Page 9 of 324
Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special
“Car
of the Year”. The first production V-6 engine was
used
in the Special.
Y
I
1962 Buick Special
Built inside the walls of the old buildings in Buick’s
former
Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone of
General Motors, Buick City is a state-of-the-art
assembly facility with more than
200 robots and other
high-tech equipment. It was completed
in the fall
of 1985.
Buicks are, and
will continue to be, premium American
motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich
detail and comfortable accommodation.
Ed Mertz, General Manager, Buick Motor Division
Our mission is simple:
“Buick
will provide Premium American Motorcars
backed
with services that exceed our customers’
expectations, throughout the purchase, ownership,
service and repurchase experience.”
Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL.
Buicks are DISTINCTIVE.
Buicks are POWERFUL.
Buicks are
MATURE.
7
Page 10 of 324
Page 11 of 324

How to Use this Manual ................................................................
This part tells you how to use your manual and includes safety and vehicle damage warnings & symbols.
SeatsandSafetyBelts ..................................................................
This part tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly.
Featuresandcontrols ..................................................................
This part explains how to start and operate your Buick.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .....................................................
This part tells you how to adjust the ventilation & comfort controls and how to operate your sound system.
YourDrivingandtheRoad ..............................................................
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad ..................................................................
This part tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engine overheating.
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly and looking good.
Maintenanceschedule ..................................................................
This part tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................
This part tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. It also gives
you information on “Reporting Safety Defects.”
Index ........................................................................\
........
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want
to read.
(@ Table of Contents
9
10
13
57
117
145
195
229
277
297
305
Page 12 of 324
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. This
will help you learn about the features and controls for
your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work together to explain things quickly.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use yellow and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
A CAUTION:
In the yellow caution area, we tell you what the hazard
is. Then we tell
you what to do to help avoid or reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt. You
will also find
a red circle with a slash through it in
this book.
This safety symbol means
“Don’t,” “Don’t do this,”
or “Don’t
let this happen.”
10
Page 13 of 324
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these blue notices: In
the blue notice area, we tell you about somethmg that
can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage
would not be covered by your warranty, and it could be
costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help
avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in different words. In this manual, we’ve used the
familiar words and colors that Buick has used
for years.
You’ll also see warning labels
on your vehicle. They use
the same colors, and the words CAUTION or NOTICE.
11
Page 14 of 324

Vehicle Symbols
These
are some of the symbols you will find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
BURNS AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
WINDOW POWER
These symbols
have
to do with
your lights:
LIGHTING - 8 -
MASTER 8
SWITCH 0 ,
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
LIGHTS
Pf
HIGH BEAM OR = =o
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD ' ' ' 4- e-
WASHER
wlNDsHIELDw DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
HEADLAMP
- r~.c.r
WASHER :Q
WIPER -
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F*
TEMP -.--
ENGINE
CHARGING
I-1
BATTERY SYSTEM
RADIATOR
a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
TEMP OIL
&
ANTILOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE
RADIO >
VOLUME
CONDITIONING
AIR 33
HATCHBACK /y
TRUNK
RELEASE
t LIGHTER
Page 15 of 324

@ Part 1 Seats and Safety Belts
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Buick. your Supplemental Inflatable Restraint/Supplemental
Restraint System (“air bag”) system and how to use your safety belts properly
. You can also learn about some things
you should
not do with safety belts .
Part 1 includes:
SeatsandSeatControls
............................................................. 14
HeadRestraints
................................................................... 17
Why Safety Belts Work
............................................................. 19
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................................................... 24
Adults
........................................................................\
... 24
DriverPosition
.................................................................... 25
Lap-ShoulderBelt
................................................................. 25
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System
............................................... 33
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
..................................................... 37
PassengerPositions
................................................................ 38
Children
........................................................................\
. 41
Smaller Children and Babies ......................................................... 42
ChildRestraints
................................................................... 43
LargerChildren
................................................................... 52
SafetyBeltExtender
................................................................ 55
Checking Your Restraint System ...................................................... 55
Safety
Belts
. They’re for Everyone ................................................... 17
Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts
.......................................... 23
Replacing Safety Belts After a Crash
................................................... 55
13
Page 16 of 324
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, and also about reclining front seatbacks, and head
restraints.
Manual Seat
fl CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you
push a pedal when
you don’t want
to. Adjust the driver’s seat only
when the vehicle
is not moving.
I
I
Move the lever under the front seat to unlock it. Slide
the seat
to where you want it. Then release the lever and
try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the
seat is locked into place.