1996 BUICK PARK AVENUE light

PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let
you return
to your favorite stations. You can set up to
18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Press AM-FM to select the band.
Find the station you want by using TUNE or SEEK.
Press TONE to select the setting you prefer.
Press and hold one
of the six numbered buttons.
The sound will mute. When it returns, release the
button. Whenever you press that numbered button,
the station you set will return and the TONE
you selected will be automatically selected for
that button.
P SCAN: Press this button to listen to each of your
preset stations for a few seconds. The radio will
go to
the first preset station, stop for a few seconds, then go
on to the next preset station. Press P SCAN again to stop
scanning.
If a preset station has weak reception, the
radio will not stop at the preset station.
AUTO SET: Press this button and the system will seek
and set the
12 strongest FM or the 6 strongest AM
stations on your preset buttons. To return to the stations
you manually set, press AUTO
SET again.
Setting the Tone
BASS: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease bass. Push the knob back
in
when you are not using it.
TREB: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease treble. Push the knob back
in when you are not using it.
TONE: This feature allows you to choose preset treble
and bass equalization settings designed for classical,
pop, rock, jazz, talk and country/western stations.
CLASS will appear on the display when you first press
TONE. Each time you press
it, another setting will
appear on the display. Press it again after
C & W
appears and MANUAL will appear. Tone control will
return to the
TREB and BASS knobs. Also, if you use
the
TREB and BASS knobs, control will return to them
and MANUAL will appear.
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BAL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to move the sound to the left or right speakers. Use
the middle position to balance these speakers. Push the
knob back in when you are not using it.
FADE: Press this button lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to move the sound to the front or rear speakers.
Use the middle position to balance these speakers. Push
the knob back in when you are not using it.
The longer side with the tape visible should face
to the
right. If the ignition and the radio are on, the tape will
begin playing. If you hear nothing or hear a garbled
sound, the tape may not be in squarely. Press EJECT to
remove the tape and start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOLUME, FADE,
BAL, TREB and BASS controls just as
you do for the
radio. Other controls may have different functions when
a tape is inserted. The display will show an arrow to
show which side of the tape
is playing.
If you want to insert a tape when the ignition or radio is
off, first press EJECT or RECALL. Note that the
cassette tape adapter kits for portable compact disc players may not work in your cassette player.
These
adapters can cause an error message on the display, and
the adapter cassette could be ejected.
Your tape bias is set automatically.
PREV (1): Press this button to search for the previous
selection on the tape. Your tape must have at least three
seconds of silence between each selection for PREV to
work. The sound will be muted while seeking.
NEXT (2): Press this button to search for the next
selection on the tape. Your tape must have at least three
seconds of silence between each selection for NEXT
to
work. The sound will be muted while seeking.
The SEEK down and up arrows will also find the
previous and next selections
on the tape.
44 (3): Press this button to reverse the tape rapidly.
Press
it again to return to playing speed. The radio will
play while the tape reverses.
.. (4): Press this button to advance quickly to another
part of the tape. Press the button again to return to playing
speed. The radio will play while the tape advances.
SIDE (5): Press this button to change the side of the
tape that
is playing.
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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat. If they aren’t,
they may not operate
properly or may cause failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If you notice a reduction
in sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if
the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this other
cassette has no improvement in sound quality, clean
the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs
of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning. Insert
the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough
cleaning.
A scrubbing action cleaning cassette is
available through your Buick dealer. You
may also choose
a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject. It may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing
type cleaner.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure that the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and
clean
it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never
to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping
the outer edges or the
edge
of the hole and the outer edge.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
do a
lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use
it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push. Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes
(ABS). ABS is
an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start’your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If
you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control” in
the Index.)
TRACTION
OFF
When the system is on, this
warning light will come on
to let you know if there’s a
problem with your traction
control system.
See “Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light
is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off
if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system
off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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To turn the system off, press
the button on the instrument
panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
The traction control system warning light will come
on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button, the warning light will come
on
-- but the system won’t turn off right away. It
will wait until there’s no longer a current need to limit
wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should go off.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock,
you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even
the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Magnasteer (Option)
Your vehicle may be equipped with GM Magnasteer TM ,
a steering system that continuously adjusts the effort you
feel when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of
us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand
this.
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Off-Road Recovery
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But
you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly. You
may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
7/ SLOW DOWN
y// edge of paved surface -
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator
and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can the steering wheel up
to one-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mlrror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older
these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re driving,
don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,.
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
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