BUICK PARK AVENUE 1996 Owners Manual

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
e Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belts, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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NOTES
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard
Warning ,Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn’ others. They
also let police know
you have a. problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash
on and off.
Press the button in to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on
and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is
in, and even if the key isn’t in.
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To turn off the flashers, pull
out on the collar. When the
hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
won't work. Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Buick. But please follow the steps
in this part to do
it safely.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
If you don't follow these steps exactly, some
or all
of these things can hurt you. burn you.
1. Check the
other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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NOTICE: NOTICE: ~
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged. If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
your warranty.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your Buick, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in PARK
(P) or a manual
transaxle in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off the
radios and all lamps that aren’t needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. It could
save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
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An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
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A CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light. .
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to
add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps,. be sure the rightamount
offluid is there.
If it is low, add water to take care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
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6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock
and the vehicles could. be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
, . ’
things you should know. Positive (+) will ‘go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal .engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other
parts, too.
,.
.,
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Fans or other moving engine parts ean injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
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7. Connect the red
positive
(+) cable to the
positive
(+) terminal of
the vehicle with the dead
battery. Use a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
8. Don’t let the other
end touch metal. Connect it to the
positive
(+)
terminal of the
good battery. Use a
remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the
black negative
(-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t
let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end of the negative
(-) cable doesn’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to a heavy unpainted metal
part
on the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery.
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10.
11. 12.
Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
there, but the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to-start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or
any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B
. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding after-market items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle can only be towed with certain
equipment, as described later in this section.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fully
secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
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L
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut
by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They
will damage drivetrain and
suspension components. When your vehicle
is being towed, have
the ignition
key in the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a
clamping device designed for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The
transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking
brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must
be towed on the
front wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.
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