1998 BUICK REGAL lock

There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK
(P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
r
It is 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 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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index. Make sure
the shift lever is
fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has
a Brake-Transaxle
Shift Interlock
(BTSI). 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. Then move
the shift lever out
of PARK (P). See “Shifting Out of
PARK (P)”
in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
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 “If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
2-23
ProCarManuals.com

Shift Lock Release Parking Brake
P
1 2
If your vehicle’s battery
should
go dead or there is a
lack of electrical power, there
is an access slot that will allov
you
to override the PARK (P)
lock if your shifter is stuck
in
PARK (P).
J
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.
The access slot is located beneath
a small cap on the
right side of the console shift panel.
To remove the cap,
use
a screwdriver or key. Then insert the key or
screwdriver into the slot, press down and hold. Make
sure you have your foot
on the brake pedal while you
are performing this procedure. You will now be able to
shift your vehicle out of PARK (P).
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.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition
is on and the shift lever is not in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N).
2-27
ProCarManuals.com

2. Move the shift lever into
the PARK
(P) position
like this:
0 Hold in the button on the lever, then push the lever
all the way toward the front
of your vehicle.
0 Move the ignition key to LOCK.
3. 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).
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 out
of PARK (P) without
first pushing the button. If you can, it means that the
shift lever wasn’t
fully locked into PARK (P).
2-29
ProCarManuals.com

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)
before 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 parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock
(BTSI).
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. Then move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P).
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
2-30
ProCarManuals.com

Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of the
windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger’s door has a switch for its own window. The driver’s
window switch has
an express-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.
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.
Horn
Press anywhere near the horn symbols on your steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
2-33
ProCarManuals.com

TILT-WHEEL TM Adjustable
Steering Column
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 into place.
Turn SignaYMultifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
0 Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control (Option)
0 Flash-to-Pass
2-34
ProCarManuals.com

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 between wipes.
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.
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.
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. See “Windshield Washer Fluid”
in the Index.
I
A CAUTICU: I
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.
The LOW WASH light on
your instrument panel
cluster will glow when the
LOW WASH fluid level is low.
2-37
ProCarManuals.com

Exterior Lamps
The lamp controls are located on the instrument panel.
They control these systems:
0
0
0
a
0
0
0
0
0
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
License Lamps Sidemarker Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Courtesy Lamps
Fog Lamps
Cornering Lamps If
you pull the
knob out
halfway, it will turn on your
parking lamps and your
other operating lamps.
If
you pull the knob all the
way out, your headlamps
will then come on.
Push the
knob in all the way to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound
if you open the driver’s
door when you turn the ignition switch to
OFF, LOCK
or ACCESSORY with the lamps on.
2-41
ProCarManuals.com