lock BUICK PARK AVENUE 1997 Owner's Guide

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) before 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 parking pawl in 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’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF. Open and close the driver’s
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
door to turn off the retained accessory power feature.
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, 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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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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Twilight Sentinel Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
Instrument panel light brightness can be adjusted by
rotating the headlamp
knob clockwise.
Twilight
Sentinel turns your
lamps on and
off by sensing
how dark
it is outside.
To control the exit
delay feature of Twilight
Sentinel, slide the control to
any position to vary the
lamp timeout.
If you move the control all the way to MAX, your lamps
will remain on for three minutes after you turn off your
engine.
If you move the control almost all the way in the
other direction,
so it’s just on, the lamps will go off
quickly when you
turn off your engine. You can
change this delay time from only a few seconds to
three minutes.
Light Sensor
Your twilight sentinel and daytime running lamps work
with the light sensor on top of the instrument panel.
Don’t cover it up. If you do
it will read “dark” and the
headlamps will come on.
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 rotating the headlamp knob
clockwise all the way past the detent.
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 with the power door lock switch will
override the delayed entry lighting feature and the lamps
will turn off right away.
NOTE: Using the remote keyless entry transmitter to
lock the door will not cancel delayed lighting.
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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
When you open either front door or press the UNLOCK
button on the remote keyless entry transmitter, the
lamps inside your vehicle will turn on. These lamps
will turn
off after about 40 seconds. These lamps will
also turn
off if you start the engine or activate the power
door locks.
Perimeter Lighting
When the UNLOCK button on the Remote Keyless
Entry transmitter is pressed, the daytime running lamps
(high-beams at reduced intensity), parking lamps and
back-up lamps will come on if it is dark enough outside
according to the twilight sentinel. This feature
will only be activated when the security
feedback feature is programmed to be in modes
1, 3 or 5
on the transmitter. Modes 0,2 and 4 do not respond with
exterior lights flashing when unlocking the vehicle
so
perimeter lighting will not be active.
This feature can be prograrnmed'on or off for
each transmitter.
To turn the feature
off
1. Press and hold the door lock switch on the door
throughout this procedure. All doors will lock.
2. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter to
enter the programming mode. Perimeter lighting
remains on at this time and the horn will chirp
two times.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the key transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is disabled and the horn
will chirp one time.
4. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
feature is now off.
NOTE: Pressing the UNLOCK button repeatedly may
cause the back-up lamps to turn on.
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To turn the feature on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Press and hold the door lock switch on the door
throughout this procedure. All doors will lock.
Press the instant alarm button on the key transmitter
to enter the programming mode. Perimeter lighting
remains
off at this time and the horn will chirp
one time.
Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting
is now enabled and the
horn will chirp two times.
Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
feature
is now on.
Front Reading Lamps
Turn on the front seat reading lamps by pressing the
switch on the overhead console. Press the switch again
to
turn them off. The driver’s switch controls the driver
and center lamps. The passenger switch controls the
passenger side lamp.
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Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface is curved
so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
1
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
1 If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Automatic DimmingMeated Outside Rearview Mirror
(If Equipped)
If you have this option, the driver’s side outside mirror
will adjust for the glare of headlamps behind you.
This
feature is controlled by the on and off settings on the
automatic electrochromic dayhight rearview mirror. See
“Automatic Electrochromic Daymight Rearview
Mirror” earlier in this section.
If you have this feature, the left and right outside
mirrors are also heated when you activate the rear
window defogger.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
The glove box is directly in front of the front
passenger’s seat. Use the door key to lock and unlock
the glove
box. To open the glove box, pull the handle
upward until the latch opens.
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To block out glare, swing down the visors. The larger
sun visor can be removed from the center mount and
moved to the side, while the auxiliary sun visor remains
to block glare from the front.
Auxiliary Power Outlets
Your vehicle may have one or two power outlets
depending on the type of front seat you have. If your
front seat has a fold-down armrest, the power outlet is
located in the center of the front seat below the cushion.
If your vehicle has front bucket seats with a center
console, you will find one outlet inside the storage
compartment and the other on the lower front edge
of the console.
These power outlets can be used to plug in electrical
equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
Follow the proper installation instructions that are
included with the equipment you install.
Garment Hooks
For your convenience, you will find a two-hanger
capacity garment hook above each rear
door near the
reading lamps.
Cellular Phone Readiness Package
(If Equipped)
If you have this option, your vehicle has been prewired
for dealer installation of a portable phone. This system
will have steering wheel controls for volume only, and
infomation output through the
DIC. Voice activation
and hands-free operation are standard features. For more
information, contact your dealer.
A user’s guide will be
provided with the telephone completion lut.
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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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