headlamp BUICK REGAL 1996 Owners Manual

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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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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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.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull
off the road in a safe place
and rest.
lrision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you
do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have
less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
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Inding W Driving Through Dc
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come
in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
iome Other Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just
your parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible
to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And
be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.) One
of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out
for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
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Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it
or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. Ths saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all
the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this
only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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Bulb Replacement
In this section, you’ll find directions for changing the
“Replacement Bulbs”
in the Index to find the type of
bulb
you should use.
- bulbs in some of the lamps on your Buick. See
Halogen Bulbs
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Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst
if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
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Headlamps
I. Press and turn the bulb socket counterclockwise
one-quarter turn.
2. Pull the bulb socket out of the headlamp housing.
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3. Lift the plastic locking
tab on the electrical
connector and pull the
connector from the
headlamp bulb socket.
4. Align the tabs on the new bulb socket with the slots
5. Turn the bulb socket clockwise. Avoid touching the
in the housing and install the bulb socket.
glass
on the new bulb.
6. Snap the electrical connector into the bulb socket.
1. Remove the plastic nuts and pull the carpet away
from the rear of the trunk.
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