brake light BUICK PARK AVENUE 2005 User Guide

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-39.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. SeeCruise Control
on page 3-10.This light should come on
briey when you start the
engine. If it stays on or
comes on while you
are driving, there is a
problem with your traction
control system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-39. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeIf You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow on page 4-29.
4-9

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road,
and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank lled
with washer uid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
4-18

When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It
is important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they are all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you do not shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift to THIRD (3) and reduce
your speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce
the possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here is
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks behind the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-42

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for the location of
the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the
brake uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you
should have your brake system xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes will not work
well, or will not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add or remove brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. A chime will sound if you try
to drive with this warning light on. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-38.
5-37

{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
SeeBrake System Inspection on page 6-24.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system — for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in — be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If you do
not, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change — for the worse. The braking
performance you have come to expect can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
5-39

How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inated even when they’re underinated. Check
the tire’s ination pressure when the tires are cold.
Cold means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the ination pressure is low, add air until you reach
the recommended amount.
If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Check Tire Pressure System
If your vehicle has this feature, the check tire pressure
system can alert you to a large change in the
pressure of one tire. The system will not alert you
before you drive that a tire is low or at. You must begin
driving before the system will work properly.
The TIRE PRESSURE LOW message will appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) if pressure difference
(low pressure) is detected in one tire. The check tire
pressure system may not alert you if:
More than one tire is low.
The vehicle is moving faster than
65 mph (105 km/h).
The system is not yet calibrated.
The tire treadwear is uneven.
The compact spare tire is installed.
Tire chains are being used.
The vehicle is being driven on a rough or
frozen road.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light comes on,
the check tire pressure system may not be working
properly. See your dealer for service. Also, see
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-39.
5-65

A
Accessory Power Outlets.................................3-24
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-5
Add-On Electrical Equipment............................5-91
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-19
Air Conditioning..............................................3-25
Airbag
Readiness Light..........................................3-36
Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)...... 7-9
Airbag System................................................1-49
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-55
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-57
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-55
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-55
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-53
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-51
Antenna, Heated Backlite.................................3-74
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................... 4-7
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light..............3-39
Appearance Care............................................5-82
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-88
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-86
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-89
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-87
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-83
Finish Care.................................................5-87Appearance Care (cont.)
Finish Damage............................................5-89
Glass Surfaces............................................5-86
Instrument Panel.........................................5-85
Interior Plastic Components...........................5-85
Leather......................................................5-85
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-89
Speaker Covers..........................................5-86
Tires..........................................................5-88
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-89
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-90
Vinyl..........................................................5-85
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-87
Weatherstrips..............................................5-86
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-88
Ashtrays........................................................3-25
Audio System(s).............................................3-55
Audio Steering Wheel Controls......................3-72
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player................3-73
Care of Your CD Player...............................3-74
Care of Your CDs........................................3-74
Heated Backlite Antenna...............................3-74
Personal Choice Radio Controls....................3-69
Radio with Cassette.....................................3-56
Radio with Cassette and CD.........................3-60
Setting the Time..........................................3-55
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-70
1

Audio System(s) (cont.)
Trunk-Mounted CD Changer..........................3-66
Understanding Radio Reception.....................3-72
Automatic Transaxle
Fluid..........................................................5-22
Operation...................................................2-26
B
Battery..........................................................5-40
Run-Down Protection...................................3-19
Battery Warning Light......................................3-37
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.........................4-22
Brake
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................ 4-7
Emergencies................................................ 4-9
Parking......................................................2-29
System Inspection.......................................6-24
System Warning Light..................................3-38
Brakes..........................................................5-37
Braking........................................................... 4-6
Braking in Emergencies..................................... 4-9
Break-In, New Vehicle.....................................2-22
Bulb Replacement...........................................5-47
Front Turn Signal Lamps..............................5-50
Halogen Bulbs............................................5-47
Headlamp Aiming........................................5-45
Headlamps.................................................5-47Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Rear Quarter Panel Turn Signal and
Stoplamps...............................................5-54
Rear Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-Up Lamps.......................................5-50
Replacement Bulbs......................................5-56
Buying New Tires...........................................5-68C
California Fuel.................................................. 5-5
Canadian Owners................................................ ii
Capacities and Specications..........................5-100
Carbon Monoxide...................2-14, 2-32, 4-25, 4-37
Care of
Safety Belts................................................5-86
Your Cassette Tape Player............................3-73
Your CD Player...........................................3-74
Your CDs ...................................................3-74
CD Changer, Trunk-Mounted............................3-66
Center Console Storage Area...........................2-46
Center Passenger Position, Safety Belts.............1-19
Chains, Tire...................................................5-72
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-40
Tire Pressure System...................................5-65
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-89
2

I
If You Are Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow.......4-29
Ignition Positions.............................................2-22
Infants and Young Children, Restraints...............1-29
Ination -- Tire Pressure..................................5-64
Inspection
Brake System.............................................6-24
Engine Cooling System................................6-24
Exhaust System..........................................6-23
Fuel System...............................................6-23
Part C - Periodic Maintenance.......................6-23
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal.........................................6-23
Throttle System...........................................6-24
Instrument Panel
Brightness..................................................3-16
Cluster.......................................................3-33
Overview..................................................... 3-4
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-41
K
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-5
Keys............................................................... 2-3
L
Labelling, Tire Sidewall....................................5-59
Lamps
Battery Run-Down Protection.........................3-19
Cornering...................................................3-15
Courtesy....................................................3-16
Exterior......................................................3-14
Front Reading.............................................3-18
Glove Box..................................................3-18
Rear Reading.............................................3-19
Trunk.........................................................3-19
Twilight Sentinel
®........................................3-16
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System..............................1-42
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-13
Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-36
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-39
Battery Warning..........................................3-37
Brake System Warning.................................3-38
Cruise Control.............................................3-44
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-40
Oil Pressure...............................................3-43
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-36
Security.....................................................3-44
7