tow BUICK PARK AVENUE 1997 User Guide

0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
I
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK
(P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
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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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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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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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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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Brake System Warning Light
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 comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
when you turn the key to
RUN. If it doesn’t come on
then, have
it fixed so it will
be ready to warn you if
there’s a problem.
I I
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving with the brake system 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.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will also come on when you set your parking
brake. 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 you are driving,
pull
off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal 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 Vehicle” in the Index.)
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If’ the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
e Reducing vehicle speed.
e Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following: Did
you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
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Sun and temperature sensors automatically adjust the air
temperature, the airflow direction and the fan speed to
maintain your comfort setting. The system may supply
cooler air to the side toward the sun. Be careful not to
put anything over the sensors on top of the dash.
Temperature Button
To adjust the cornfort level you Want maintained inside
the vehicle, push the TEMP button. If you want a
warmer comfort level, push the red arrow. If you want a
cooler comfort level, push the blue arrow.
Your comfort
setting is shown in the display.
Fan Button
The speed of the blower fan is controlled automatically
if you have the system set for AUTO. Pressing the FAN button will
display and hold the current blower
fan setting.
If you want the blower fan to run at a lower speed, push
the bottom
of the FAN button. The fan speed will
decrease with every push
of the button until the lowest
speed is reached.
If you want to increase the fan speed,
push the top of the FAN button. Notice the fan
indicators on the display.
Mode Controls
Press the AIR FLOW button to deliver air through the
floor, middle or windshield outlets. The system will stay
in the selected mode until the AUTO button is pushed.
Press the up or down arrow on the AIR
FLOW button to
cycle through the available modes.
Automatic Operation
Press the AUTO button when you want the system
to automatically adjust to changes
in the temperature inside
the vehicle, the outside temperature and the sun load on the
vehicle. When the system is set for automatic operation,
air will come from the floor, middle or windshield outlets
depending on the temperature inside the vehicle, the outside
temperature and sun load. Fan speed will vary as the system gets to and maintains the comfort setting you have selected
through the use of the
TEMP button.
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To find your comfort setting, start with the system in
AUTO mode and the
TEMP button adjusted to a display
of
75 OF (24"C), give the vehicle about 20 minutes to
stabilize, and adjust your comfort setting if necessary, by
using the TEMP button. The display will show the
comfort setting, fan speed and airflow direction for a few
seconds, and then it will display the outside temperature.
In cold weather, the system will delay turning the fan on
high, to avoid blowing cold air. The length of the delay
depends on the engine coolant temperature and the
outside temperature. Pushing the FAN, AIR FLOW
or FRONT buttons will override this delay, turn
off the
AUTO setting and change the fan speed.
Manual Operation
You may also manually adjust the air delivery or fan speed.
AIR FLOW This button is used to change the direction
of the aifflow. The airflow choices available are FLOOR,
FLOOR-MID,
MID and WINDSHIELD-FLOOR. If the
system is set
for AUTO, pressing the AIR FLOW button
will display the current airflow direction, the comfort
setting and the fan speed. Press the AIR FLOW up or
down button again
to change the direction of the airflow.
If the AIR FLOW up button is selected while in the
FRONT defrost mode, the system will direct the air
toward the mid-position.
If the AIR FLOW down button is
selected while
in the FRONT defrost mode, the system
will direct the air toward the
FLOOR, and the FRONT
defrost mode will cancel. Notice the arrows in the display.
OFF: If the passenger comfort control is turned on, it
can be turned
off by pressing the OFF button once.
Pressing the OFF button a second time will turn
off the
main system. Turning
off the main system causes the fan
to turn off and the airflow to be directed to the FLOOR.
The system will still try to keep the interior of the
vehicle at the previous chosen comfort setting. The
outside temperature will show on the display when the
system is off.
The ventilation system always allows fresh air to flow
through your Buick when the vehicle is moving even
with the system in the OFF mode.
VENT: The VENT button allows outside air to flow
through your Buick without the air conditioning
compressor working. Selecting VENT and the AUTO
button at the same time allows the system to control
automatically without
the use of the air conditioning
compressor or the
use of the RECIRC mode. To turn
off the VENT selection, push the VENT button again.
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RECIRC: When RECIRC is selected, the system will
limit the amount of outside air entering your vehicle.
This is helpful when you
are trying to cool the interior
of the vehicle quickly or limit the amount of outside air
entering your vehicle for some other reason. RECIRC
and AUTO may be selected at the same time. The
system will remain in RECIRC until the ignition is
turned
off. The system will return back to the previously
selected mode when the car is turned back on. RECIRC
can be selected in all manual airflow modes except
FRONT defrost. RECIRC cannot be selected with the
VENT button.
FRONT This selection is used to defrost the
windshield by directing the airflow toward the windshield.
If FRONT is selected while in the AUTO mode, the fan
speed and the
air temperature from the front defroster will
vary.
If a manual fan speed setting is selected, the fan
speed will remain
at that selection until another fan speed
selection is made or the AUTO mode is selected. To turn
off FRONT, press the AUTO or AIR FLOW button.
FRONT defrost will work better if any
ice or snow is
cleared from the hood and the air inlet area between the
base of the windshield and the hood.
Air Conditioning
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for your
vehicle
to cool down. Then keep your windows closed
for the air conditioner to work its best.
On very hot days, the system will automatically enter
the RECIRC mode and the temperature door will be
positioned at the full cold position for maximum
cooling. If the system is not in the AUTO mode,
RECIRC should be selected to provide maximum
cooling.
You can choose the extreme comfort setting of
60°F (16"C), but the system will not cool any faster
by choosing the extreme comfort setting.
Heating
Press AUTO and adjust the temperature by pressing the
TEMP up or down arrow. You may also adjust the dual
automatic comfortemp system manually by pressing the
AIR FLOW button until FLOOR appears. Again, adjust
the temperature by pressing the TEMP up or down arrow.
Outside air will be brought in and sent through the
floor outlets. The heater works best if you keep your
windows closed.
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