Page 101 of 340
Accessory Outlet
If your vehicle has a center console, you have a 12-volt
outlet. It
is on the passenger side, near the floor. Open
the cover to use the outlet.
NOTICE:
Adding some electrical equipment to your vehicle
can damage
it or keep other things from working
as they should. This wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Check with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment and never use anything
requiring more than
20 amps.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also move them from side to side. The visors have
extenders that you
can pull out.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Open the cover to expose the vanity mirror. If your
vehicle has the optional lighted
vanity mirrors, the
lamps come on when you open the cover.
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Ashtrays and Lighter
Center Front Ashtray
The center front ashtray
may be on the instrument
panel or
on the console. To
remove the either ashtray,
open the lid and lift
out the
ashtray.
Rear Ashtrays
To remove the rear ashtray,
open
it, push down on the
snuffer and pull
out the
ashtray.
I NOTICE:
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtrays.
If you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire, causing
damage.
Cigarette Lighter
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it’s ready, it will pop back
by itself.
~ NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating.
If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
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Page 106 of 340
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This part 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 come 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 start the
engine 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 this 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
I UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
I
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears
EMPTY (E), you still
have a little fuel left, but
you should get more soon.
Here are some things owners ask about. All these
situations are normal and do not show
a problem with
your fuel gage:
0 At the service station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
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0 It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
a little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill it.
0 The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
Low Fuel Light
speed up.
If your fuel is low, a light
will come on and stay on
until you add fuel. It will
also come on for a few
seconds when
you first turn
on the ignition as a check to
show you it’s working.
If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, as
a check
to show you it’s
worlung. Then it should
g0
Out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with
the charging system. It could
indicate that
you have a loose drive belt or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain
to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Safety Belt Reminder Light
b3
8
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
until the driver’s belt is buckled.
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 and modules, the
wiring and the diagnostic module. For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
10: I
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to RUN
or START. Then the light
AIR BAG 4 3 should go out. This means
the system is ready.
-8 10 :
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
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Page 109 of 340
Brake System Warning Light
Your Buick’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 could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on briefly as you start the
vehicle.
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 comes 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, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and “Towing Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
)
The brake system warning light will also come on when
you set your parking brake, and it
will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after
your parking brake is fully released, it means you have
a
brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
-
lo- 0 system, this light will come
With
the anti-lock brake
RPM x1000 on when you start your
engine and it will stay on
for three seconds. That’s
normal. If the light doesn’t
come on, have it fixed
so it
will be ready to warn you
if
there is a problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes.
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.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle’’ in the Index.)
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine,
turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays 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 Buick needs service. If the
light
is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the
LOW TRAC light will
Engine Loolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
CYL hhh cooling fan is not working.
Slippery road conditions will exist
if this light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will stay on
for
a few seconds after the system stops adjusting brake
pressure.
The
LOW TRAC light also comes on briefly, as a bulb
check, when the engine is started. If the light doesn’t
come on then, have it fixed
so it will be there to tell you
when the system is active. 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.
Hot Coolant Can Burn You Badly!
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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