brake light BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 Owners Manual

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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have to do with
your lights:
LIGHTS PC
HIGH BEAM OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD ' ' '
WASHER
l0 'r' -1
WINDSHIELD 6$
WASHER 8
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
3f
HEADLAMP -
WIPER -
WASHER iQ
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
RADIATOR
a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL wb
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL &4
ANTILOCK (a)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
>
VOLUME
HATCHBACK
e
TRUNK
RELEASE
LIGHTER
1-1
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
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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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rassmg Anomer Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the 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.
1. Step lightly on the
brake pedal
; OR
L
2. Move the Cruise
switch to
"OFF."
(The "CRUISE"
light will go out.)
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0
0
0
0
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
I
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.)
I -
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.
1
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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time. A green arrow means you may drive in that lane.
Look for the signs posted to warn drivers what hours
and days these systems are in effect.
Pavement Markings
NO
PASSING
ZONE
Pavement markings add to traffic signs and signals.
They give information to drivers without taking
attention from the roadway. A solid yellow line
on your
side of the road
or lane means “don’t cross.”
Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not only more polite,
it’s safer to let other drivers know what you are doing.
And in some places the law requires driver signals.
Turn and lane change signals. Always signal when you
plan to turn or change lanes.
If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight
out for a left turn, down for slow or
about-to-stop, and up for a right turn.
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice in advance of slowing or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal that your
vehicle
is disabled or is a hazard. See “Hazard Warning
Flashers” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter
what the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some of the road conditions
you may encounter.
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.)
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Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
- time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time
is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20
m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care.
Some,
however, overwork the braking system with poor
driving habits.
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.
0 Don’t “ride’’ the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly on the brake pedal while driving.
a==-- . . -.
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1 A CAUTION:
“Riding” your brakes can cause them to overheat
to the point
that they won’t work well. You might
not be able to stop your vehicle
in time to avoid
an accident.
If you “ride” your brakes, they will I
get so hot they will require a lot of pedal force to
slow you down. Avoid “riding” the brakes.
‘I
E:
e brakes weafs them out much faster
You would need costly brake replacement much
sooner than normal, and
it also reduces fuel
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 Buick has an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent skidding.
This light on the instrument panel will
go on when you
start your vehicle.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in the
Index.
ANTI
LOCK ANTI
LOCK
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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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