1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE light

Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
Buick’s chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and
Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,
drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit
round trip in July 1904.
David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899, and
Marr, his engineer, apparently built the first auto to
be called a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally dates its beginnings to 1903. That was the year the
company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from
Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product innovator. Buick engineers developed the “valve-in-head” engine,
a light, powerful and reliable
engine which would eventually influence the entire
automotive industry.
William C. Durant was instrumental in promoting
Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort Carriage Co. outlets and salespeople as the nucleus
of a
giant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a “self-seller.”
If automobiles could be this good, he
thought, maybe it was time to switch from the horse and
buggy business to automobiles.
William C. (Billy) Durant
At the 1905 New York
Auto Show, Durant took
orders for
1,000 Buicks
before the company had
built
40. On Buick’s
success, Durant created a
holding company, September
16, 1908. He
called it General Motors.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
&
BAllERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
X
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS 6
TURN
RUNNING
* ' 0
DAYTIME -
LAMPS .'*
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAlTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
a
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
IJ
FUEL p3
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Heated Seats (Option)
, :. '..<. ,^ ,, , ,, . ._ The heated seat
controls are located
next to the climate
controls on the
instrument panel. Press this button
to turn on
the heating element in
the seat.
The
LO setting warms the seatback and cushion until the
seat nears body temperature. The
HI setting heats the
seat to a slightly higher temperature.
A telltale light in the control reminds you that the
heating system is in use.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
The front seatbacks can be adjusted by pressing the
vertical control located on the side
of the seat. Push it
forward to bring the seat
to a more upright position.
Push it rearward to recline the seatback.
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Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat
on wheels.
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k!, CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts
help keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with air
bags. The driver should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of the vehicle.
I A CAUTION:
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small
children. Always secure children properly in your
vehicle.
To read how, see the part of this manual
called “Children” and the caution label on the
right front passenger’s safety belt.
AIR
BAG
There is an air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows
AIR .BAG.
The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
“Air Bag Readiness Light” in the Index
for more information.
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Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to fasten, your
dealer will order you
an extender. It’s free. When you go
in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. The extender will
be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle that
you choose. Don’t let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit.
To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Tom or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may
be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched,
as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage also may mean you will need
to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag
system parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in
this section.
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Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your Buick, and information on starting, shifting
and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is working
properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
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2-8
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2-15 2-16
2- 17
2-
19
2-20
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2-22
2-23
2-27
2-28
2-30
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1
Keys
Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry System
TrUnk
Theft
Content Theft Deterrent
PASS-Key@
III
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions
Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake Shifting Into PARK
(P)
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Parking Over Things That
Burn
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2-34
2-44
2-46
2-50
2-55
2-64
2-64
2-68
2-73
2-82
2-84 Engine Exhaust
Running
Your Engine While You’re Parked
Windows
Tilt Wheel
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Astroroof
Universal Transmitter
Instrument Panel
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
Head-Up Display (HUD)
Driver Information Center (DIC)
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Synchronization
If only the instant alarm button works, the transmitter
needs to be resynchronized to the receiver. Do this by
pressing and holding both the LOCK and
UNLOCK
buttons on the transmitter for about eight seconds; you
must be within range of the vehicle.
Once the transmitter has been resynchronized, the horn
will chirp and the exterior lamps will flash once. The
system should now operate properly.
Theft-Deterrent System
The remote keyless entry transmitter will arm the
theft-deterrent system whenever the doors are
closed and you push the
LOCK button when the
ignition is
OFF. It will disarm the system when you
push UNLOCK.
Personal Choice Features (If Equipped)
-Each remote keyless entry transmitter can be
programmed to the driver’s preference for memory door locks, security feedback, delayed locking and perimeter
lighting. See each feature in the Index. You can also
personalize your comfort control temperature, mode and
fan settings. See “Comfort Controls Personal Choice” in
the Index.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you can also program these features
through the DIC. See “Driver Information Center” in
the Index.
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