1996 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

Engine Exhaust
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
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
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
0 Have your vehicle Tied immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
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 CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air tern 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.)
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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.
indows
?ewer Windows
r
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
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The driver’s window switch has an auto-down feature.
This switch is labeled
AUTO. Tap the rear of the switch,
and the driver’s window will open a small amount. If the
rear of the switch is pressed all the way down,
the
window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while
it is lowering, press the front
of
the switch. To raise the window, press and hold the
front of the switch.
On four-door models, the driver’s window controls also
include
a lock-out switch. Press LOCK to stop front and
rear passengers from using their window switches. The
driver can still control all the windows with the lock
on.
Press the other side of the LOCK button for normal
window operation.
rn
Press either horn symbol on your steering wheel to
sound the horn.
Tilt St,,l ing Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
To
tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
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Thrn SignaYMultifunction Lever Thm Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal
a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
The lever on the
left side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlamp HigWLow Beam
Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
e Cruise Control
L
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or lane
change.
To signal
a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever
will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your
turn signal.
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If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in
the Index).
A chime will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than 1/2 mile
(0.8 km).
Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change your headlamps
from low beam to high
beam, or high
to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release it. When
the high
beams are on, a light on
the
instrument panel also will
be on.
Windshield Wipers
To control the windshield
wipers, turn the band
marked WIPER.
For a
single wiping cycle, turn the
band to MIST. Hold it there
until the wipers start, then
let go. The wipers will stop
after one cycle.
If you want
more cycles, hold the band
on
MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band to
LO. For
high-speed wiping, turn the band further, to
HI. To stop
the wipers, turn the band to
OFF.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LO, the shorter the delay.
Be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them.
If they’re frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts.
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Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
For information on replacement blade type and length,
see “Capacities and Specifications’’ in the Index.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there’s a paddle
with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, push the paddle.
The wipers will run for
several sweeps and then either stop or return to your
preset speed.
r-
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
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Cruise Control
A CAUT1,ON:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads. or in heavy traffic.
Cruise, control can be dangerous
on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. .Don’t
use cruise control
on slippery roads.
With cruise control, you can rqaintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then
you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it.
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit
a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch
OFF until you
want to use
it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button
at the end of the lever
and release it. The
CRUISE light on the
instrument panel will
come on.
4. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
WA (Resume/Accelerate)
for about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to
your chosen speed and
stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go ,to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Press the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
0 Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed
you want, and
then release
the switch. To increase your speed in
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