lights BUICK RIVIERA 1993 User Guide

Twilight Sentinel
Twilight Sentinel turns your headlights
on and off by
sensing how dark it
is
outside.
To operate
it, leave the light switch off and move the
Twilight Sentinel control to any position but
OFF.
If you move the control. all the way to MAX, your lights
will remain on for three minutes after you turn
off your
engine.
If you move the control almost all the way in the
other direction, the lights will
go off quickly when you
turn off your engine. You can change this delay time
from only a few seconds to three minutes. Your
Twilight Sentinel and Daytime Running Lights
(Canada Only) work with the light sensor
on top of your
instrument panel. Don’t cover it up, if you
do it will read
“dark” and your lights will come on.
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-Headlights Reminder Light (Canada Only)
If your vehicle was first sold, when new, in Canada, this
light will go on at night to remind you to turn on the
headlights.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has decided that
“Daytime Running Lights” (DRL) are a useful feature,
in that DRL can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during daylight hours.
DRL are required on new vehicles sold in Canada. 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:
The ignition is on.
The headlight switch is off, and
The transaxle is not in “P” (Park).
At dusk, if the Twilight Sentinel feature is turned
on, 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). If the Twilight Sentinel is off, at
dusk a “HEADLIGHTS SUGGESTED” message will
appear on the instrument panel to remind you to turn. on
the headlights.
Of course, you may still turn on the headlights any time
you need to.
.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, shift the
transaxle into
T“ (Park). The DRL will stay off until
you shift out of “P”.(Park).
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Automatic (Option) Settings
Your Buick may have the automatic inside mirror.
The automatic mirror adjusts for the glare of headlights
behind you.
It detects changes in light, and then adjusts
for day or night operatiol-~
During the day the mirror reflects all the light from
behind your car. At night, when the glare is too high, it
changes to the night mode. Then,
it reflects only part of
the light from behind you. When the mirror changes to
the night mode, it holds that position until glare is no
longer present.
MIN: The minimum setting is suggested when driving
where glare conditions change
often. '"in" works well
for city driving at night.
MAX: Maximum sensitivity is a good setting for
highway driving in light traffic. The mirror
starts to
darken in any glare, such as headlights a long way
behind your car.
OFF: The mirror will stay in the day mode.
Time Delay
The mirror delays before switching from the night back
to the day position.
This delay prevents rapid changing
of the mirror as you drive under lights and through
traffic.
Reverse Gear Day Mode
The reverse mode is another important feature of the
automatic mirror. When the shift lever is placed in
"R"
(Reverse), the mirror shifts to the day mode. This gives
you a bright image in the mirror as you back up.
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Trip Odometer
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Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
A trip odometer can tell you
how many miles you have Warning lights and gages can signal t\
hat something is
driven since you last set it wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
back to zero.
TO reset, push expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
the button. your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle's functions. As you will see in
the details on the next few pages, some warning lights come on briefly when you turn the ignition key just to
let you know they're working.
If you are familiar with
this section, you should not be alarmed when this
happens.
This section describes the warning lights and gages that
are on your vehicle. The pictures will help
you locate
them. Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells
you
what to do about it. Please follow the manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
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Symbols on Road Signs
There are many international road signs in use today.
The basic message
of many of these signs is in pictures
or graphic symbols.
A picture within a circle with a
diagonal line across it shows what
not to do.
Traffic Lights
1
L
'1
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We’re all familiar with traffic lights or stop lights. Often
green arrows are being used in the lights for improved
traffic control. On some multilane roads, green arrows light up, indicating that traffic
in one or more lanes can
move or make
a turn. Green arrows don’t mean “go no
matter what.” You’ll still need to proceed with caution,
yielding the right of way to pedestrians and sometimes
to other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red arrows to signify that
you must stop before turning on red.
REVERSIBLE LANE
0.N
LANE
ROADWAY MULTI-
time. A green arrow means you may drive in that lane.
Look for
the signs posted to warn drivers what hours
and days these systems are in effect.
Pavement Markings
NO
PASSING ZONE
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Pavement markings add to traffic signs and signals.
They give information to drivers without taking
attention from the roadway.
A solid yellow line on your
side of the road or lane means “don’t cross.”
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Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use
reversible-lane traffic control during rush hours.
A red X
light above a lane means no driving in that lane at that

Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not only more polite,
it’s safer to let other drivers know what you are doing.
And in some places the law requires driver signals.
urn and lane change signals. Always signal when you
plan to turn or change lanes.
If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight out for a left turn, down for slow or
about-to-stop, and up for a right turn.
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice in advance of slowing or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal that your
vehicle is disabled or is a hazard. See “Hazard Warning
Flasher” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter
what the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some of the road conditions
you may encounter.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with
a very important safety device in your
Buick: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars, often- followed by other children. Expect occupants in
parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for
movement in parked cars
-- someone may be about to
open a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when
you are on a
through street. Be ready to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have to use the
brake, but
if you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
where there are well-marked lanes, directional arrows,
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to
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Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it may
be slowing down
or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the thee control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Buick’s
three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too

by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most
dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in
the Index for more on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare
from headlights behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle ahead
is going just by looking at its tail’lights.
Slow’’ down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlights 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.
Night Vision
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
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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 headlights, but they
also make a lot of things invisible that should remain
visible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to
put on your sunglasses after you have pulled into a
brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes
shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly to
darkness back on the road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before you leave the service area.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. 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 hi.gh beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
If there is a line of opposing traffic,
make occasional glances over the line of headlights to
make certain that one of the vehicles isn’t starting to
move into your lane. Once you are past the bright lights,
give
your eyes time to readjust before resuming speed.
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contract repeatedly. You might even want to keep a cloth
and some glass cleaner in your vehicle if you need to
clean your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights 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 headlights 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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