1998 BUICK REGAL mirror

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and bralung. 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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2-33 Keys
Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry
Trunk
Theft
PASS-Key@ I1
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Parking Brake
Shifting Into PARK (P)
Shifting
Out of PARK (P)
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
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2-76 Horn
TILT-WHEEL
TM Adjustable Steering Column
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps
Interior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Sun Visors
Accessory Power Receptacle
Auxiliary Power Connection (Power Drop)
Astroroof
Cellular Phone Readiness Package
(If Equipped)
OnStar System (Option)
Instrument Panel
-- Your Information System
Instrument Panel Cluster
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
Driver Information Center
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Rearview Mirror Reading Lamps
(If Equipped)
Use the switch next to each ].amp to turn them on
and off.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open the doors.
Battery Rundown Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery in case you accidentally leave the
interior courtesy lamps, reading/map lamps, visor vanity
lamps, trunk lamp, underhood lamp or glove box lamps
on.
If you leave any of these lamps on, they will
automatically turn
off after 20 minutes, if the ignition is
in
OFF. The lamps won’t come back on again until you:
Turn the ignition on,
0 Turn the lamp switch off, then on; or
Open a door.
Note that if your vehicle has less than
15 miles (25 km)
on the odometer,
the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.
Retained Accessory Power
With retained accessory power, your power windows,
audio system and sunroof will continue to work up to
10
minutes after the ignition key is turned to OFF and none
of the doors are opened.
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Mirrors
Adjust all the mirrors so you can see clearly when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lamps behind you, pull the lever at
the bottom of the mirror toward you (to the night
position).
To return the mirror back to the day position,
push the lever away from you.
Electrochromic Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
(If Equipped)
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Your vehicle may have an electrochromic dayhight
rearview mirror. Push the button
in the center of the
mirror to turn this feature on. The mirror will darken
gradually to reduce glare from headlamps behind
you.
This may take a few moments.
The mirror’s two outer buttons operate
the lights on the
bottom sides
of the mirror.
One photocell on the front
of the mirror senses when it
is becoming dark outside. Another photocell, facing
rearward, senses headlamps behind you.
To turn the
electrochromic feature off, press the button in the center
of the mirror again.
To keep the photocells operating well, occasionally
clean them with a cotton swab and glass cleaner.
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Power Outside Foldaway Mirrors
The power mirror control switches are located near
the driver’s side window, on
the armrest. To choose
either the left or right
outside mirror, move the top
switch from
left through
neutral to right. Press any of
the four buttons located
below the top switch to
move the mirrors in the
desired direction.
Heated Foldaway Outside Mirrors
The left and right outside mirrors are heated when you
activate the rear window defogger. (See “Rear Window
Defogger in the Index“.)
Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface
is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
Adjust each mirror so
you can see the side of your
vehicle and the area behind your vehicle.
These mirrors can also be folded rearward manually.
This feature is particularly useful in automatic car
washes and when maneuvering your vehicle
in
narrow spaces.
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror
or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
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NOTICE:
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtrays.
If you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire,
causing damage.
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it’s ready, it will
pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it
is heating. If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also move them from side to side.
The visors also
have extenders that
you can pull out for added coverage.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Open the cover to expose the vanity mirror.
If your vehicle has the optional lighted vanity mirrors,
the lamps come on when you open the cover.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane
to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make
it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying
to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited
to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid
are best
handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
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Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road.
For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It
is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason
is that some dlivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol or
dugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind
you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
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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