mirror BUICK PARK AVENUE 2000 User Guide

2-52 Power Remote Control Mirror
Your vehicle has an electric mirror control located on
the driver's door armrest.
Move the switch below the control to choose the right or
left mirror. If you place the switch in the center position,
no movement of the mirror will occur. To adjust the
mirror, push the arrow control in the direction you want
the mirror to go.Adjust each mirror so you can see some of the side of
your vehicle and the area behind your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with the optional memory
seat and mirrors feature, these mirror positions, along
with the driver's seat position can be stored in memory.
See ªMemory Seat and Mirrorsº in the Index.
Parallel Park Assist Mirror (If Equipped)
If you have the optional DIC feature, the passenger's
outside rearview mirror also includes a tilt
-down feature
that operates when the shift lever is in REVERSE (R).
When the vehicle is shifted out of REVERSE (R),
the passenger mirror will return to its original position
after a five
-second delay. This delay prevents movement
of the mirror if multiple gear transitions (reverse to drive
to reverse) occur during a parallel parking maneuver.
This feature can be programmed on or off through the
Personal Choice selection menu. Vehicles are delivered
with this feature off. See ªDriver Information Centerº or
ªPersonal Choice Featuresº in the Index for
programming instructions.

2-53 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.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
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 Dimming/Heated Outside
Rearview Mirror (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, 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 day/night rearview mirror.
See ªAutomatic Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview
Mirrorº 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. See ªRear Window Defoggerº in the Index.
Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward.
In the rearward position, they will fold flush with the
vehicle. This feature is particularly useful in automatic
car washes.
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.

2-60
Sun Visors
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
Your vehicle has illuminated visor vanity mirrors. When
you open the visor vanity mirror by pulling up, the
lamps turn on.
The brightness of the lamps can be adjusted by sliding
the switch. Your vehicle may also have visor vanity
mirrors for the rear seat passengers.
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.
The front side of the driver's sun visor also contains a
pocket for map storage.
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.

2-89 DIC Personal Choice Programming
The DIC is used to program the personal choices of two
drivers. The drivers are recognized as DRIVER #1 and
DRIVER #2. The DIC will identify a person as
UNKNOWN DRIVER if they are neither DRIVER #1
nor DRIVER #2. You will let the DIC know which
driver you are by using your remote keyless entry
transmitter or by pressing one of the MEMORY buttons
located on the driver's door. Each remote keyless entry
transmitter was pre
-programmed to belong to
DRIVER #1 or DRIVER #2. Each transmitter may
be programmed differently for each driver.
After you press the button with the unlock symbol on
your transmitter and the ignition is in RUN, the DIC will
automatically display the identified driver number. The
vehicle will recall the personal choice settings that were
last made to correspond to your transmitter, including
your radio and comfort control settings. See ªComfort
Controls, Personal Choiceº in the Index.If you unlock the vehicle using your door key instead of
your transmitter, the DIC will not change drivers and
will recall the information from the last transmitter used
or the last driver using one of the MEMORY buttons.
If this happens and you were not the last driver of the
vehicle, simply press your correct driver number on the
appropriate MEMORY button or press the button with
the unlock symbol on your transmitter.
The DIC can be used to program the following personal
choice features available with your vehicle:

Memory Seats

Automatic Door Locks

Security Feedback

Delayed Locking

Perimeter Lighting

Parallel Park Assist Mirror

Window Lockout
See ªPersonal Choice Featuresº in the Index.

2-91
If you would like to exit the selection mode without
moving through each of the personal choice features,
simply press a different button on the DIC or turn off
the ignition. Whatever personal choices you made will
still be retained, even without passing through each of
the features.
If you happen to move past a selection you would like to
make a personal choice for, press the button with the
unlock symbol on your transmitter or press the
appropriate driver number on the seat control. This will
return you to the beginning of the option feature
programming mode.
A description of each feature programmable through the
DIC follows.
Parallel Park Assist
The parallel park assist mirror, which tilts the passenger
mirror while the vehicle is in REVERSE (R), can be
made active or inactive through the DIC. When
PARALLEL PARK
-OFF-ON appears on the display,
use the ENG/MET button to toggle the arrow betweeN
OFF and ON. When you have made your choice, press
the RESET button to record your selection. For more
information on this feature, see ªMirrorsº in the Index.Automatic Door Locks
The automatic door lock modes, when shifting in and
out of PARK (P), can be changed through the DIC.
You can change these modes by different selections of
the following DIC displays:

AUTO DOOR LOCKS
- OFF/ON

UNLOCK IN PARK
- OFF/ON
If you choose OFF for AUTO DOOR LOCKS,
your door locks will operate normally with no
automatic feature.
If you choose ON for AUTO DOOR LOCKS, and ON
for UNLOCK IN PARK, your doors will lock every
time you shift out of PARK (P), and the doors will
unlock every time you stop and shift into PARK (P).
If you choose ON for AUTO DOOR LOCKS, and
OFF for UNLOCK IN PARK, your door locks will
lock every time you shift out of PARK (P), and there
will be no automatic door unlock when shifting back
into PARK (P).
When you choose ON for UNLOCK in PARK,
the DIC will display WHICH DOORS
- ALL/DRIVER.
You have the choice of unlocking all doors, or just the
driver's door.

2-94
Memory Seat Recall
This feature recalls the position of your seat. When this
feature is active, the memory seat and mirror positions
will be recalled for the identified driver when the remote
keyless entry transmitter is used to enter the vehicle.
You can program this feature to be active by choosing
ON when the SEAT RECALL choice appears, or
inactive by choosing OFF when the SEAT RECALL
choice appears on the DIC.
You can also program this feature to recall your memory
seat position or the exit seat position.

Memory Position: Choose ON when the SEAT
RECALL choice appears, and then choose
MEMORY when the RECALL POSITION
choice appears.

Exit Position: Choose ON when the SEAT RECALL
choice appears, then choose EXIT when the
RECALL POSITION choice appears and your seat
will move to the stored exit position. The seat will
also move when you enter the vehicle after
unlocking it with a remote keyless entry transmitter.
This will allow for easy entry as well.
For more information on this feature, see ªMemory
Seatsº in the Index.Window Lockout
The number of passenger windows locked out by the
WINDOW LOCK button can be programmed through
the DIC.
If you choose ALL PASS, all three passenger window
switches will be inactive when the WINDOW LOCK
button is enabled.
If you choose REAR, only the two rear passenger
window switches will be locked out when the
WINDOW LOCK button is enabled.
To change modes:
1. Move the arrow on the display between ALL PASS
and REAR by pressing the ENG/MET button.
2. Once you have made your selection, press the
RESET button. Your choice will be retained
in memory.
For more information on this feature, see ªWindow
Lockº in the Index.

4-15

If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.

Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
ªoverdrivingº those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.

4-16
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember:
It helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
If you have Stabilitrak

, you may see the STABILITY
SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver Information
Center. See ªStability System Active Messageº in
the Index.Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.

4-17
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.

4-23
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too
-fast or
too
-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in your
ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.