Page 14 of 308
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
Fur 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:
FASTEN SEAT 4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIRBAG P
These symbols have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
HIGH BEAM
OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WIPER v
WINDSHIELDw DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F&
TEMP -.--
ENGINE
CHARGING
I-1
BAllERY SYSTEM
RADIATOR COOLANT
a
FUEL
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL 4%
ANTILOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
k
VOLUME J
CONDITIONING A'R 0
RELEASE 6
TRUNK
LIGHTER
m
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Page 24 of 308
Safety Belts: They’re For Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells
you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System, or
“air bag” system.
This figure lights up as a reminder
to buckle up. (See
“Safety Belt Warning Light”
in the Index.)
In many states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know
if it will be a bad one.
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Page 30 of 308
&: If I’m a good driver, ana 1 never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Warning Light
When the key is turned
to “Run” or “Start,”
a
chime will come on for
about eight seconds to
remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless
the driver’s safety belt
is already buckled.
The safety belt light will also come
on and stay on for
20 seconds, then it will flash for an additional 55
seconds. If the driver’s belt is already buckled, neither
the chime nor the light will come on.
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Page 67 of 308

?art 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 .
Part 2 includes:
Keys ........................................................................\
.. 66
DoorLocks .............................. ................................... 67
New Vehicle Break-In ..................... ..................................... 74
StartingtheEngine
................................................................. 76
ShiftingtheTransaxle ............................................................ 79
Windows ....................................................................... \
87
TiltSteeringWheel
................................................................ 88
Turn Signal/Headlight Beam Lever .................................................... 89
Headlight High-Low Beam Changer
.............................................. 91
Windshield Wipermasher ...................................................... 91
CruiseControl
................................................................ 94
Headlights
........................................................................\
98
Mirrors ........................................................................\
.. 102
Instrumentpanel ................................................................... 110
Speedometer and Odometer ..................................................... 110
Warning Lights . Gages and Indicators ............................................. 111
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Page 77 of 308

Ignition Key Positions
C
9.5 B
A i E
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
(A) Accessory: An “on” position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press
in the
ignition switch as you turn the top
of it toward you.
(B) Lock: The only position in which you can remove
the key. This locks
your steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle.
(C) Off: Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power
to any
accessories. Use this position
if your vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never
try to push-start your
vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if you open the
driver’s door when the ignition is off and the
key is in
the ignition.
(D) Run: An ‘‘on’’ position to which the switch returns
after you start your engine and release
the switch. The
switch stays
in the “Run” position when the engine is
running. But even when the engine is
not running, you
can use
“Run” to operate your electrical power
accessories, and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
(E) Start: Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return
to “Run”
for normal driving.
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Page 84 of 308

c
0 1 (First Gear)
This position gives you even more power (but lower
fuel economy) than
“2.” You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the selector lever is
put in
“1,” the transaxle won’t shift into first gear
until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck
in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your vehicle
in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right
foot. Push down the
parking brake pedal with
your left foot.
If the
ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking
brake:
Hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
brake release lever.
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Page 101 of 308

Interior/Instrument Panel Lights
You can brighten or dim the
instrument panel lights by
rotating the control up or
down. To turn on the
interior courtesy lights,
rotate the control all the
way up to
“HI.”
Headlight ccOn99 Warning
If you open the door while leaving the lights on, you
will hear
a warning chime.
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:
0 the ignition is on,
0 the headlight switch is off, and
0 the parking brake is released.
At dusk, 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).
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Page 113 of 308

Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell
you how many miles you
have driven since you last
set
it to zero. To reset it,
push the button.
L
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This section describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention to
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
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