wheel BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 User Guide

Parking Brake
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear wheels.
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your
left foot.
If the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull the brake
release lever.
If you try to drive off with the parking braKe on, the
brake light stays on and a chime sounds until
you release
the parking brake or recycle the ignition.
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Driving with the parking brake on can cause youkz.,--.I
rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace-
them, and you could also damage other parts of
If YOU are on a hill: See “Parking on Hills” in the Index.
That section shows how to turn your front wheels.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill:
See “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into “P” (Park)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in “P” (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t move,
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you are parking on a hill, or if
you’re pulling a trailer, also see “Parking On
H”‘ ;” or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set
the parking brake.
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Power Windows
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Your power window controls are on the armrest. The
switch for the driver’s window has an express-down
feature. Pull the switch back all
the way, release it and
the window will lower automatically.
To stop the
window from lowering, push the switch forward.
To
partially open the window, pull the switch back and
quickly release it.
You may
also have a lock out button. Push LOCK to
disable the power window switches. This will prevent
passengers
from opening and closing the windows. The
driver can still control all the windows
with the switch
in the locked position. Push UNLOCK to allow your
passengers to be able to use their window switches
again.
Horn
To sound the horn, press a pad with the horn symbol on
either side
of the steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
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A tilt steering wheel
allows you to adjust the
steering wheel before
you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
To
tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock
the wheel in place.
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Cruise Control
L .. . .
With Cruise Control, you can maintain 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.
A CAUTION:
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.
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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
7
280
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
100
.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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KK
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam
on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. The
computer separately works the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels. You
can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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I CAUTION:
Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to
get your foot
up to the brake pedal. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t
have time to
apply your brakes ifethat vehicle
suddenly
stows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you have
antblock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock:
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for
you.
When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away,
you may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise. And
you may even notice that your brake pedal moves a little
while this is going on. This is the ABS system testing
itself. You may also hear this during a hard stop.
Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful
in slippery
road conditions. The traction control system works at
low speeds only, such as when you accelerate from a stop. It
applies brake pressure
to an individual wheel
that the system senses is about to spin.
You may feel the system working, or you may notice
some noise, but this is normal.
TRACTION
OFF
The “TRACTION OFF” warning light lets you know if
your traction control system is not working. See
“Traction Control System Warning Light” in the Index.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
Your Buick has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come
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Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you ‘can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops
or the system fails to function, you can steer but it
.will take much more effort.
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 changejts 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 understand 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.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate.
Those two control systems
-- steering .and acceleration --
can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Let up on the
.accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves
warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust
your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see
the road ahead of you because it bends away from the
straight beams of your lights. This is one good reason to
drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are timi% when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s
the time for evasive action
-- steering around the
problem.
Your Buick can perform very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object. You must then be prepared to steer
back
to your original lane and then brake to a controlled
stop.
Depending on your speed, this can be rather violent for
an unprepared driver. This is one of the reasons driving
experts recommend
that you use your safety belts and
keep both hands on the steering wheel.
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D
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times.
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