1993 BUICK PARK AVENUE engine

I A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully
in “P” (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, when you’re on fairly level
ground, always set your parking brake and move
the shift lever to “P” (Park).
See “Shifting Into “P” (Park)”
in the Index. If you
are parking on a
hill, or if you’re pulling a trailer
also see“Parking on Hills” or “Towing a Trailer’
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in “P” (Park) range before
starting the engine. Your Buick has a brake-transaxle
shift interlock. You have
to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from “P” (Park) when the
ignition key is in the “Run” position. If you cannot shift out
of
“P” (Park), ease pressure on the shift lever - push
the shift lever all the way into
“P” (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you wish. See “Shifting Out
of ‘P’ (Park)”
in this part.
0 R (Reverse)
Use this gear to back up.
Shifting to ‘W’ (Reverse) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to
“R” only after your vehicle is stoppc
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
N (Neutral)
In this position, your engine doesn’t connect with the
wheels.
To restart when you’re already moving, use
“N” (Neutral) only. Also, use “N” when your vehicle
is being towed.
ProCarManuals.com

I
A CAUTION:
Shifting out of “PYy (Park) or “N” (Neutral) while
’ your engine is “racing” (running at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of “P” (Park) or “N”
I (Neutral) while your engine is racing.
Damage to your tia,lsaxI
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and have more
power.
0 D or 3 (Third Gear)
This is like @, but you never go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
“D or 3”
instead of @:
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears
- When going down a steep hill
0 2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but lower fuel
economy. You can use
“2” on hills. It can help
control your speed as
you go down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use your
brakes off and on. 0 @ Automatic Overdrive
This position is for normal driving. If you need more
power for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
82
ProCarManuals.com

Driving with the parking brake on can cause youkz.,--.I
rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to replace-
them, and you could also damage other parts of
If YOU are on a hill: See “Parking on Hills” in the Index.
That section shows how to turn your front wheels.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill:
See “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into “P” (Park)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in “P” (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t move,
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you are parking on a hill, or if
you’re pulling a trailer, also see “Parking On
H”‘ ;” or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set
the parking brake.
ProCarManuals.com

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
I
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in “P”
(Park) with the parking brake firmly set. And, if
you leave the vehicle with the engine running,
it
could overheat and even catch fire. You or other3
could be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with
the engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in “P” (Park) and your
parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever
into the “P” (Park)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from “P” (Park)
without first pulling it toward you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into “P” (Park).
Shifting Out of 46 P $9 (Park)
Your Buick has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have
to fully apply your regular brake before you can
shift from “P” (Park) when the ignition is in the “Run”
position. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of
“P” (Park), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into “P’
(Park) as you maintain brake application. Then move the
shift lever into the gear
you wish. If you ever hold the
brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of “P” (Park),
try this:
I. Turn the key to “Off.” Open and close the driver’s
door to turn off the Retained Accessory Power
feature,
if you have it.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to “N” (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you
want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
87
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
A CAUTION:
I Things that
can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn.
A CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming
in if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange or
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris.
different.
Repairs weren't done
correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into your
vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any
CO; and
0 Have it fixed immediately.
modified
improperly.
ProCarManuals.com

Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
b!, CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closeddn place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch
is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust -- with CO --
can come in easily. NEVER park in a garage with
the engine running.
-
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the
shift lever is not fully in “Pyy (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You
or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
“P” (Park).
Follow the proper steps to
be sure your vehicle
won’t move.
See “Shifting Into ’P‘ (Park)” in the
Index.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Parking
on Hills” or “Towing a
Trailer”
in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

Twilight Sentinel (Option)
Twilight Sentinel turns your
lights 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
MIN.
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,
so it’s just on, 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. Please don’t
cover the light sensor.
If you cover the
sensor, it will read “dark” and your lights will come on.
It is
on top of the instrument panel, on the driver’s side
defroster outlets.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your
tank. It works only when the engine is on. When the
indicator nears
“E,” you still have a little fuel left. You
need to
get more fuel right away.
Here are four concerns some owners have had about the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and indicate
nothing wrong
with the fuel gage.
ProCarManuals.com