1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine fans.
filler neck may be lower. If the level
is lower, add
more of the proper
DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture
through the filler neck until the level reaches the
base of the filler neck.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows
on the pressure cap line up like this.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows
how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn
on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. Thrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk.
Lift the carpeting from the floor of the trunk.
Lift and remove the spare tire cover for access to the
spare tire and jack.
Remove the wheel wrench and jack from the jack
container. Turn the spare tire retainer bolt
counterclockwise and remove the retainer assembly.
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I
A
Remove the spare tire from the trunk. See “Compact
Spare Tire” later in this section for more information
about the compact spare.
The tools you’ll be using include the jack
(A) and the
wheel wrench
(B).
Wheel Covers
The following steps are necessary if you have the alloy
(aluminum) wheel with a center cover that conceals the
wheel nuts.
1. Insert the flat end of the wheel wrench in the notch and
pry
off the center cover. Do not drop the cover or lay it
face down, as it could be scratched or damaged.
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2. If your vehicle has this
aluminum wheel, you
may have plastic wheel
nut caps. Use the wheel
nut wrench to remove
the wheel nut caps and
to loosen the wheel nuts.
3. When reinstalling the decorative nut caps, tighten the
caps snugly with the wheel wrench, then continue
one-eighth
of a turn rotation for steel caps and
one-quarter of a turn rotation for plastic caps.
It
is not required to remove the center cover on this
wheel; however, if it should be necessary, it should
be removed from the back side by pushing out with a
blunt tool and not pried
off from the front.
When reinstalling the cap, there
is a plastic
alignment pin which must be aligned with the notch
in the wheel to assure proper installation.
4. When replacing the cover after the wheel is put back
on the vehicle, do not use
a hammer or mallet to
install the cover.
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Use the wheel wrench to loosen the wheel nuts, but
don’t remove them yet.
2. The jack has a bolt at the
end. Attach the wheel
wrench to the bolt to
create a jack handle.
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(28 CM) A I
3. Rotate the wheel wrench clockwise (to the right) to
lower the jack head a few inches.
4. Near each wheel well is a notch in the plastic trim
panel to position the jack head. You’ll find the word
JACK and an arrow stamped into the plastic near
each notch. Position the jack under the vehicle and
raise the jack head until it fits firmly against the
sheet metal next to the word
JACK. Do not raise the
vehicle yet. Put the compact spare tire near
you.
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Getting under a vehicle when it is jacked up is
dangerous.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured
or killed. Never get under
a vehicle when it is supported only by a jack.
Raising
your vehicle with the jack improperly
positioned can damage the vehicle and even make
the vehicle fall.
To help avoid personal injury
and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack lift
head into the proper location before raising
the vehicle.
5. Raise the vehicle by rotating the wheel wrench
clockwise in the jack. Raise the vehicle
far enough
off the ground
so there is enough room for the spare
tire to fit.
6. Remove all the wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
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' 7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and spare wheel.
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which
it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after
a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
you change a
wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches
to the vehicle. In an
emergency,
you can use a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust
or
dirt off.
/1 CAUTMN:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
8. Replace the wheel nuts
with the rounded end
of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub.
A CAUTION: I
I
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