BUICK PARK AVENUE 2000 User Guide

ix
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

For
a More
Detailed Look at
What's Under the Hood
See Section 6
Tire Pressure
See Section 6
Service Station Guide
Oil Viscosity
Engine Oil
See Section 6
Engine Oil Dipstick
See Section 6
Remote Fuel
Door Release
See Section 6
Fuel
Use unleaded gas only,
See Section 6
Cooling System
See Section 5
Hood Release
See Section 6
Windshield Washer
Fluid
See Section 6
Spare Tire Pressure
See Section 5
Alternate
Fuel Door Release
See Section 6
Battery
See Section 6

1-
1-1
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you'll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
1
-2 Seats and Seat Controls
1
-7 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
1
-12 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
1
-13 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
1
-13 Driver Position
1
-19 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
1
-20 Right Front Passenger Position
1
-20 Air Bag Systems
1
-28 Center Passenger Position1
-30 Rear Seat Passengers
1
-33 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults
1
-35 Children
1
-38 Child Restraints
1
-50 Larger Children
1
-53 Safety Belt Extender
1
-53 Checking Your Restraint Systems
1
-53 Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash

1-2
Seats and Seat Controls
This part tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them,
and also about memory seats, reclining seatbacks and
head restraints.
Power Seats

Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front part of the horizontal control up
or down.

Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
holding the rear part of the horizontal control up
or down.

Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding the
whole horizontal control up or down.

Move the seat forward or backward by pushing the
horizontal control to the front or back.

Push the vertical control forward to bring the seat to
a more upright position. Push it rearward to recline
the seatback.

Raise or lower the shoulder belt height adjuster by
pushing the vertical control up or down.

1-3 4-Way Power Lumbar Control (Option)
If you have this option, the
driver's and passenger's
seatback lumbar support
can be adjusted four ways
by moving the single switch
located on the side of
the seat.
To increase or decrease support, hold the switch forward
or rearward. To move the lumbar up or down, hold the
switch upward or downward.
Memory Seat and Mirrors (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, the controls on the
driver's door panel are used
to program and recall
previous settings.
You can use this function to save your seat cushion
positions (including the shoulder belt height adjuster),
lumbar, mirror adjustment, personal choice settings,
comfort controls and radio settings. Activate the
MEMORY button (1 or 2) which corresponds to the
appropriate DRIVER # identified by your remote
keyless entry transmitter. For more information,
see ªDriver Information Center, Personal Choice
Programmingº in the Index.

1-4
To save your seat and mirror positions into memory,
use the following procedure:
1. You must first turn on the SEAT RECALL feature on
the Driver Information Center (DIC). See ªPersonal
Choice Features, Memory Seat Recallº in the Index
for instructions.
2. Synchronize the transmitter with the appropriate
MEMORY button.
This can be accomplished by pressing the button
with the unlock symbol on the transmitter with the
ignition in RUN. The DRIVER # will be displayed
on the DIC.
3. Adjust the driver's seat and lumbar position (if
equipped) to a safe and comfortable driving position.
Adjust both outside mirrors to suit you. See ªOutside
Mirrorsº in the Index.
4. Press and hold the MEMORY button (1 or 2)
corresponding with your DRIVER # displayed on the
DIC for longer than three seconds. You will hear two
beeps confirming that the seat and mirror positions
have been entered into memory.To set the seat and mirror positions for a second driver,
follow the previous steps, but start by pressing the
button with the unlock symbol on the transmitter that
displays the other DRIVER # on the DIC. Be sure to use
the MEMORY button (1 or 2) which corresponds to the
DRIVER # identified by the second transmitter.
To store the exit position for an easy exit, use the
following procedure:
1. Adjust the driver's seat to the desired exit position.
2. Press and hold the EXIT button for longer than three
seconds. You will here two beeps confirming that the
seat exit position has been entered into memory.
To recall your memory positions, your vehicle must be
in PARK (P). Push and release the MEMORY button
(1 or 2) or the appropriate keyless entry transmitter
corresponding to the desired driving position. The seat
and mirrors will move to the position previously stored
for the identified driver. You will hear one beep.
To recall the exit position, your vehicle must be in
PARK (P). Push and release the EXIT button and the
seat will move to the exit position previously stored for
the current identified driver. You will hear one beep.
If an exit position has not been stored for the current
identified driver, the seat will move all the way back.

1-5 Heated Seats (Option)
The heated seat controls are
located next to the climate
controls on the instrument
panel. Press this button to
turn on the heating element
in the seat.When the heated seat control is first pressed, the
HI setting is activated. Press the button again for the
LO setting. The third press of the button turns the
feature off.
The LO setting warms the seatback and cushion until the
seat nears body temperature. The HI setting heats the
seat to a slightly higher temperature.
A telltale light in the control reminds you that the
heating system is in use. When the ignition is turned off,
the heating element is also turned off.

1-6 Reclining Front Seatbacks
The vertical control described previously in this section
reclines the front seatbacks.
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can't do their job when
you're reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can't do its job. In a crash you
could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

1-7 Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.
Adjust the head restraint by grasping the top of the
restraint and moving it forward or rearward until it is in
the desired position.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle are
adjustable. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down
so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of
your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash.
On some models, the head restraints tilt forward and
rearward also.
There are three different positions for the rear seat head
restraints. Adjust a rear head restraint by grasping the
top of the restraint and moving it forward the way you
want it to go until you hear a click. It will then be locked
into position until you need to move it again. Pulling it
forward past the last position will allow the head
restraint to return to its full rear position.
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.

1-8
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light that
comes on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.)In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!