warning light BUICK PARK AVENUE 1997 User Guide

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on and the chime sounds, turn the
ignition to
OFF. Or, if the light comes on and the chime
sounds when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible
and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the light still stays on and the chime
sounds, or the light comes on again while you’re
driving, your Buick needs service.
If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes,
but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular
brake system warning light is also on, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier in
this section. The
anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition
key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System Warning Light
(Option)
TRAC
OFF
This warning light should
come
on briefly as you start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn’t come
on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
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If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the end of the shift lever, the warning
light will come on and stay on. To turn the system
back on, press the button again. The warning light
should go
off. (See “Traction Control System” in
the Index for more information.)
If there’s a brake system problem that
is specifically
related
to traction control, the traction control system
will turn
off, the warning light will come on and the
chime will sound.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine related problem, the system will turn off,
the warning light will come on and the chime
will sound.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period
of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
TEMPERATURE
This gage measures the
temperature of your engine.
If the pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
hot.
A temperature indicator
light will turn on and a
chime will sound.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions and the temperature indicator light
turns on, you should pull off the road, stop your vehicle
and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The section “Problems on the Road,” in this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
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Service Vehicle Soon Light
SERVICE
VEHICLE SOON
This light will come on if
you have certain
non-emission related
vehicle problems.
I
These problems may not be obvious and may affect
vehicle performance or durability. Consult a qualified
Buick dealership for necessary repairs to maintain top
vehicle performance. The light will come on briefly
when your ignition is turned on to show that it is
working properly.
Fuel Gage
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
Your fuel gage shows
about how much fuel is in
your tank.
It works only when the ignition is on. When the
indicator moves to the edge of the low fuel warning
band, the low fuel light will turn on and a chime will
sound. You still have a little fuel left, but you need to get
more fuel right away.
A concern owners have had about the fuel gage is that it
takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage indicated.
For example, the gage may have indicated
half full, but it took more
(or less) than half of the tank's
capacity to fill it. This situation is normal and indicates
nothing wrong with the fuel gage.
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Head-Up Display (HUD)
(If Equipped)
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field
of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside,
Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed
low in your field
of view.
If your vehicle is equipped with the HUD, you can see
some of the driver information that appears on your
instrument cluster as a reflection in the windshield.
The information may be displayed
in English or metric
units and consists of the following:
Speedometer Reading
Turn Signal Indicators
High Beam Headlamp Indicator
Check Gages Message The
HUD shows these images
when they are lighted on
the instrument panel cluster.
Be sure to continue scanning your displays, controls and
driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without
HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel, you may not see something important, such as a
warning light.
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Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display such as:
WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW
0 ENG COOLANT LOW - CHECK LEVEL
ENGINE OIL LOW - CHECK LEVEL
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
CHECK TIRE PRESSURES
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVE
DOOR AJAR
TRUNK AJAR
Pressing any
of the DIC buttons will remove the above
messages or warnings from the DIC display.
Driver Information Center
Personal Choice Programming
The DIC can be used to program personal choice
features available with your vehicle, such as memory
seats, memory door locks, security feedback, delayed
locking and perimeter lighting. See “Personal Choice
Features” in the Index.
The DIC is used to program the personal choices of
two drivers. The driver’s are recognized by DRIVER
#1
and DRIVER #2. You will let the DIC know which
driver you are by using your Remote Keyless Entry
transmitter or by pressing the appropriate memory
seat control button located on the driver’s door. The
remote transmitter was pre-programmed to belong
to
DRIVER #1 or DRIVER #2.
The last driver number remembered by the DIC will show
on the display each time the UNLOCK button on the same
transmitter is pressed, and the ignition is turned on.
When you press UNLOCK on your transmitter, the DIC
will automatically change driver numbers and the
vehicle will recall the personal choice settings that were
last made to correspond to your transmitter.
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Avoid needless heavy bralung. Some people drive in Anti-Lock Brakes
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 Your
vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
do a lot of heavy braking. 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. When
you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
in the Index.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows
or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
Traction Control System (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but
this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control” in
the Index.)
TRAC
OFF
When the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to let you know if there’s
a
problem with your traction
control system.
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See “Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off
if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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To turn the system off, press the button located at the
end of the shift lever.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button, the warning light will come on
--
but the system won’t turn off right away. It will wait
until there’s no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should go off.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnasteer (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with GM Magnasteer TM,
a steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you
feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Your steering can be adjusted for an easier or more firm
setting. See your dealer for information.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here are ways to increase
your safety in city driving:
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Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal.
A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Buick in good shape for winter.
YOU may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a
rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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