Page 74 of 340

NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Buick is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to
PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
To start your 3.1 Liter engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer man
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way
to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but t.hen stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for
five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine.
~
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in
your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts
or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-12
ProCarManuals.com
Page 75 of 340

To start your 3.8 Liter engine:
I. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition
key to START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
I NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between
each try
to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal
all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
brietly but then stops again, do the
same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for
five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine. After
waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the normal starting
procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with
your dealer. If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-13
ProCarManuals.com
Page 76 of 340
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s
air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that
is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
To use the coolant heater:
I. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
In very cold weather,
0°F (- 18 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum
of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
2-14
ProCarManuals.com
Page 77 of 340

NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the weather, the kind of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list
everything here, we ask that you contact your Buick
dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle.
The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle
Your automatic transaxle may have a shift lever on the
steering column or on the console between the seats.
Maximum engine speed is limited on automatic
transaxle vehicles when you’re in
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) to protect driveline components
from improper operation.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your vehicle can’t move easily.
2-15
ProCarManuals.com
Page 78 of 340

Make sure the shift lever is fully into PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your Buick has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You must fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P)
when the ignition is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK
(P), ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing
it all the way into PARK (P) while keeping the brake
pedal pushed down. Release the shift lever button
if
you have a console shift. Then move the shift lever out
of PARK (P), being sure to press the shift lever button
if you have a console shift. See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while ybm vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice
or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N)
only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 79 of 340

I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. It is the
Overdrive position.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway
down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator pedal all
the way down.
You’ll shifi down to the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with
a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your vehicle
can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have your
vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you can
use
SECOND (2) when you are driving less than
35 mph (56 km/h) and DRIVE (D) for higher speeds.
THIRD (3): THIRD (3) is like DRIVE (D), but you
never go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
THIRD (3)
instead of DRIVE (D):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill.
between gears.
2-17
ProCarManuals.com
Page 80 of 340

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (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.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or you
can damage your transaxle. Use DRIVE (D) or
THIRD
(3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine. FIRST
(1): This
position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is
put in FIRST (I), 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 or shift into
PARK
(P) to hold your vehicle in position
on
a hill.
2-18
ProCarManuals.com
Page 83 of 340

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave
it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling
it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without first pushing the button).
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn‘t fully locked
into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking 011 a hill and ~OLI don’t shift YOLII-
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle
may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torclue lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the pmking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) h
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the transaxle, so you can pull the shift
lever out of
PARK (P).
2-21
ProCarManuals.com