parking brake BUICK REGAL 1994 Owners Manual

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal
down with your right
foot. Push down
the
paiking brake pedal with yourleft foot.
If the
ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will
come on.
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear wheels.
To release the parking brake:
This vehicle has a push to release park brake pedal.
Hold
the regular brake pedal down and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. This will unlock the
pedal. When you lift your left foot, the park brake pedal
will follow it to the released position.
I NOTICE: 1
Driving with the parking brake on can cause your
rear brakes to overheat. You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any
hill:
See “ Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section
shows what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Steering Column Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into “P” (Park) position like
this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to “Lock.”
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle with the ignition key
in
your hand, your vehicle is in “P” (Park).
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Console Shift Lever
set the parking brake.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
2. Move the shift lever into “P” (Park) position like this:
0 Hold in the button on the lever, and push the
lever all the way toward the front of your vehicle.
U
3. Move the ignition key to “Lock.”
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle
with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in “P” (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
1 A CAUTION:
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in “P” (Park) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P” (Park)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if
you can move the shift lever away from “P” (Park)
without first pulling
it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without first pushing the button).
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into
“P” (Park).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle
into “P” (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of “P’ (Park). This is calied “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
“P” (Park) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
“P’ (Park) BEFORE you 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 transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out
of “P’ (Park).
Parking Over Things That Burn
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Your DRL work with a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Don’t cover it up.
The low beam headlights will come on at reduced
brightness in daylight
when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlight switch is off, and
0 The parking brake is released.
At dusk, the exterior lights will come on automatically
and the low beams will change
to full brightness. At
dawn, the exterior lights will
go out and the low beams
will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL (if the
headlight switch is off).
Of course, you may still turp on the headlights any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with
the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition
is in the “Off” or “Lock”
position. Then start the vehicle. The DRL will stay off
until
you release the parking brake.
Front Seat Reading Lights (Option)
The front seat reading lights are turned on by pressing
the switches.
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It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and “Towing Your Car” in the
Index.)
The brake system warning light will also come on when
you
set your parking brake, and it will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after
your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI-LOCK
With anti-lock, this light will come on when you start
your engine and
it will stay on for three seconds. That’s
normal. If the light doesn’t come on, have
it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. Pull
off the road and stop carefully. You may
notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
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Parking on Hills
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’s
how
to do it:
0 Shift into a gear; and
2. Have someone place chocks under 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 “P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered
in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
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I NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty. Trying to start your Buick by
pushing or pulling it won’t work, and it could
damage your vehicle.
To Jump Start Your Buick:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery
with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your Buick, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems. You
could be injured
if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle
in “P” (Park) or a manual
transaxle
in “N” (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could
save your radio!
1 NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
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When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock,for this. The transaxle should be in
Neutral and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the front wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
55 mph (88 k/h) or
farther than
500 miles (800 km) or your transaxle will
be damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C).
If it’s colder than 50°F (lO”C), you may have
to drive longer.
To check the fluid level
Park your vehicle on a level place.
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
in “P” (Park).
lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in “P” (Park).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine. follow these
steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
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