instrument panel BUICK REGAL 1996 Owners Manual

or the instrument panel ... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink
of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position for an air bag inflation
in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with an air bag. The driver should sit as
far back
as possible while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
An inflating
air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
AIR BAG 0.
There is an air bag readiness
light
on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR
BAG.
The system checks the air bag’s electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells
you if there is an electrical
problem. See “Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
1-19
ProCarManuals.com

How the Ail a D Svstem Works
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The
right front passenger’s
air bag is in the instrument
panel
on the passenger’s sidc.
1-20
ProCarManuals.com

Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to, the
steering wheel or instrument panel. Also, don’t put anything (such as pets or objects) between
any occupant and the steering wheel
or
instrument panel. If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, it could affect the
performance of the air bag
-- or worse, it could
cause injury.
When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your vehicle strikes something
that will move or deform, such
as
a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate
in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of
the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result
of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part of
the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
ProCarManuals.com

How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the
instrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not help you
in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags
should never be regarded as anything more than
a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate
to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module
in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, will
be hot for
a short time. The part of the bag that comes
into contact with you may be warm, but
it will never be
too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust
coming from vents
in the deflated air bags. Air bag
inflation will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor will
it stop people
from leaving the vehicle.
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the
right front passenger’s air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air
bag system. If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you
in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
ProCarManuals.com

0 Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information about
the air bag system. The module records information
about the readiness
of the system, when the sensors are
activated and driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for service
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to replace the air
bag module in the steering wheel
or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Buick
Air bags affect how your Buick should be serviced.
There are parts
of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle.
You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone
is working on your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer and the Regal Service Manual have
information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag
system.
To purchase a service manual, see “Service and
Owner Publications” in the Index.
A CAUTION -
-
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service.
You
can be injured if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to do
so.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
1-23
ProCarManuals.com

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and
optional features on .your
Buick, and information on
starting, shifting and braking. Also explained are the
instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if
everything is working properly -- and what to do if you
have a problem.
Keys
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the
ignition key is dangerous for many reasons.
A child
or others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don’t
leave the keys in a vehicle with young children.
ProCarManuals.com

Just close your doors and turn on the ignition. All of the
doors will lock when
you move your shift lever out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). All doors will unlock
automatically when the ignition is turned off.
If someone needs to get out while
the vehicle is running,
have that person use the manual or power lock. When
the
door is closed again, it will lock automatically as long as
the shift lever is
out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and
the ignition is on. Note that the door must be opened,
then closed, or the door will not automatically relock.
If
you don’t .want the doors to unlock automatically
when
you turn the ignition off, you can remove the
LOCK CONTROL fuse in the instrument panel fuse
block. See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index.
-,wing Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your
door and set the locks from inside. Then get
out and
close the door.
Remote Keyl. !c Entry (Option)
If your Buick has this option, you can lock and unlock your
doors
or unlock your trunk from up to 30 feet (9 m) away
using the key chain transmitter supplied with your vehicle.
Your Remote Keyless Entry transmitter operates on a
radio frequency subject to Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules.
This device complies with
Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Should interference to this system occur, try this:
a
a
0
a
Check to determine if battery replacement is
necessary. See the instructions on battery replacement.
Check the distance. You may be
too far from your
vehicle. This product has a maximum range.
Check the location. Other vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
See your Buick dealer or a qualified technician for service.
Changes or modifications to this system by other than an
authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
2-4
ProCarManuals.com

To replace your batteries:
1. Insert a flat object like a dime into the slot on the
back
of the transmitter. Gently pry apart the front
and back.
2. Gently pry the batteries out of the transmitter.
3. Put the new batteries into the transmitter as shown
on the transmitter. Use Duracell@ batteries, type
DL20 16, or equivalent.
4. Put the two halves back together. Make sure the
halves are together tightly
so water won’t get in.
5. Test the transmitter.
I
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk open
because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can come into
your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can
cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the trunk open or if
electrical wiring
or other cable connections
must pass through the seal between the body
and
the trunk:
0 Make sure all windows are shut.
0 lbrn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting on
VENT. That will force outside air into your
vehicle. See “Comfort Controls”
in the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the
way.
If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
ProCarManuals.com