1999 BUICK PARK AVENUE headlamp

yellowblue
4-17 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.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
4-30
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
To tow your vehicle, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight
-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-34
Bulb Replacement
The following procedure tells you how to replace your
headlamp bulbs. For the type of bulb to use, see
ªReplacement Bulbsº in the Index. For any bulbs not
listed in this section, contact your service department.
Halogen Bulbs
CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
Each headlamp is attached by thumb screws.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-35
1. Remove the thumb screws by turning
them counterclockwise.2. Pull the headlamp away from the car.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-36
3. Remove the bulb socket
by turning it one
-quarter
of a turn
counterclockwise, while
pressing it firmly, then
pull it out. You can use
pliers to remove the bulb
socket if you are unable
to do it by hand.
4. Remove the wire connector from the bulb by lifting
the lock tab and pulling it away from the
plastic base.
5. Reverse the above steps to reassemble the
lamp assembly.
When reassembling the lamp, make sure to align the
pin at the outboard edge of the headlamp assembly
to the plastic retainer at the outboard edge of
the vehicle.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-37
Headlamp Aiming
The headlamp aiming device is under the hood, directly
behind the headlamps.
Your vehicle has a headlamp system equipped with
horizontal and vertical aim indicators. The aim has been
pre
-set at the factory and should need no further
adjustment. This is true even though your vertical and
horizontal aim indicators may not fall exactly on the ª0º
(zero) marks on their scales.If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment may be necessary
if it is difficult to see lane markers (for horizontal aim),
or if oncoming drivers flash their high beams at you (for
vertical aim). If you believe your headlamps need to be
re
-aimed, we recommend that you take it to your dealer
for service; however, it is possible for you to re
-aim
your headlamps as described in the following procedure.
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-38
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:

The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface.

If necessary, pads may be used on an uneven surface.

The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.

The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.

There should not be any cargo or loading of the
vehicle, except it should have a full tank of fuel and
one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on the driver's seat.

Close all doors.

Tires should be properly inflated.

Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspension.
Start with the horizontal aim. The adjustment screws can be
turned with an E8 Torx
 socket or T15 Torx screwdriver.Once the horizontal aim is adjusted, then adjust the
vertical aim.
1. Turn the horizontal
aiming screw (A) until
the indicator (B) is lined
up with zero.
ProCarManuals.com

yellowblue
6-39
2. Turn the vertical aiming screw (C) until the level
bubble (D) is lined up with zero.
Front Turn Signal
The front turn signal bulbs can be accessed by removing
the headlamp assembly as described in the previous bulb
replacement procedure.
Once the headlamp
assembly has been removed,
reach down from the top of
the vehicle and, while
pressing the lock tab on the
socket, turn the socket
one
-quarter of a turn and
pull it out.
Remove the old bulb by pulling it straight out of the
socket. Replace the bulb and turn the bulb assembly
back into place.
ProCarManuals.com