display BUICK PARK AVENUE 1999 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: BUICK, Model Year: 1999, Model line: PARK AVENUE, Model: BUICK PARK AVENUE 1999Pages: 400, PDF Size: 3.25 MB
Page 59 of 400
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Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
-2 Keys
2
-4 Door Locks
2
-9 Remote Keyless Entry System
2
-14 Trunk
2
-15 Theft
2
-16 Content Theft-Deterrent System
2
-18 PASS-Key III
2
-20 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-20 Ignition Positions
2
-22 Starting Your Engine
2
-23 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-24 Automatic Transaxle Operation
2
-28 Parking Brake
2
-29 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
-31 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
-32 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-33 Engine Exhaust2
-33 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
-34 Windows
2
-35 Tilt Wheel
2
-36 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-43 Exterior Lamps
2
-46 Interior Lamps
2
-49 Mirrors
2
-54 Storage Compartments
2
-62 OnStar System (Option)
2
-63 Astroroof (If Equipped)
2
-64 Universal Transmitter (If Equipped)
2
-68 The Instrument Panel - Your Information
System
2
-73 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
2
-82 Head-Up Display (HUD) (If Equipped)
2
-84 Driver Information Center (DIC)
(If Equipped)
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Page 63 of 400
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2-5 Central Door Unlocking System
From outside the vehicle, if the driver's door key is held
in the unlock position for more than two seconds, or, if
the key is turned to the unlock position twice within
three seconds, all doors will unlock.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, you
can lock or unlock all doors
of your vehicle by using
either the driver or front
passenger power door
lock switch.
Door Ajar Reminder (If Equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), and a door is not fully closed, the DIC
will display a DOOR AJAR message. See ªDriver
Information Centerº in the Index.
Memory Door Locks
Close the doors and turn on the ignition. Every time you
move the shift lever out of PARK (P), all of the doors
will lock. And, every time you stop and move the shift
lever into PARK (P), the doors will unlock. If someone
needs to get out while you're not in PARK (P), have that
person use the manual or power lock. When the door is
closed again, it will not lock automatically. Just use the
manual or power lock to lock the door again. If you
need to lock the doors before shifting out of PARK (P),
just use the manual or power lock button to lock
the doors.
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Page 79 of 400
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2-21
ACCESSORY (A): In this position you can operate
your electrical power accessories. Press in the ignition
switch as you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): This is the only position from which
you can remove the key. This position locks your
ignition, steering wheel and transaxle. It's a
theft
-deterrent feature.OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn't lock the steering
wheel like LOCK and it doesn't send any electrical
power to the accessories. The instrument panel cluster
will remain powered in OFF to illuminate the gear shift
indicator. The cluster will also activate the parking
brake light when the parking brake is set. Use OFF if
you must have your vehicle in motion while the engine
is not running.
RUN (D): This is the position that the switch returns to
after you start your engine and release the switch. This
is the position for driving. Even when the engine is not
running, you can use RUN to operate your electrical
power accessories and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
START (E): This position starts your engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to RUN for normal driving.
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Page 95 of 400
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2-37
An arrow on the
instrument panel will flash
in the direction of the turn
or lane change.
If your vehicle 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.
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 ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº 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.
Turn 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.
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.
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Page 98 of 400
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2-40
It is important to note that the moisture-sensing delay
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
moisture
-sensing delay compatible.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever there is a paddle
with the word PUSH on it. For ªprogrammedº
operation, press and release the paddle. The washer will
provide a measured amount of fluid to the windshield
and the wiper will either stop or return to your original
wiping speed. For ªdemandº operation, press and hold
the paddle for at least two seconds. Release the paddle
when you have enough fluid and the wipers will either
stop or return to your original wiping speed.
CAUTION:
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 the vehicle is low on washer fluid.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) 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.
CAUTION:
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.
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Page 104 of 400
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2-46
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
Instrument panel light brightness can be adjusted
by turning the headlamp knob counterclockwise
and clockwise.
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 turning the headlamp knob
clockwise all the way past the normal stop.
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.
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.
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.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
panel displays during daylight while your headlamps are
on. This feature operates with the light sensor for the
twilight sentinel and is fully automatic. When the light
sensor reads darkness outside, you will be able to dim
your instrument panel displays once again.
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Page 108 of 400
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2-50
Mirror Operation
To turn on the automatic dimming feature, press
AUTO. To turn off automatic dimming, press OFF. The
green indicator light will be illuminated when this
feature is active.
Time Delay
The automatic mirror has a time delay feature which
prevents unnecessary switching from the night back to
the day position. This delay prevents rapid changing of
the mirror as you drive under lights and through traffic.
Cleaning the Photocells
Use a cotton swab and glass cleaner to clean the
photocells when necessary.Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
with Compass (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have an electrochromic inside
rearview mirror with a compass.
When set in the MIRROR position, this mirror
automatically changes to reduce glare from headlamps
behind you. A time delay feature prevents rapid
changing from the day to night positions while driving
under lights and through traffic.
The mirror also includes an eight
-point compass
display in the upper right corner of the mirror face.
When on, the compass automatically calibrates as the
vehicle is driven.
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Page 109 of 400
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2-51
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray glass
cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause the liquid
cleaner to enter the mirror housing. Use a cotton swab and
glass cleaner to clean the photocells when necessary.
Mirror Operation
The right side of the switch located at the bottom of the
mirror turns the electrochromic mirror on and off. To
turn on the automatic dimming feature, press MIRROR.
To turn off automatic dimming, press MIRROR again.
The green indicator light will be illuminated when this
feature is active.Compass Operation
Press the COMPASS switch once to turn the compass on
or off.
When the ignition and the compass feature are on, the
compass will show two character boxes for
approximately two seconds. After two seconds, the
mirror will display the compass heading.
If, after two seconds, the display does not show a
compass heading (ªNº for North, for example), there
may be a strong magnetic field interfering with the
compass. Such interference may be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, magnetic note pad holder or a
similar magnetic item.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set in zone eight upon leaving the factory.
It will be necessary to adjust the compass to compensate
for compass variance if you live outside zone eight.
Under certain circumstances, as during a long distance
cross
-country trip, it will be necessary to adjust for
compass variance. Compass variance is the difference
between earth's magnetic north and true geographic
north. If not adjusted to account for compass variance,
your compass could give false readings.
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Page 110 of 400
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2-52
To adjust for compass variance:
1. Press and hold the COMPASS button located at the
bottom of the mirror until a zone number appears in
the display.
2. Find your current location and variance zone number
on the following zone map.3. Press the COMPASS button on the bottom of the
mirror until the new zone number appears in the
display. After you stop pressing the button, the
display will show a compass direction within a few
seconds. (This is the automatic calibration mode.
Drive in a circle to calibrate the mirror. See
ªCompass Calibrationº following.)
Compass Calibration
If the letter ªCº should ever appear in the compass
window, the mirror may need calibration.
The mirror can be calibrated in one of two ways:
Drive the vehicle in circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less
until the display reads a direction, or
Drive the vehicle on your everyday routine.
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Page 130 of 400
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2-72 Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper
-resistant odometer. You may
wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a new
odometer installed. If possible, the new one has to be set
to the same reading the old one had. If it can't be, then
it's set at zero and a label must be put on the driver's
door to show the old mileage reading and when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
A trip odometer can tell how far you've driven since
you last set it back to zero. To reset it, push the RESET
button. The trip odometer is reset through the DIC if
your vehicle is equipped with this feature.
Tachometer
The tachometer tells
you how fast the engine
is running. It displays
engine speed in thousands
of revolutions per
minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
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