engine BUICK PARK AVENUE 1998 Owner's Guide

]Is there actually such a ~~nrdition as “highway
hypnosis”? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
mere
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, dong with the hum of the tires on the
road, the &one
of the engine, and the msh of the wind
against the vehicle
that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a secondy and you could crash agld
be injured.
@ Keep YQW eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check YOLK rearview ~~II-QI-S and your
instruments frequently.
@ If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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HE you drive regdarly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep yoas vehicle in
good shape. Check all fluid
Bevels
and also the brkes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These par"cs can work had on
mountain
roads.
8 Know how to go down hills. "he most imp~rtmt
thing to how is this: le: your engine do some of the
slowing ~QWII. Shift to a lower gear whm YOU go
down a steep or long hill.
b
If you ddt shift down, your brakes coddl get so
hot that they wouldn't work wel. YQU would then
have poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Shift down to Bet your
engine assist YOW brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
8
a,
Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
geX pOSSibke.
Stay in your own lane when driving an two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide GT cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds tha': let
you stay in your own lane.
As yo.^ go over the top of a -hill, be dert. There could be
somettzlng h you- lane, %e a stailed car or m accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that wanz of
specid problems. Examples ae H~ng grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate zction.
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Eszd-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle.
wheel assembiles and tires %e forced ea work harder
against the drag uf the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at reEativeIy higher speeds and gnder
grczter Isads, gecerating extra heat. What's more, the
trailer adds considerably to wid resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To PnlI A Railerr
If you do, here are some irqm-tana points:
There
are mmy different laws, inclndlng speed Zimit
restrictions, having to do with trailerkg Make sure
your
rig will be legal, not only where yolr live but
also where you'll be driving. A good source for this
infomation can be state or' provincial peke.
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Mere YOLI’HH find what to do about some problems that can occur the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-7
5- 12
Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
sump Starting
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6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock
and the vehicles could be damaged.
Before
you connect the cables, here are SOW basic
things
you should know. Positive (9) will go to
positive (+) and negative (-) will go to a metal
engine
pa. Don’t connect positive (+) to negative
(-1 or you’ll get a short that would damage the
battery
and maybe other parts, too.
7. Connect the red positive (9) cable to the positive (+>
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8. Don’t let the other end
t~~h metal. Connect it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote
positive
(9) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
NOW connect the
black negative (-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative (-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anytkzng
until the
next
step. The other end
of the negative cable
doem Z go to the dead
battery.
It goes to a heavy
unpainted metal
part on
the engine of the vebcle
with the dead battery.
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................... ............ .................... ....... ......... ... ........ .. ... ..... ........... .........
IO. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good
thee, but the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
11. Now star& the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
.. !: :. 1%. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
_. . If it won’t start &er a few tries, it probably
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
.:,:’ . +
.. needs service. .. ,.. .I ..
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E you get the overheat wming but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometines
the engine can get a BittIe too hot when you:
@B Climb a long hill on a hot day.
8 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle
for long periods in tra€€ic.
9 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with sign of stem,
try this for a mimte or so:
I. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest Fan
speed and opera the window as necessary.
otherwise, shift
to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a)
or THmD (3 1.
3. If you're Ira a tra€fic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
If you 1'10 longer have the overheat wmimg, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
IO minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, YOU can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you're parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn c$ftthe engine and get everyone out of the
a,chicke until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Fans
C. Coolant Recovery Tank
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If there seem to be no leak, with the engine on, check io
see if the electric engiap,e cooling fans are mnning. If the
engine is cverkeating, both fm.s shouici be marning. If
they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
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CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
OF some other
liquid like alcohol,
can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system
is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could
be burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
___~ __~ ~~ ___ __ __
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended cooisant and the proper
coolant mixture.
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