1996 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

Make sure the shift lever is fully into PARK (P)
range before starting the engine. Your Buick has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You must fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P)
when the ignition is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (P) while keeping the brake pedal
pushed down. Release the shift lever button
if you have
a console shift. Then move the shift lever
out of
PARK (P), being sure to press the shift lever button if
you have a console shift. See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
I
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle,
see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
r
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for
normal driving. It is the overdrive position. If you need
more power for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than 35 mph (56 kmh), push your
- Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 kmh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (0) for higher speeds. THIRD
(3): This
position is also used for normal
driving, but
it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill.
- When driving in non-highway scenarios (i.e. city I
between gears.
streets, etc.).
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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.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 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. 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
shift lever
is put in FIRST ( 1 ), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear
until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
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.
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Parking Brake
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.
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 section shows
what to
do first to keep the trailer from moving.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When you lift your left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
released position.
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Shifting Into PARK (P)
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.
Column Shift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
I-
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3.
4.
Move the ignition key to LOCK.
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).
lift
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
Hold in the button on the lever, and push the lever all the
way toward the front of your vehicle.
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).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
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 (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without first pushing the button). If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK
(P).
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)
bqfore 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).
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Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Buick has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
must fully apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See
“Automatic Transaxle Operation”
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Release the
shift lever button if you have
a console shift. Then move
the shift lever
out of PARK (P), being sure to press the
shift lever button
if you have a console shift.
If
you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the key to OFF.
Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the engine and shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
I
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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