ignition BUICK PARK AVENUE 1996 Owner's Manual

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find
it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)”
in the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
befure you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of the
pressure from the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out of PARK
(P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Buick has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can
I
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF. Open and close the driver’s
door to turn off the Retained Accessory Power
feature (if equipped).
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s armrest control each of the
windows while the ignition is
on or retained accessory
power is active. In addition, each passenger door has a
switch for its own window.
Express-Down Window
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 again.
To
partially open the window, pull the switch back and
quickly release it. To raise the window, hold the
switch forward.
Window Lock
Press the LOCK switch on the driver’s armrest to
disable all passenger window switches. The driver’s
window controls will still be operable. This is
a useful
feature when you have young children
as passengers.
Press the
UNLOCK switch to allow passengers to use
their window switches again.
Horn
Nearly the entire surface of the center pad of the
steering wheel is an active horn switch. Press anywhere
on the pad to sound the horn.
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
Haw 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
0 Move the cruise switch to OFF. The CRUISE light
will also go
out.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Lamps
H Adlamps
This switch controls these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
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Press the LIGHTS switch to turn the headlamps on.
Press it again to turn them
off.
Press the PARK switch to turn the parking lamps on.
Press it again
to turn them off. (If the parking lamps
were turned on with the PARK switch, they must be
turned off with that switch.)
Lamps On Reminder
If you leave the manual headlamp or parking lamp
switch on, remove the key from the ignition and open
the driver’s door, you will hear a continuous warning
chime. The chime will turn
off when the lamps are
turned
off.
Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
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 monitors
the exterior light level
for the operation of DRL and
twilight sentinel,
so be sure it isn’t covered. The
DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness in daylight when:
The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
0 The transaxle is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps will
be on. The parking lamps, 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 turn on with your headlamps, will also turn
on. When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps
will turn
off, and your low-beam headlamps change to
the reduced brightness of
DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, shift the
transaxle into PARK
(P). The DRL will stay off until
you shift out of PARK (P).
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are
parked, turn
off the headlamps and move the twilight
sentinel control all the way toward
MIN.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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Lamp Monitors (Option)
This system will let you know when certain exterior
lamp bulbs fad. When you start your car, all eight lamps
come
on briefly to show that'the system is working.
When a bulb
fails, an indicator will flash for several
seconds and then
stay on until the failed bulb is replaced
and lit.
For example, if a burned out back-up,lamp bulb
is replaced, the indicator for back-up lamps will stay on
until the transaxle is put in REVERSE (R) with the
ignition
ON. The bulbs are monitored only while they
are being used.
If you.have recently had a low battery condition or the
battery has been disconnected and reconnected, the
indicators
will flash when you turn the ignition switch to
RUN. Turning on the parking lamps will return the lamp
monitor system to normal operation.
Bulbs Monitored
Indicator
High Beam
Low Beam
Left Turn
Right Tun
Tail
Parking
stop
Back-up
Bulbs Monitored
Both Headlamp High Beams
Both Headlamp Low Beams
1 Front Left Turn/Pwk
1 Front Right Turnpark
2 Tail Only
2 Park/TUm
4 Rear StopDurn
2 Back-up
Cornering Lamps (Option)
The cornering lamps are designea 10 come on when you
signal a turn.
This will provide more light for cornering
at night.
2-45
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Time Out Feature (Option)
On vehicles equipped with the optional Remote Keyless
Entry system, the interior lamps will automatically turn
off after a
10 minute period if a door is left open. This
feature
is designed to help eliminate battery wear down.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you
to enter and leave the car. You can
also turn these lamps on by sliding the panel lights lever
to INT (interior).
Delayed Entry Lighting
When you open the door, the interior lamps will come
on. When you close the door with the ignition off, the
interior lamps will stay on for
25 seconds or until the
ignition
is turned to an on position. Please note that
locking the doors will override the delayed entry
lighting feature and the lamps will turn off right away.
Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to five-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off.
Delayed Exit Lighting
With this feature, the interior lamps will come on for
25 seconds after you remove the key from the ignition.
This will give you time
to find the door pull handle or
lock switches.
Illuminated Entry System (Option)
When you lift the outside handle of either front door or
press the
UNLOCK button on the optional remote
keyless entry transmitter, the lamps inside your vehicle
will turn on. These lamps will turn
off after about one
minute. These lamps will also turn
off if you start the
engine, press the
LOCK button on the transmitter or
activate the power door locks.
If a door is left ajar, your interior lamps will turn off
after
10 minutes to save your battery.
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~~ ~~ ~ Y - .* -
TrurkLamp
When
you open. the trunk to its full open position, a
' lamp will come on inside the trunk. This lamp will
automatically
turn off when the trunk is closed.
Battery Rundown' Protection
This feature shuts off the courtesy, reading, trunk, glove
box and visor vanity mirror lamps,
if any are left on for
more than
10 minutes when the ignition is off. This will
keep your battery from running down.
"
Mirrors
Inside Manual Day/Night Rearview Mirror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror
so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. Grip the mirror
in the center to move it up or
down and side to side. The day/night adjustment allows
you to adjust the mirror
to avoid glare from the lamps r
behind you. Pull the tab forward for daytime use; push it
back for night use.
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use a cotton swab ana glass cleaner to clean the
photocells when necessary.
Compass Calibration
Once the compass is calibrated, it does not need to be
recalibrated as long as the mirror
is left in your vehicle
and the vehicle remains in the same geographical zone.
To calibrate the compass:
1. Set the switch on the mirror control to C/M.
2. Turn the vehicle ignition switch on. The letter C
should be displayed in the mirror compass window.
If not, hold the
CAL switch (on the bottom of the
mirror) for more than
10 seconds, and the letter C
should appear. To hold in the CAL switch, insert a
paper clip into the small hole on the bottom of the
mirror housing. The display will show
a number
first, but keep holding until the letter
C appears.
3. For quick calibration, drive the vehicle in a
360-degree circle at less than
5 mph (8 km/h) until
the display reads a compass direction.
For normal calibration, drive the vehicle on your everyday routine, and the compass will
eventually calibrate. Variance
is the difference between magnetic north and
geographic north. In some areas, the difference between
the two can be great enough to cause false compass
readings. If this happens, follow these instructions
to set
the variance for your particular location:
1. Find your location on the zone map. Note your
zone number.
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Rear License Plate Holder
To use the rear license plate holder, open the trunk lid
and slide your license plate into the slot. Always close
the trunk to prevent theft of the plate.
Astroroof (Option)
If you have the
express-open astroroof
option, the switch is
on the
roof between the sun visors.
It will open the astroroof
when in retained accessory
power or when the ignition
is on.
To open the glass panel and sunshade, press the switch
rearward and release. The astroroof will open
automatically to the full open position.
To stop the panel
in a partially open position, press the switch again at the
desired point. To continue to open fully, press the switch
rearward again and release. The sunshade can also be
opened manually.
To close the glass panel, press and hold the switch
forward. The sunshade must be manually closed.
Once the astroroof is closed, it can be opened to a vent
position. Press the switch forward to vent. To close,
press the switch rearward. The sunshade must be opened
and closed manually for vent operation.
Assist Handles
A folding handle over each rear door and the front
passenger’s door can be used to help you get in or out
of your Buick.
2-63
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1. Air Outlet
2. Headlamps Switch
3. Parking Lamps Switch
4. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
5. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
6. Instrument Cluster/Gages
7. Hazard Warning Flasher Switch
8. Audio System
9. Passenger’s Side SRS (Air Bag)
10. Glove Box
11. Climate Control System
12. Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
13. Ignition Switch
14. Driver’s Side
SRS (Air Bag)
15. Traction Control Switch
16. Fuel Button
17.
Trunk Release
18. Hood Release
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