2001 BUICK PARK AVENUE engine

2-32
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
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 PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
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 ªtorque lock.º 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 ªShifting Into PARK (P)º 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).

2-34
Engine Exhaust
CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:

Your exhaust system sounds strange
or different.

Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.

Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.

Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over
road debris.

Repairs weren't done correctly.

Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:

Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and

Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
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 Exhaust.º
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.

2-35
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.
Horn
Press on the center area of the steering wheel 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.

2-45 Twilight Sentinel


Twilight Sentinel turns your
headlamps on and off by
sensing how dark it
is outside.
To operate this feature, slide the control to any position
to vary the lamp timeout.
If you move the control all the way to MAX, your lamps
will remain on for three minutes after you turn off your
engine. If you move the control almost all the way in the
other direction, so it's just on, the lamps will go off
quickly when you turn off your engine. You can set this
delay time from only a few seconds to three minutes.
Light Sensor
Your Twilight Sentinel and Daytime Running Lamps
work with the light sensor on top of the instrument
panel. Don't cover it up. If you do, it will sense ªdarkº
and the headlamps will come on.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
Instrument panel light brightness can be adjusted
by turning the headlamp knob counterclockwise
and clockwise.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you to enter and leave the car. You can
also turn these lamps on by turning the headlamp knob
clockwise all the way past the normal stop.
Illuminated Entry System
When you open either front door or press the button
with the unlock symbol on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, the lamps inside your vehicle will turn on.
These lamps will turn off after about 40 seconds. These
lamps will also turn off if you start the engine or activate
the power door locks.

2-63
The light will be red in the event of an OnStar system
malfunction. If this occurs press the OnStar button to
attempt to contact an advisor. If the connection is made,
the advisor will assist you with steps to take to make
sure that the system is functioning properly. If you
cannot contact the advisor, take your vehicle to your
dealership as soon as possible for assistance.
Safety and Security Services

Automatic Notification of Air Bag
Deployment
-- If an air bag deploys, a priority
emergency signal is automatically sent to the center.
An advisor will locate your vehicle's position, try to
contact you and assist you in the situation. If the
center is unable to contact you, an emergency service
provider will be contacted.

Stolen Vehicle Tracking
-- Call the center at
1
-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) to report your
vehicle stolen. The system can then locate and track
your vehicle and the advisor will be able to notify
the proper authorities.

Roadside Assistance with Location
-- For vehicle
breakdowns, press the OnStar button. An advisor
will contact the appropriate help.
Remote Diagnostics
-- If an instrument panel light
comes on, the center can perform a check of the
engine on
-board computer. An advisor can then
recommend what action needs to be taken.

OnStar MED
-NET -- Med-Net can store your
personal medical history and provide it to emergency
personnel if necessary. (Requires activation and
additional fee.)

Accident Assist
-- An advisor can provide
step
-by-step guidance following an accident.

Remote Door Unlock
-- To contact the center, call
1
-888-4-ONSTAR. You will be required to provide
your security information. An advisor will send a
command to your vehicle to unlock itself. The
advisor can delay unlocking your vehicle. Remote
Door Unlock is disabled 48 hours after the vehicle is
parked to maintain the battery charge.

Vehicle Locator Service
-- To contact the center,
call 1
-888-4-ONSTAR. You will be required to
provide your security information. An advisor will
send a command to your vehicle to sound the horn
and/or flash the lamps.
In order to provide you with excellent service, calls with
the OnStar Center may be monitored or recorded.

2-67 Programming the HomeLink

Transmitter
Do not use the HomeLink Transmitter with any garage
door opener that does not have the ªstop and reverseº
safety feature. This includes any garage door opener
model manufactured before April 1, 1982.
Be sure that people and objects are clear of the garage
door you are programming.
Your vehicle's engine should be turned off while
programming the transmitter. Follow these steps to
program up to three channels:
1. If you have previously programmed a transmitter
channel, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, hold down
the two outside buttons on the HomeLink
Transmitter until the indicator light begins to flash
rapidly (after 20 seconds). Then release the buttons.
This procedure initializes the memory and erases any
previous settings for all three channels.2. Decide which one of the three channels you want to
program. Hold the end of the hand-held transmitter
about 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 cm) away from the
surface of the HomeLink Transmitter so that you can
still see the indicator light.
3. Using both hands, press the hand
-held transmitter
button and the desired button on the HomeLink
Transmitter. Continue to press both buttons
through Step 4.
4. Hold down both buttons until you see the indicator
light on the HomeLink Transmitter flash slowly and
then rapidly. The rapid flashing indicates that the
HomeLink Transmitter has been programmed.
Release both buttons once the indicator light starts
to flash rapidly.

2-74
Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has been
driven, in either miles (used in the United States) or
kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper
-resistant odometer.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If possible, the new one has to
be set to the same reading the old one had. If it can't be,
then it's set at zero and a label must be put on the
driver's door to show the old mileage reading and when
the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
A trip odometer can tell how far you've driven since
you last set it back to zero. To reset it, push the
RESET button. The trip odometer is reset through the
Driver Information Center (DIC) if your vehicle is
equipped with this feature.
Tachometer
The tachometer tells you
how fast the engine is
running. It displays engine
speed in thousands
of revolutions
per minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.

2-75
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a Driver Information Center
(DIC) that works along with the warning lights and
gages. See ªDriver Information Centerº in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN, a chime will come on for
about eight seconds to remind people to fasten their safety
belts, unless the driver's safety belt is already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 20 seconds, then
it will flash for about
55 seconds.
If the driver's belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.