BUICK PARK AVENUE 1997 Owners Manual

Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn. Engine exhaust can
kill.
It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
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Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
I
CAUl
Idling the engine with the climate control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is
at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.)
/r CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling
a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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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, pull the switch again. To
partially open the window, pull the switch back half
way. When the switch is released, the window will stop
moving. To raise the window, hold the switch forward.
Window Lock
Press the WINDOW LOCK switch on the driver’s
armrest to disable all passenger window switches. The
middle of the switch will light
to indicate the window
lockout is active. The driver’s window controls will still
be operable. This is a useful feature if you have young
children as passengers.
Press the WINDOW
LOCK switch a second time to
allow passengers to use their window switches again.
The light in the center of the switch will go off to
indicate that the feature is disabled.
Vehicles are delivered programmed to lock out all
passenger windows. See your Buick dealer if you
choose
to have this setting changed to lock out only
the rear windows.
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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.
Tilt Wheel
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 toward you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable position, then release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
'hrn SignaVMultifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers and Washer
0 Cruise Control
Flash-to-Pass
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Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever
all the way up or down.
When the turn
is finished, the lever will return
automatically. An
arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction
of the turn or lane
change.
If your vehcle is
equipped with the Head-Up
Display
(HUD), an arrow
will also appear in the
display area to indicate the
direction
of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows flash
at twice the normal rate, this may indicate that a signal
bulb may be burned out and other drivers won’t see your
turn signal.
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If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit
Breakers” in the Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring
for the trailer lamps, the signal indicator will flash even
if
a turn signal bulb is burned out. Check the front
and rear turn signal lamps regularly to make sure
they
are working. Note: You do not need to add a
different flasher.
’hrn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high to
low, pull the turn signal lever toward you, then release it.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
When the high beams are
on, a light on the instrument
panel will also be on. If
your vehicle is equipped
with
HUD, this light
will also appear in the
display area.
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front
of you that you want to pass. It
works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you, but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high-beam headlamps will turn on. They’ll stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward you and the
high-beam indicator on the dash will come on. Release
the lever to turn the high-beam headlamps off.
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Windshield Wipers You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain
or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
. .I . . . /, ., . closer to LO, the shorter the delay between wipes. ,. .
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked
WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle. If you want more cycles, hold the
band on MIST longer. For
steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you to the
LO position. For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers, move
the band to OFF.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely.
To avoid
damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the
wiper blades before using them. If they’re frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or thaw them.
If your blades become damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
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Rain Sense Wipers (If Equipped)
This system automatically operates the wipers by
monitoring the amount of moisture on the windshield.
There is a sensor that controls the operation of this
feature mounted toward the passenger’s side windshield
interior, behind the rearview mirror.
The rain sense system is activated by turning the wiper
band to a position within the
DELAY area. You can set
the sensitivity level of the wipers by turning the wiper
band. The closer the wiper band is positioned to
LO, the
more sensitive the wipers are to rain. The closer it is positioned to
OFFMIST, the
less sensitive the wipers
are to rain.
If the wiper band is left in the DELAY area when the
ignition is turned
off, an initial wipe occurs when you
turn the ignition on as a reminder that the rain sense
feature
is active.
The rain sense wipers operate in a delay mode as well as
a continuous speed, depending on the amount of
moisture on the windshield and the sensitivity setting.
The MIST and wash cycles operate as normal and are
not effected by the rain sense function.
NOTICE:
To avoid wiper damage when using an automatic
car wash, turn the wiper band to
OFF to
disengage the rain sense feature.
It is important to note that the rain sense wiping feature
can be overridden at any time by manually turning the
wiper band
to LO or HI speed.
If the windshield on your vehicle ever needs
replacement, make sure that the new windshield
is rain
sense compatible.
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Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever there’s a paddle
with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, push the paddle for less than a second. The
wipers will clear the window and then either stop or
return
to your preset speed. For more washer cycles,
push and hold the paddle.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
If your vehicle is equipped with a DIC, a
WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW message will
appear on the display when you are low on washer fluid.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can
maintain a speed
of about
25 mph (40 kmh) 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.
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0
0
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.
~~~ ~~ ~
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. (See
“Traction Control System”
in the Index.) When road
conditions allow you
to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back
on.
Setting Cruise Control
I A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control
you’re not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want
to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want
to use it.
1. Move the cruise control
switch to
ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
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