tow BUICK REGAL 1996 User Guide
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: BUICK, Model Year: 1996, Model line: REGAL, Model: BUICK REGAL 1996Pages: 356, PDF Size: 17.97 MB
Page 85 of 356

Shifting Into PARK (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You
or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
Column Shift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
I-
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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Page 86 of 356

0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3.
4.
Move the ignition key to LOCK.
Remove the key and take
it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with
the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
lift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
Hold in the button on the lever, and push the lever all the
way toward the front of your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
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Page 87 of 356

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
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 firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
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 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 find 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 find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK
(P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
bqfore 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 PARK (P).
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Page 90 of 356

It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly
set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever
to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
indows
?ewer Windows
r
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
2-24
9
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Page 93 of 356

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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Page 102 of 356

Battery Saver
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery, in case you accidentally leave the
courtesy lamps on. If you leave the PANEL LAMPS dial
turned all the way up past
HI, or if you leave a door
open,
the lamps will automatically turn off after
10 minutes (if the ignition is oft).
This feature
will not turn off the reading lamps, only the
lamps controlled by the PANEL LAMPS dial. Be sure to
turn off any reading lamps using the switch before you
leave the vehicle.
Mirrors
Adjust all the mirrors so you can see clearly when you
are sitting
in a comfortable driving position.
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
- . ,~, ' /.. ,
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, push the
lever forward (to the night position).
To return the
mirror to the day position,
pull the lever toward you.
2-36
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Page 114 of 356

Brake System Warning Light
Your Buick’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work
and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready
to warn you if there’s
a
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
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 Vehicle” in
the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays 011 after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you have a brake problem.
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Page 115 of 356

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and
it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be 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 go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in
the Index.)
A
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake
system warning light flashing can lead
to an
accident. After you’ve pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
f the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes
on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine againto reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Buick needs service. If the
light is
on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key
to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
2-49
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Page 119 of 356

If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine.
If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle
of water?
Tf so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run
as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire.
The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install
the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips
to turn the light off.
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Page 125 of 356

Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section you’ll find out how to operate the comfort
control and audio systems offered with your Buick. Be
sure to read about the particular systems supplied with
your vehicle.
Comfort Controls
With this system, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. The system works best
if
you keep your windows closed while using it.
Air Conditioning with Electronic Controls
Fan Lever
The bottom lever selects the force of air you want.
Temperature Lever
The upper lever changes the temperature of the air
coming through the system. Slide the lever toward
WARM for warmer air. Slide the lever toward COOL
for cooler air. This lever controls the temperature for the
whole vehicle unless
DUAL is pressed and the indicator
is lit. When
DUAL is pressed, this lever controls the
temperature for the driver.
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