased.
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Lamps
The lamp controls are on the instrument panel. They
control these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
0 .Courtesy Lamps Turn
the knob
to ON to turn on the headlamps and other
operating lamps.
Turn the knob to
PARK to turn on the parking and other
operating lamps without the headlamps.
Turn the knob to
OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound when you turn the ignition
switch to
OFF, LOCK or ACC with the lamps on.
Daytime Running Lamps (Option)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
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When the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be lit
up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will change to
full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go off and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition
is in OFF or LOCK. Then start
your vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
moving
the PANEL LAMPS dial. If you turn the dial
past
HI, your courtesy or interior lamps will come on.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make
it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle. You can also turn these
lamps on by moving the PANEL LAMPS dial all the
way up past
HI.
Some of the lamps have switches so you can turn them
on, even when the doors are closed. These lamps are
reading lamps.
To avoid draining your battery, be sure to
turn
of€ all reading lamps when leaving your vehicle.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your Buick’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 could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. 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 comes 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, or if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
and “Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
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 or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing
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 it stays 011 after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and
it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. 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.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in
the Index.)
A
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake
system warning light flashing can lead
to an
accident. After you’ve pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
f the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes
on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine againto reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Buick needs service. If the
light is
on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
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.
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E
Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
-
TEMP
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan
is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for
a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure,
The anti-lock brake system active light
also comes 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
there to tell you when the system is active. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find information about driving on different
kinds
of roads and in varying weather conditions. We’ve
also included many other useful tips on driving.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with
a very important safety device in your
Buick: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet
they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never
know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
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