weight BUICK PARK AVENUE 2004 Owner's Manual

Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should
take into consideration not only the child’s weight,
height, and age but also whether or not the
restraint will be compatible with the motor vehicle
in which it will be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn infant’s
neck is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into
the restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
1-32

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is rmly set before you leave it.
After you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold
the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without rst
pulling it toward you. If you can, it means that the
shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
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 nd 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 nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-30.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P)beforeyou 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).
2-32

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive. But what if people do? How much is
“too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than
many might think. Although it depends on each person
and situation, here is some general information on
the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example,
if the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the
person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
4-4

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second.
But that is only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs
and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy);
tire tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
A. Vehicle Capacity WeightExample 1
4-33

A. Vehicle Capacity Weight
The Tire and Loading Information label shows the
seating capacity and the total weight your vehicle can
properly carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight. If your vehicle has the Tire and Loading
Information label, Example 1, the label is attached to
the center pillar, near the driver’s door latch. If your
vehicle has the Tire-Loading Information label,
Example 2, the label is on the rear edge of the
driver’s door.The Tire and Loading Information label also gives you
the size and recommended ination pressure for
the factory-installed, original equipment tires on your
vehicle. For more information on tires and ination see
Tires on page 5-62andInation - Tire Pressure on
page 5-69.
There is also important loading information on the
Certication label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see “Certication
Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX
pounds” on your vehicle placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. Example 2
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4. The resulting gure equals the available amount
of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be ve 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, seeTowing a
Trailer on page 4-38for important information
on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight =700 lbs (317 kg) Example 1
4-35

Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs (340 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)
Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
200 lbs (91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information
label for specic information about your vehicle’s
capacity weight and seating positions. The combined
weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should
never exceed your vehicle’s capacity weight. Example 2
Example 3
4-36

Certication Label
The Certication label, found on the rear edge of the
driver’s door, tells you the gross weight capacity of your
vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never exceed the
GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out. Do not carry more than 176 lbs (80 kg) in your
trunk.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Notice:Overloading your vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not overload your vehicle.
4-37