BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 Owners Manual

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At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads“F”.
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have indicated
1/2 full, but it took more (or less) than half of the
tank’s capacity to fill it.
The gage moves a little when
you turn a corner,
speed up, or stop your vehicle.
When you turn the engine off, the gage doesn’t go all
the way back to
“E”.
Low Fuel Light (Option)
If your Buick has this
option, a red light, near the
fuel gage, will go on when
you are low on fuel.
You
should get more fuel as
soon as you can.
Brake System Warning Light
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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 goes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on as you start the vehicle. If it
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s
a problem.
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This light will also come on when you set your parking
brake, and 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. If the light and chime come on
while driving, pull
off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to .push. Or, the peda
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 “Towing Your Car” in the Index.)
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A CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
brake 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.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With anti-lock, this light will go on when you start your
engine and may stay on for several seconds or
so. That’s
normal. If the light doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it
will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light stays
on or comes on when you’re driving,
stop as soon as possible and turn the key
off. Then start
the engine
to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you’re driving, your Buick
needs service. Unless the regular brake system warning
light
is also on, you will still have brakes, but not
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light
is also on, see “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
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The anti-lock brake system warning light may also come
on when you are driving with a compact spare tire. If
this happens, the light means you won’t have anti-lock
until you replace the compact spare with a full-size tire.
If the warning light stays on after you replace the
compact spare
with a full-size tire, or if it comes on
again when
you’re driving, your Buick needs service.
Traction Control System Warning Light
(Option)
I The “TRACTION OFF”
warning light means that
the system is not working.
This warning light may
come on for the following
reasons:
If your transaxle overheats, the traction control
system automatically shuts off for about three minutes.
The warning light will come on and stay on
during that time.
If your brakes overheat, the traction control system
will
go off and the warning light will come on until
your brakes cool down.
If the “TRACTION OFF” warning light comes on and
stays on
for an extended period of time, your vehicle
needs service.
A CAUTION:
1 If you let your tires spin at high speed when the
“TRACTION
OFF” warning light is on, they can
explode and you or others could be injured. And,
spinning your tires with the “TRACTION
OFF”
warning light on can cause the transaxle to
overheat or can cause other problems. That
could cause an engine fire or other damage.
When you’re stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don’t spin the wheels above
35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
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I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels when the “TRACTION
OFF” warning light is on can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin your
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle
back and forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
When you’re stuck, spin the wheels
as little as
possible.
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working. If you have been operating your vehicle under
normal driving conditions,
you should pull off the road,
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
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stop your vehicle and turn the engine off as soon as
possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
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.Id pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
If you have the Gage Cluster, you have a gage that
shows the engine coolant temperature.
If the gage
This light
tells you that your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator cooling fans are
not
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you
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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.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
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If you have this light and it
comes on, your system
is
low on coolant and the
engine may overheat.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Engine Oil Pressure Light and Gage
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This light tells you if there could be a problem with your
engine oil pressure.
If your car has the optional gage cluster, you can read
your oil pressure directly from the gage
on your
instrument panel.
There are three ways this light can come on briefly,
which
is normal and doesn’t show a problem. They are:
The light comes on when you turn your key to
“Run.” It goes off once you turn
it to “Start.” That’s
just a check to be sure the light works. If it doesn’t,
be sure to have it fixed so it will be there to warn you
if something goes wrong.
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If you’re “idling” at a stop sign, the light may blink
on and then
off.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment.
But, when this light comes on and stays on, it means
oil isn’t going through your engine properly.
You could
be low on oil, or you might have some other oil
problem.
A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you
do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
“Check Oil Level’’ Light (Option)
CHECK
OIL LEVEL
The “Check Oil Level”
light is lit for three seconds
as a bulb check each time
the ignition key is turned
to
the RUN position. If the
light doesn’t come on, have
your vehicle serviced.
If the engine oil is more than one quart low, the light
will come on briefly, then go off for 15-25 seconds, and
then come back
on for 20-40 seconds.
However,
if it has not been more than eight minutes
since the engine was last shut
off, the system will not
register low engine oil condition.
If the “Check Oil Level” light comes back on, the
engine
oil should be checked at the dipstick and then
brought up to the proper level if necessary. See “Engine
Oil” in the Index.
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“Change Oil Soon” Light (Option)
CHANGE
OIL SOON
This light is activated by
the Engine Oil Life
Monitor System. It
indicates that the engine oil
has degraded enough to
require changing. (See
“Engine Oil” in the Index).
This is determined by electronically monitoring engine
speed, coolant temperature and vehicle speed. Since the
change interval is dependent upon driving habits and
conditions, the “Change Oil Soon” light may come on as
early as
2,000 miles or less for harsh conditions.
The “Change Oil Soon” light
is lit for three seconds as a
bulb check each time the ignition key is turned to the
RUN position. If an oil change is required, it will stay
on for
60 seconds each time the engine is started. If the
“Change Oil Soon” light is on continuously, there is a
problem with the Oil Life Monitor System and service is
required. After
changing; the engine oil, the system should be
- reset. This
will cause the “Change Oil Soon” light once
again,
to be lit for just the bulb check period of three
seconds.
The reset button is.inside this hole, which is under the
passenger’s side of the instrument panel, near the door.
With the ignition key in the
RUN position, but the
engine not started, use a pen to push the reset button,
holding
it in for at least 5 seconds but not more than 60
seconds. After 5 seconds, the “Change Oil Soon” light
will flash 4 times and then go off. This indicates that the
Oil Life Monitor System has been reset.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE SO0
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
A computer monitors operation of your fuel, ignition
and emission control systems. This light should come on
when the ignition is on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show you it is working. If it does not come on
at all, have
it fixed right away. If it stays on, or it comes
on while you are driving, the computer is indicating that
you have a problem. You should take your vehicle
in for
service soon.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light on-
after a while the emission controls won’t work as
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well, your fuel economy won’t be as good and
your engine may not run as smoothly. This could
lead
to costly rer>airs not covered by your
warranty.
Battery Light
VOLTS
When you turn the key to RUN, this light will come on
briefly, to show that your alternator and battery charging systems are working. If a light stays
on, you need
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service, and you should take your Buick to the dealer at
once. To save your battery
until you get there, turn off
all accessories, and set your air system to OFF.
Volts Gage
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If you have the optional gage cluster, you have this gage
that shows voltage
in the electrical system. The normal
range
is 11 to 15 volts. If the reading stays outside the
normal range, have your Buick dealer check the
electrical system.
Tachometer
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The tachometer tells you how fast the engine is running.
It displays engine speed in thousands of revolutions per
minute
(RPM).
I NOTICE: I
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
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Door Ajar Light (Option)
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When the ignition is ON,
this light will stay on until
all the doors are closed and
completely latched.
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Trunk Ajar Light (Option)
If this light stays on with
the ignition
ON, it means
that the trunk lid is open or
not completely latched.
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