1996 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

Courtesy Transportation
To Buick Motor Division, Quality Means Service -- and
service means “keeping you on the road.”
Included with your 1996 Buick new car warranty
(36 month/36,000 miles (60,000 km), whichever occurs
first), is Courtesy Transportation,
a program which will
provide Buick retail customers with:
- Reimbursement toward a loaner vehicle, courtesy of
Buick Motor Division, for up to five days for
vehicles requiring overnight warranty repairs. Also,
reimbursement up to $30 a day (five days maximum)
may be available for the cost of a rental car,
bus or
even a cab.
- A free one-way shuttle ride up to 10 miles from the
dealership is available for customers whose vehicles
require same-day warranty repairs. Courtesy Transportation is Buick’s way
of extending
the
Premium Service you’ve come to expect from Buick
and its 3,000 dealers. Please review
the Courtesy
Transportation glove box card contained in your vehicle,
or consult your Buick dealer for details.
Some state insurance regulations make it impractical to
rent vehicles to people under
21 years of age. If you are
under
21 and have difficulty renting a vehicle, Buick
will reimburse you up to $30/day, for any documented
transportation you receive. Please consult your dealer
for details.
For warranty repairs during
the Complete Vehicle
Coverage period in
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty,
interim transportation may be available under the
Courtesy Transportation program. Please consult your
dealer for details. The Courtesy Transportation program
is available only
in the United States and Canada.
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GM Participation in’;.BBB AUTO
LINE - Alternative ;Dispute
Resolution
Program*
*This program may not be available in all states,
depending on state
law. Canadian owners refer to your
Warranty and Owner Assistance Information booklet.
General Motors reserves the right to change eligibility
limitations and/or to discontinue its participation in
this program.
Both Buick and your Buick dealer are committed to
making sure you are completely satisfied with your
new vehicle. Our experience has shown that, if a
situation arises where you feel your concern has
not been adequately addressed, the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure described earlier in this
section is very successful.
There may be instances where an impartial third party
can assist
in arriving at a solution to a disagreement
regarding vehicle repairs or interpretation of the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. To assist in resolving these
disagreements, Buick voluntarily participates in BBB
AUTO LINE.
BBB AUTO LINE is an out-of-court program
administered by the Better Business Bureau system to
settle disputes between customers
and automobile
mariufacturers.
This program is available fi-ee of charge
to customers who currently own or lease a GM vehicle.
;If you are not satisfied after following the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure, you may contact the BBB uskg
the toll-free telephone number, or write them at the
following address:
BBB AUTO
LINE
Council of Better Business Bureaus
4200 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 800
Arlington,
VA 22203
Telephone: 1-800-955-5 100
To file a .claim, you will be asked to provide your name
and address, your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN),
and a statement of the nature of your complaint.
Eligibility is luted by vehicle age
and mileage, and
other factors.
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We prefer you utilize the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure before you resort to AUTO LINE, but you
may contact the BBB at any time. The BBB will attempt
to resolve the complaint serving as an intermediary
between you and Buick. If this mediation is
unsuccessful, an informal hearing will be scheduled
where eligible customers may present their case to an
impartial third-party arbitrator.
The arbitrator will make a decision which you may
accept or reject.
If you accept the decision, GM will be
bound by that decision.
The entire dispute resolution
procedure should ordinarily take about
40 days from the
time you file a claim until a decision
is made.
Some state laws may require you
to use this program
before filing a claim with a state-run arbitration program
or in the courts. For further information, contact the
BBB at 1-800-955-5
100 or the Buick Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-955-7300.
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
TO THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could
cause a crash or could cause injury or death,
you should
immediately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), in addition to
notifying General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints,
it may open an
investigation, and if
it finds that a safety defect exists in
a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved
in individual problems between you, your dealer, or
General Motors.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety
Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 in the
Washington, D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation
Washington, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor
vehicle safety from the Hotline.
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REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
TO THE CANADIAN
GOVERNMENT
If you live in Canada, and you believe that your vehicle
has
a safety defect, you should immediately notify
Transport Canada, in addition to notifying General Motors of Canada Limited.
You may write to:
Transport Canada
Box 8880
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3J2
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
TO GENERAL
MOTORS
In addition to notifying NHTSA (or Transport Canada)
in a situation like this,
we certainly hope you'll notify
us. Please call us at 1-800-521-7300, or write:
Buick Motor Division Customer Assistance Center
902 E. Hamilton Avenue
Flint, MI 48550
In Canada, please call us at 1-800-263-3777 (English)
or 1-800-263-7854 (French). Or, write:
General Motors
of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario LlH 8P7
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Service and Owner Publications
Service manuals, service bulletins, owner’s manuals and
other service literature are available for purchase for all
current and many past model General Motors vehicles.
Toll-free telephone numbers for ordering information:
United States
............... 1-800-55 1-4123
Canada .................... 1-800-668-5539
Service Manuals
Service manuals contain diagnostic and repair
information for all chassis and body systems. They may
be useful for owners who wish to get
a greater
understanding of their vehicle. They are also useful for
owners with the appropriate skill level or training who
wish to perform “do-it-yourself” service. These are
authentic General Motors service manuals meant for
professional, qualified technicians.
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Service Bulletins
Service bulletins covering various subjects are regularly
sent to all General Motors dealerships. GM monitors
product performance in the field. When service methods
are found which promote better service on GM vehicles,
bulletins are created
to help the technician perform
better service. Service bulletins may involve any
number of vehicles. Some will describe inexpensive
service; others will describe expensive service. Some
will advise of new or unexpected conditions, and others
may help avoid future costly repairs. Service bulletins
are meant for qualified technicians. In some cases
bulletins refer to service manuals, specialized tools, equipment and safety procedures necessary to service
the vehicle. Since these bulletins are issued throughout
the model year and beyond, an index is required and
published quarterly to help identify specific bulletins.
Subscriptions are available. You can order an index at
the toll-free numbers listed previously, or ask a GM
dealer to see an index or individual bulletin.
Owner Publications
Owner’s manuals, warranty folders and various owner
assistance booklets provide owners with general
operation and maintenance information.
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n
Section 9 In
Air Bag ...................................... 1 . 17
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-21
How it Works ................................ 1 . 19
Location
.................................... 1-19
Readiness Light
......................... 1.18. 2.70
What Makes
it Inflate .......................... 1-20
What Will You See After it Inflates
............... 1-21
When
Should it Inflate ......................... 1-20
Aircleaner
.................................... 6-17
Air Conditioning
................................ 3-6
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
..................... 6-65
Air Control. Climate Control System
............. 3.1. 3-3
Alarm. Instant. Keyless Entry
...................... 2-8
Alarm. Universal Theft-Deterrent
.................. 2- 16
Alignment and Balance. Tire
...................... 6-44
Aluminum Wheels. Cleaning
...................... 6-53
Antenna. Power
................................ 3-32
Antifreeze
..................................... 6-23
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
................ 2.72. 4.6
Brakes
...................................... 4-6
Anti.Theft. Radio
.............................. 3-27
Appearancecare
............................... 6-47
Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-55
Arbitration Program
.............................. 8-6
Servicing
................................... 1-22
Armrest.
Storage
............................... 2-59
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-61
Astroroof
..................................... 2-63
Audio Controls. Steering Wheel Touch Control
....... 3-29
Audio Equipment. Adding
........................ 3-30
Audio Systems
................................. 3-12
Automatic ComforTemp Climate Control
............. 3-3
Automatic Pull-Down Feature. Trunk
............... 2-15
Automatic Overdrive
................................... 2-25
Ride Control
................................. 2-26
Transaxle Check
.............................. 7-39
Transaxle Fluid
............................... 6-20
Transaxle Operation
........................... 2-23
Transaxle Park Mechanism Check
................ 7-41
Battery
...................................... 6-33
Jump Starting
................................. 5-2
Replacement. Keyless Entry
.................... 2-12
Rundown Protection
........................... 2-50
Warning Light
............................... 2-70
Warnings
................................ 5.2. 5.4
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-6
Belt. Engine Accessory
..................... 6.67. 6.68
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-6
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I.
Adjustment .................................. 6-32
Master Cylinder
............................... 6-30
Fluid
......................................... 6-30
Parking
.. i.................................. 2-27
Pedal Travel
.... -. ............................... 6-32
Replacing System Parts
......................... 6-33
System Warning Light
......................... 2-71
Trailer
....................................... 4-34
Transaxle Shift Interlock
....................... 2-30
Transaxle Shift Interlock Check
.................. 7-40
Wear
......................................... 6-32
Brakes, Anti-Lock.
............................... 4-6
Braking
........................................ :4-5
Break-In, New Vehicle
.......................... 2-19
Brightness Control
.............................. 2-46
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-34
Braking
in Emergencies ............................ 4-9
BTSI
......................................... 2-3 0
BTSICheck ................................... 7-40
Canadian Roadside Assistance
..... 1. ............. 8-4
Capacities apd Specifications
........................ 6-64
Carbon Monoxide
......... : .......... 2-31,2-32, 4-27
Cassette Deck Service
........................... 7-38
Cassette Tape Player
.................. 3-14,3-17, 3-24
Cassette Tape Player Care
......................... 3-3 1
Cassette Tape Player Errors
........ : .... 3-14,3-18, 3-25
CD Player Theft-Deterrent Feature
.................. 3-27
Center Passenger Position
........................ 1-24
Central Door Unlocking System
.................... 2-4
. .
Certification Label .......................... !’. ... 4-29
Certification/”ire Label
..................... 4.28, 4.29
Chains. Tire
......... ; ......................... 6-46
Chains.
Safety
.................................. 4-34
Change Oil
Soon Light .......................... 2-80
Changing
a Flat Tire ............................. 5-22
Check Engine Light
............................. 2-75
Check Oil Level Light
........................... 2-79
Checking Your. Restraint Systems
.................. 1-44
Chemical Paint Spotting
.......................... 6-54
Child Restraints
................................ 1-33
Securing in a Rear Outside Seat Position
... .. ....... 1-35
Securing in the Center
. Rear Seat Position .......... 1-37
Securing
in the Right Front Seat Position .......... 1-39
TopStrap
.................................... 1- 34
Where to Put
................................. 1-33
Cigarette Lighter
............................... 2-61
Circuit Breakers
and Fuses ....................... 6-58
Cleaner.
Air ................................... 6-17
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
........................ ’ .... 6-53
Fabric
...................................... 6-48
Glass
....................................... 6-51
Inside
of Your Buick .......................... 6-47
InstrumentPanel
............................. 6-50
Leather
..................................... 6-49
Outside of Your Buick
.......................... 6-52
Speaker Covers
............................. .. 6-50
Stains
...................................... 6-48
Tires ........................................ 6-53
Special
Problems
............................ 6-48
Vinyl
....................................... 6-49
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