1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE lights

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your Buick is equipped with one of the following instrument panel clusters. It includes indicator warning lights and
gages that are explained on the following pages. Be sure to read about those that apply to the instrument cluster for
your vehicle.
TEMPERATURE
Standard Cluster (United States version shown, Canada similar) \
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Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may
be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions.
As you will
see
in the details on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly when you
start the engine just to let
you know they’re working.
If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you
are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help. Your
vehicle may also have a driver information system
that works along with the warning lights and gages. See
“Driver Information System” in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds,
then
it will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither the chime nor the
light will come on.
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Security Feedback
By choosing different combinations of these selections,
you can choose the type of transmitter activated
feedback when locking and unlocking your vehicle with
your transmitter. Each time you make a selection by
pressing the ENG/MET button, press the RESET button
to record your choice.
0 LOCK FEEDBACK - OFF/ON
LOCK FEEDBACK - LIGHTSLIGHTS + HORN
UNLOCK FEEDBACK - OFFLIGHTS
If you choose ON for LOCK FEEDBACK you will also
need to choose LIGHTS or LIGHTS
+ HORN.
You can select the following modes:
If you choose OFF for LOCK FEEDBACK
and
OFF for UNLOCK FEEDBACK, you will
receive no security feedback when locking or
unlocking your vehicle.
If you choose OFF for LOCK FEEDBACK and
LIGHTS for UNLOCK FEEDBACK, you will
receive no security feedback when locking your
vehicle and the exterior lamps will flash when
unlocking your vehicle.
0
e
0
0
If you choose LIGHTS for LOCK FEEDBACK and
OFF for UNLOCK FEEDBACK, your exterior
lamps will flash when locking your vehicle and you
will receive no security feedback when unlocking
your vehicle.
If you choose LIGHTS for LOCK FEEDBACK and
LIGHTS for UNLOCK FEEDBACK, your exterior
lamps will flash when locking and when unlocking
your vehicle.
If you choose LIGHTS
+ HORN for LOCK
FEEDBACK and OFF for UNLOCK FEEDBACK,
your exterior lamps will flash and the horn will chirp
when locking your vehicle and you will receive no
security feedback when unlocking your vehicle.
If you choose LIGHTS + HORN for LOCK
FEEDBACK and LIGHTS for UNLOCK
FEEDBACK, your exterior lamps will flash and
the horn will chirp when locking your vehicle and
your exterior lamps will flash when unlocking
your vehicle.
For more information on this feature, see “Security
Feedback’’ in the Index.
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Perimeter Lighting
When the UNLOCK button on the transmitter is
pressed, the
DRL lamps (high-beams at reduced
intensity), parking lamps and back-up lamps will turn on
if it is dark enough according to the twilight sentinel.
You can control activation of this feature by choosing
OFF or ON when the PERIMETER LIGHTS choice is
displayed on the DIC. Make your choice by pressing the
ENGMET button and record your choice by pressing
the RESET button.
Memory Seat Recall
NOTE: If you want to choose PERIMETER
LIGHTS ON, you must also choose LIGHTS for
UNLOCK FEEDBACK while making the security
feedback choices.
For more information on this feature, see “Perimeter
Lighting” in the Index. This feature recalls the position
of your seat.
You can program this feature to be active by choosing
ON when the SEAT RECALL choice appears, or
inactive by choosing
OFF when the SEAT RECALL
choice appears on the DIC. Make your choices by
pressing the ENGMET button and store them to
memory by then pressing the RESET button.
You can also program this feature to recall your memory
seat position or the exit seat position.
Memory Position: Choose ON when the SEAT
RECALL choice appears, and then choose MEMORY
when the RECALL POSITION choice appears.
Exit Position: Choose ON when the SEAT RECALL
choice appears, and then choose EXIT when the
RECALL POSITION choice appears and your seat
will move all the way down and back for easy exit.
The seat will also move when you enter the vehicle
after unlocking
it with a Remote Keyless Entry
transmitter. This will allow for easy entry as well.
For more information on this feature, see “Memory Seats” in the Index.
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Comfort Controls
This section tells you how to operate your comfort
controls. Your comfort control system uses
ozone-friendly
R- 134a refrigerant.
With these systems, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your Buick. Your vehicle also has a
flow-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Personal Choice Comfort Controls
(If Equipped)
This feature allows two different drivers to store and
recall their own climate control settings for temperature, air delivery mode, fan and passenger climate control
(ordoff) status. The Personal Choice settings recalled
are determined by the transmitter used to enter the
vehicle. After the
UNLOCK button of a remote keyless
entry transmitter is pressed, and the ignition is in
RUN,
the climate control will adjust to the last settings of the
identified driver. The settings can also be changed by
briefly pressing one of the
MEMORY seat switches
located on the driver’s door panel. When adjustments
are made, the new settings
are automatically saved for
the driver.
Dual Automatic ComforTemp Climate Control
Your Buick has the dual automatic comfortemp climate
control system. The following information tells you how
it works.
You will hear a beep each time a button is pushed and a
small light on the button will indicate which buttons are
active. The lights are on all buttons except
TEMP, FAN
and
AIR FLOW. The display will show fan speed,
comfort level setting and airflow direction for a few seconds whenever any button, except for the rear
defog, is pushed, and then it will display the outside
temperature. The outside temperature reading is most
accurate when the vehicle is moving.
During stops, when driving slow, or when the engine is
first started after a short trip, the outside temperature
reading can be affected by road or engine heat. In order
to ensure proper automatic climate control operation, the outside temperature display may not update as quickly
as expected.
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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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Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out.
So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they’re all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if
one of your vehicle lamps is out.
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Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL’ extended life coolant.
2
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it
is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 OF ( 129 O C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to the
system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the use
of coolant other than DEX-COOL@ is not.
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
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