ignition BUICK RIVIERA 1999 Owner's Guide

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2-43
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
By turning the headlamp knob you can make the
instrument panel lights brighten or dim. See
ªHeadlampsº in the Index.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you to enter and leave the car. To turn
on these lamps without opening the door, turn the
headlamp knob to the right.
Illuminated Entry
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter and the interior courtesy lamps will come on
and stay on for up to one minute. The lamps will turn off
immediately when pressing the LOCK button on the
transmitter, starting the ignition or activating the power
door locks.
Delayed Entry Lighting
When you open the door to enter your vehicle, the
interior lamps will come on. When you close the door
with the ignition off, the interior lamps will stay on for
25 seconds or until the ignition is turned to an on
position. Note that locking the doors will override the
delayed entry lighting feature and the lamps will turn off
right away.
Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to five-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off.
Delayed Exit Lighting
With this feature, the interior lamps will come on for
25 seconds after you remove the key from the ignition.
This will give you time to find the door pull handle or
lock switches when you exit the vehicle.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
panel displays during daylight while your headlamps are
on. This feature operates with the light sensor for the
twilight sentinel and is fully automatic. When the light
sensor reads darkness outside, you will be able to dim
your instrument panel displays once again.

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2-44 Perimeter Lighting
This is a Personal Choice feature of your vehicle.
When the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter is pressed, the headlamps, parking lamps,
back
-up lamps and cornering lamps will come on if it is
dark enough outside according to the twilight sentinel.
This feature can be programmed on or off for each
driver's transmitter.
To turn the feature off:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the driver's power door
lock switch throughout this procedure. All doors
will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter.
Perimeter lighting remains on at this time and the
horn will chirp two times.
4. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is disabled and the horn
will chirp one time.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option is now off.To turn the feature on:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the driver's power door
lock switch throughout this procedure. All doors
will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter.
Perimeter lighting remains off at this time and the
horn will chirp one time.
4. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is now enabled and the
horn will chirp two times.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option is now on.
This procedure changes the mode for only the
transmitter used to change this setting. The procedure
will need to be repeated for the second transmitter.

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2-45 Front Reading Lamps
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps will come
on when you open a door, and turn off when you turn
the ignition on. To turn on the reading lamps when the
doors are closed, press the button behind the lamp you
want on. Press it again to turn the lamp off.
Trunk Lamp
When you open the trunk to its full open position, a
lamp will come on inside the trunk. This lamp will
automatically turn off when the trunk is closed.
Battery Rundown Protection
This feature automatically shuts off the interior lamps if
any are left on for more than 10 minutes when the
ignition is off. This will keep your battery from
running down.
This feature also shuts off the exterior lamps if they are
left on for more than 10 minutes when the ignition is off.
You may override this feature for the exterior lamps by
turning the lamps off and then back on after the ignition
is turned to off. If you do this, the exterior lamps will
stay on until you manually turn them off.
If the feature is enabled for the interior and exterior
lamps, all lamps should turn off at approximately the
same time.

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Mirror Operation
The right side of the button located at the bottom of the
mirror turns the electrochromic mirror on and off. To
turn on the automatic dimming feature, press MIRROR.
To turn off automatic dimming, press MIRROR again.
The green indicator light will be illuminated when this
feature is active.
Compass Operation
Press the COMPASS button once to turn the compass on
or off.
When the ignition and the compass feature are on, the
compass will show two character boxes for
approximately two seconds. After two seconds, the
mirror will display the compass heading.If, after two seconds, the display does not show a
compass heading (ªNº for North, for example), there
may be a strong magnetic field interfering with the
compass. Such interference may be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, magnetic note pad holder or a
similar magnetic item.
Compass Calibration
If the letter ªCº should ever appear in the compass
window, the mirror may need calibration.
The mirror can be calibrated in one of two ways:

Drive the vehicle in circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less
until the display reads a direction, or

Drive the vehicle on your everyday routine.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set in zone eight upon leaving the factory.
It will be necessary to adjust the compass to compensate
for compass variance if you live outside zone eight.
Under certain circumstances, as during a long distance
cross
-country trip, it will be necessary to adjust for
compass variance. Compass variance is the difference
between earth's magnetic north and true geographic
north. If not adjusted to account for compass variance,
your compass could give false readings.

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Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also remove them from the center mount and swing
them to the side, while the auxiliary visor remains to
block out glare from the front.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
This mirror is on the larger of the passenger's sun visors.
It may also be on the larger of the driver's sun visors.
When you open it, the lamps turn on. The brightness
of the lamps can be adjusted by sliding the switch up
or down.
Accessory Power Outlet
An auxiliary power receptacle is located on the lower
right side of the console. When the ignition is on, you
can plug in accessories requiring electrical power.
If your vehicle does not have a console, the auxiliary
power receptacle is opposite the cigarette lighter in the
ashtray area.
OnStar
System (Option)
Your vehicle may be equipped with the OnStar
communications service. The following services are
available 24 hours a day from an OnStar representative:

Roadside Service with Location

Emergency Services Button

Remote Door Unlock

Theft Detection/Notification and Stolen
-Vehicle
Tracking

Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment

Concierge/Customer Conveniences Services
NOTE: Installation of aftermarket equipment is
possible, however, the features described above will not
be compatible with any portable phone other than the
OnStar cellular phone available from your dealer.
For more information about the OnStar System, contact
your dealer.

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Assist Handles
An assist handle above each door can be used to help
you get in or out of your vehicle.
Garment Hooks
Rear garment hooks are available for your convenience.
Garment hooks are not designed to support clothing
bars. Use assist handles for this if possible.
Rear License Plate Holder
To use it, open the trunk lid and slide your license plate
into the slot. Always close the trunk to prevent theft of
the plate.
Astroroof (Option)
If your vehicle has the
astroroof option, the switch
is on the roof between the
sun visors. It will open the
astroroof when the ignition
is on, or when retained
accessory power is active.
To fully open the glass panel and sunshade, press the
switch rearward and release. To stop the panel in a
partially open position, press the switch again at the
desired point. To continue to open fully, press the switch
rearward again and release. The sunshade can be
opened manually.
To close the glass panel, press and hold the switch
forward. The sunshade must be closed manually.
Once the astroroof is closed, it can be opened to a vent
position. Press the switch forward to vent. To close,
press the switch rearward.

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2-69 Air Bag Readiness Light
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. The system
check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see ªAir
Bagº in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds 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.
Battery Light
When you turn the key to
RUN, this light will come
on briefly, to show that your
generator and battery
charging systems
are working.
If the light stays on, your vehicle needs service and you
should take your vehicle to the dealer at once. To save
your battery until you get there, turn off all accessories,
and set your climate control system to OFF.

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2-70 Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle'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 is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
when you turn the key to
START. 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 and chime come 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, have the vehicle towed for service. (See ªTowing
Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
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 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 you try to drive off with the parking brake set, a
chime will also come on until you release the parking
brake. If the light and chime stay on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.

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2-71 Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
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.
Traction Control System Warning Light
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem. If it
stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system and your
vehicle may need service. When this warning light is on,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the TRAC
CONT button located on the instrument panel, the
warning light will come on and stay on. To turn the
system back on, press the button again. The warning
light should go off. (See ªTraction Control Systemº
in the Index for more information.)

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2-73 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
Your vehicle has a gage that
shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot!
This reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The ªProblems on the Roadº section in this manual
explains what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
When this light comes on,
the cooling system is low
on coolant.
As a bulb check, it will come on for two to four seconds
and then go off when the ignition is in RUN. If the light
doesn't come on, have the vehicle serviced.
If the coolant level is low, the light will come back on
and a warning chime will sound. If this happens, see
ªEngine Coolantº in the Index for the proper cooling
system fill procedure.
After the coolant level is returned to its proper level, the
LOW COOLANT light will go off after 20 seconds or
remain off during the next ignition cycle.