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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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@ Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section you'll find out how to operate the comfort
control systems and audio systems offered with your
Buick. Be sure to read about the particular system
supplied
with your vehicle.
Air Conditioning with Electronic Controls
With these systems, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. The systems work best
if
you keep your windows closed while using them.
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FRONT This setting directs most of the air through the
defroster and side window vents. Some
of the air goes to
the floor ducts. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40°F (4.5"C).
MAX: This setting recirculates much of the air inside
your vehicle and sends it through the instrument panel
outlets. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40°F (4.5"C).
NORM: This setting brings in outside air and sends it
through the instrument panel outlets. The air
conditioning compressor will run automatically in this
setting unless the outside temperature
is below 40°F
(4.5
" C).
BI-LEV This setting brings in the outside air and
directs it two ways. Half of the air is directed through
the instrument panel outlets. Most
of the remaining air is
directed through the floor ducts and a little
to the defrost
and side window vents. The air conditioning compressor
will run automatically
in this setting unless the outside
temperature
is below 40°F (4.5"C).
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to
let hot inside air escape. This reduces the time
the
compressor has to run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot days, use
MAX with
the temperature lever all the way to
COOL. If this
setting is used for long periods of time, the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use
NORM with the
temperature lever all the way to
COOL. The system will
bring in outside air and cool
it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use
BI-LEV with the temperature knob in the
middle. The system will bring
in outside air and direct it
to your upper body, while sending slightly warmed air to
your lower body.
You may notice this temperature
difference more at some times than others.
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Heating
On cold days use HTR with the temperature lever all the
way to WARM. The system will bring in outside air,
heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can
use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it’s
cold outside
(0°F (-18°C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See “Engine Coolant
Heater” in
the Index.
Ventilation
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling
is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also
has the
flow-through ventilation system described later in this
section.
Defogging and Defrosting Windows
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows.
To defrost the windows quickly, use
FRONT with the temperature lever all the way to
WARM.
To warm passengers while keeping the
windows clean, use
BLEND.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger
uses
a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear
window. Press the button to
turn the defogger on. It will
turn itself off after about ten
minutes.
If you
turn it on again, the defogger will only run for about
five minutes before turning
off. You can also turn it off by
turning
off the ignition or pressing the button again.
Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license
or decal across the defogger grid.
1 NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside
of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain
roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine
do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long
hill.
A CAUTION:
If you don’t shift down, your brakes eould get so
0
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on
a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and
the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how
to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then
shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a
Hill
I. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly
until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and
the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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The coolant level should be at or above the COLD mark.
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
I A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do,
you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
i€ there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on check to
see
if the electric engine fan(s) are running. If the engine
is overheating, both fan(s) should be running. If they
aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
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When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you
do it.
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