BUICK REGAL 1996 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: BUICK, Model Year: 1996, Model line: REGAL, Model: BUICK REGAL 1996Pages: 356, PDF Size: 17.97 MB
Page 91 of 356

The driver’s window switch has an auto-down feature.
This switch is labeled
AUTO. Tap the rear of the switch,
and the driver’s window will open a small amount. If the
rear of the switch is pressed all the way down,
the
window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while
it is lowering, press the front
of
the switch. To raise the window, press and hold the
front of the switch.
On four-door models, the driver’s window controls also
include
a lock-out switch. Press LOCK to stop front and
rear passengers from using their window switches. The
driver can still control all the windows with the lock
on.
Press the other side of the LOCK button for normal
window operation.
rn
Press either horn symbol on your steering wheel to
sound the horn.
Tilt St,,l ing Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
To
tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
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Page 92 of 356

Thrn SignaYMultifunction Lever Thm Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal
a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
The lever on the
left side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlamp HigWLow Beam
Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
e Cruise Control
L
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or lane
change.
To signal
a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever
will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your
turn signal.
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If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in
the Index).
A chime will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than 1/2 mile
(0.8 km).
Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change your headlamps
from low beam to high
beam, or high
to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release it. When
the high
beams are on, a light on
the
instrument panel also will
be on.
Windshield Wipers
To control the windshield
wipers, turn the band
marked WIPER.
For a
single wiping cycle, turn the
band to MIST. Hold it there
until the wipers start, then
let go. The wipers will stop
after one cycle.
If you want
more cycles, hold the band
on
MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band to
LO. For
high-speed wiping, turn the band further, to
HI. To stop
the wipers, turn the band to
OFF.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LO, the shorter the delay.
Be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them.
If they’re frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts.
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Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
For information on replacement blade type and length,
see “Capacities and Specifications’’ in the Index.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there’s a paddle
with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, push the paddle.
The wipers will run for
several sweeps and then either stop or return to your
preset speed.
r-
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
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Page 95 of 356

Cruise Control
A CAUT1,ON:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads. or in heavy traffic.
Cruise, control can be dangerous
on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. .Don’t
use cruise control
on slippery roads.
With cruise control, you can rqaintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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Page 96 of 356

Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then
you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch
OFF until you
want to use
it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release it. The
CRUISE light on the
instrument panel will
come on.
4. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
WA (Resume/Accelerate)
for about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to
your chosen speed and
stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go ,to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
0 Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed
you want, and
then release
the switch. To increase your speed in
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very small amounts, move the switch to R/A.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph (1.6 kdh) faster.
The accelerate feature will
only work after you set
the cruise control speed by pushing the
SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want,
then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
SET button for less than half a second. Each time
you do this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 kmh) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or
shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down.
Of course, applying the brake
takes you out
of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, or
shift into PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), your cruise
control set speed memory
is erased.
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Page 98 of 356

Lamps
The lamp controls are on the instrument panel. They
control these systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
0 .Courtesy Lamps Turn
the knob
to ON to turn on the headlamps and other
operating lamps.
Turn the knob to
PARK to turn on the parking and other
operating lamps without the headlamps.
Turn the knob to
OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound when you turn the ignition
switch to
OFF, LOCK or ACC with the lamps on.
Daytime Running Lamps (Option)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
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When the DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t be lit
up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will change to
full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also
come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go off and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition
is in OFF or LOCK. Then start
your vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
moving
the PANEL LAMPS dial. If you turn the dial
past
HI, your courtesy or interior lamps will come on.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make
it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle. You can also turn these
lamps on by moving the PANEL LAMPS dial all the
way up past
HI.
Some of the lamps have switches so you can turn them
on, even when the doors are closed. These lamps are
reading lamps.
To avoid draining your battery, be sure to
turn
of€ all reading lamps when leaving your vehicle.
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Illuminated Entry
Your courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever you:
Pull a front door handle.
Press UNLOCK on the Remote Keyless Entry
Press DOOR on the Remote Keyless Entry
transmitter
(if equipped).
transmitter (if equipped).
If you open a door, the lamps will stay on while it’s open
and then turn
off automatically about 18 seconds after
you close it. If you don’t open
a door, the lamps will
turn
off after about 18 seconds, unless you pressed
UNLOCK
on the Remote Keyless Entry transmitter. If
you pressed UNLOCK and don’t open a door, the lamps
will turn off after about
55 seconds.
Illuminated entry includes a feature called theater
dimming. With theater dimming, the lamps don’t just
turn off at the end
of the delay time. Instead, they slowly
dim during the delay time until they go out. The delay
time is cancelled if you turn the ignition key to RUN or
START,
so the lamps will go out right away.
When the ignition
is on, illuminated entry is inactive,
which means the courtesy lamps won’t come on.
Rearview Mirror Reading Lamps
These lamps go on when you open the doors. When the
doors are closed, use
the switch next to each lamp to
turn them on and off.
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