1996 BUICK PARK AVENUE warning

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard
Warning ,Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn’ others. They
also let police know
you have a. problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash
on and off.
Press the button in to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on
and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is
in, and even if the key isn’t in.
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To turn off the flashers, pull
out on the collar. When the
hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
won't work. Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Buick. But please follow the steps
in this part to do
it safely.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
If you don't follow these steps exactly, some
or all
of these things can hurt you. burn you.
1. Check the
other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding after-market items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle can only be towed with certain
equipment, as described later in this section.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fully
secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being towed.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a warning light about a hot engine on your
Buick instrument panel and
if you have the optional
gage cluster, a coolant temperature gage. You
will also
find a LOW COOLANT warning light.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or
others could be
badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
,
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little
too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
@ Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open
the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a)
or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get evejyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant
level isn’t at or above the FULL COLD
mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean water (preferably distilled) and
DEX-COOL
TM (orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze
at the coolant recovery tank.
(See “Engine Coolant” in
the Index for more information.)
Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant
mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get
too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you
or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM antifreeze.
I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
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I A CAUTION:
r
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
FULL 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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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if
you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d
use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change
a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing
a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire
on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
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