2000 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owner's Manual

2-32
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into your
vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaustº).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
(See ªBlizzardº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
It can be 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've 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.

2-33
Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver's armrest control each of the
windows while the ignition is on or retained accessory
power is active. In addition, each passenger door has a
switch for its own window.Express
-Down Window
The switch for the driver's window has an express
-down
feature. Pull the switch back all the way, release it and
the window will lower automatically. To stop the
window from lowering, pull the switch again. To
partially open the window, pull the switch back half
way. When the switch is released, the window will stop
moving. To raise the window, press and hold the
switch forward.
Window Lock
Press the window lock button on the driver's armrest to
disable all passenger window switches, or just the rear
passenger switches. The middle of the switch will light
to indicate the window lockout is active.
The driver's window controls will still be operable.
This is a useful feature when you have children
as passengers.

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Press the window lock button a second time to allow
passengers to use their window controls again. The light
in the center of the switch will go off to indicate that the
feature is disabled.
Vehicles are delivered programmed to lock out all
passenger windows. If you have the optional DIC,
you can choose to lock out only the rear windows.
See ªPersonal Choice Featuresº or ªDriver Information
Centerº in the Index for programming instructions.
If you do not have the DIC feature, see your dealer if
you choose to have this setting changed to lock out only
the rear windows.
Horn
Nearly the entire surface of the center pad of the
steering wheel is an active horn switch. Press on the pad
near the horn symbols to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
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 toward you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable position, then release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.

2-35
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:

Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator

Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer

Windshield Wipers and Washer

Cruise Control

Flash
-to-Pass
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.

2-36
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the turn or
lane change.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head
-Up Display
(HUD), an arrow will also appear in the display area to
indicate the direction of the turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows flash
at twice the normal rate, this may indicate that a signal
bulb may be burned out and other drivers won't see your
turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index) and for burned
-out bulbs.If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring for
the trailer lamps, the signal indicator will flash even if a
turn signal bulb is burned out. Check the front and rear
turn signal lamps regularly to make sure they are
working. You do not need to add a different flasher.
Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the turn signal lever toward you, then
release it.
When the high beams are
on, a light on the instrument
panel cluster will also be on.
If your vehicle is equipped
with HUD, this light will
also appear in the
display area.

2-37 Flash-to-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you,
but not so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high
-beam headlamps will turn on. They'll stay on
as long as you hold the lever toward you and the
high
-beam indicator on the dash will come on.
Release the lever to turn the high
-beam headlamps off.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the band on MIST longer.
Use the delay position to 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.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you to the LO position. For high
-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers,
turn the band to OFF.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, 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 become damaged, get new blades or
blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.

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Moisture-Sensing Delay Windshield Wipers
(If Equipped)
The moisture sensor is mounted on the passenger's
interior side of the windshield behind the rearview
mirror and is used to automatically operate the
wipers by monitoring the amount of moisture on
the windshield.The moisture
-sensing system is activated by turning the
wiper control band to one of the five sensitivity levels
within the delay area. The delay position closest to
OFF/MIST is the lowest sensitivity setting. This allows
more water to collect on the windshield between wipes.
You can increase the sensitivity of the system and the
frequency of wipes by turning the wiper control band
away from you to the other delay settings. A single wipe
will occur each time you turn the wiper control band to a
higher sensitivity level.
An initial wipe will occur when you turn the ignition on
and the wiper switch is left in one of the sensitivity
settings, as a reminder that the rain sense feature is active.
The moisture
-sensing wipers operate in a delay mode as
well as a continuous low or high speed, depending on the
amount of moisture on the windshield and the sensitivity
setting. The MIST and wash cycles operate as normal and
are not affected by the moisture
-sensing function.
NOTICE:
Turn the wiper band to OFF to avoid wiper damage
when going through an automatic car wash.

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It is important to note that the moisture-sensing delay
wiping feature can be overridden at any time by
manually turning the wiper band to LO or HI speed.
If the windshield on your vehicle ever needs
replacement, make sure that the new windshield is
moisture
-sensing delay compatible.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever there is a paddle
with the word PUSH on it. For ªprogrammedº
operation, press and release the paddle. The washer will
provide a measured amount of fluid to the windshield
and the wiper will either stop or return to your original
wiping speed. For ªdemandº operation, press and hold
the paddle for at least two seconds. Release the paddle
when you have enough fluid and the wipers will either
stop or return to your original wiping speed.
CAUTION:
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.
If your vehicle is equipped with a DIC, a WINDSHIELD
WASHER FLUID LOW message will appear on the
display when the vehicle is low on washer fluid.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.