1996 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing, and
you’re:
0 Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the
way down.
between gears
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.
I 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 AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@) 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.
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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 selector lever is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
I 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.
Automatic Ride Control
Your Park Avenue automatic ride control provides a
comfortable, controlled ride. This suspension system
keeps adjusting your car’s ride and handling depending
upon speed and road conditions. Automatic ride control
uses three levels of control
to ensure a combination of
balance and stability.
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Pal _____
Your Park Avenue has a
PUSHTORELEASE
parking brake pedal.
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 and a single chime
will be heard.
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear wheels.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down and push the parking brake pedal with your
left foot. This will unlock the pedal. When you lift your
left foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
release position. If
you try to drive
off (approximately 40 feet (12.2 m)),
with the parking brake on, the brake light stays
on
and a continuous chime sounds until you release the
parking brake.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes
to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That part shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Shifting Into PARK (P) 1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) 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, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
as follows:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
I
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 PARK (P)
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 others 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 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. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK (P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
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 “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking 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)
befure you release the parking brake.
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).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Buick has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the RUN
position. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK
(P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can
I
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF. Open and close the driver’s
door to turn off the Retained Accessory Power
feature (if equipped).
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
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:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren't done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
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.
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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.
A CAUTIOF . ;
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 closed-in 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.)
A f‘ AT TTTnN
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) 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 PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
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