2001 BUICK PARK AVENUE tow

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CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If you try to drive off with the parking brake set, a
chime will also come on until you release the parking
brake. If the light stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when your engine
is started and may stay on
for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on and the chime sounds, turn the ignition
to OFF. Or, if the light comes on and the chime sounds
when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and turn the
ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on and the chime sounds, or
the light comes on again while you're driving, your
vehicle needs service. If the regular brake system warning
light isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti
-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning light
is also on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

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NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light to come on. Modifications to these systems
could lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.

3-3
During stops, when driving slow, or when the engine is
first started after a short trip, the outside temperature
reading can be affected by road or engine heat. Also,
starting the engine within a short time after the vehicle
has been running will affect the reading. To ensure
proper automatic climate control operation, the outside
temperature display may not update as quickly
as expected.
Sun and temperature sensors automatically adjust the air
temperature, the airflow direction and the fan speed to
maintain your comfort setting. The system may supply
cooler air to the side toward the sun. Be careful not to
put anything over the sensors on top of the dash.
Temperature Button
To adjust the comfort level you want maintained inside
the vehicle, push the TEMP button. If you want a
warmer comfort level, push the red arrow. If you want a
cooler comfort level, push the blue arrow. Your comfort
setting is shown in the display.Fan Button
The speed of the blower fan is controlled automatically
if you have the system set for AUTO. Pressing the
FAN button will display and hold the current blower
fan setting.
If you want the blower fan to run at a lower speed, push
the bottom of the FAN button. The fan speed will
decrease with every push of the button until the lowest
speed is reached. If you want to increase the fan speed,
push the top of the FAN button. Notice the fan
indicators on the display.
Mode Controls
Press the AIR FLOW button to deliver air through the
floor, middle or windshield outlets. The system will stay
in the selected mode until the AUTO button is pushed.
Press the up or down arrow on the AIR FLOW button
to cycle through the available modes.

3-4
Automatic Operation
Press the AUTO button when you want the system to
automatically adjust to changes in the temperature.
When the system is set for automatic operation, air will
come from the floor, middle or windshield outlets
depending on the temperature inside the vehicle, the
outside temperature and sun load. Fan speed will vary as
the system gets to and maintains the comfort setting you
have selected through the use of the TEMP button.
To find your comfort setting, start with the system in
AUTO mode and the TEMP button adjusted to a display
of 75
F (24
C), give the vehicle about 20 minutes to
stabilize, and adjust your comfort setting if necessary, by
using the TEMP button. The display will show the
comfort setting, fan speed and airflow direction for a
few seconds, and then it will display the outside
temperature. If you choose the temperature setting of
60
F (15
C), the system will remain at the maximum
cooling setting and fan speed. If you choose the
temperature setting of 90
F (33
C), the system will
remain at the maximum heat setting and fan speed.
Choosing either maximum setting will not cause the
system to heat or cool any faster.In cold weather, the system will delay turning the fan on
high, to avoid blowing cold air. The length of the delay
depends on the engine coolant temperature and the
outside temperature. Pushing the FAN, AIR FLOW or
FRONT buttons will override this delay, turn off the
AUTO setting and change the fan speed.
Manual Operation
You may also manually adjust the air delivery or
fan speed.
AIR FLOW: This button is used to change the direction
of the airflow. The airflow choices available are FLOOR,
FLOOR
-MID, MID and WINDSHIELD-FLOOR.
If the system is set for AUTO, pressing the AIR FLOW
button will display the current airflow direction, the
comfort setting and the fan speed. Press the AIR
FLOW up or down button again to change the
direction of the airflow.
If the AIR FLOW up button is selected while in the
FRONT defrost mode, the system will direct the air
toward the mid
-position. If the AIR FLOW down button
is selected while in the FRONT defrost mode, the
system will direct the air toward the FLOOR, and the
FRONT defrost mode will cancel. Notice the arrows in
the display.

3-5
OFF: If the passenger comfort control is turned on, it
can be turned off by pressing the OFF button once.
Pressing the OFF button a second time will turn off the
main system. Turning off the main system causes the fan
to turn off and the airflow to be directed to the floor. The
system will still try to keep the interior of the vehicle at
the previous chosen comfort setting. The outside
temperature will show on the display when the system
is off.
The ventilation system always allows fresh air to flow
through your vehicle when the vehicle is moving, even
with the system in the OFF mode.
VENT: The VENT button allows outside air to flow
through your vehicle without the air conditioning
compressor working. Selecting the VENT and the
AUTO buttons at the same time allows the system to
control the air flow automatically without the use of the
air conditioning compressor or the use of the RECIRC
mode. To turn off the VENT selection, push the VENT
button again.RECIRC: When RECIRC is selected, the system will
limit the amount of outside air entering your vehicle.
This is helpful when you are trying to cool the interior
of the vehicle quickly or limit the amount of outside air
entering your vehicle for some other reason. RECIRC
and AUTO may be selected at the same time. The
system will remain in RECIRC until the ignition is
turned off. The system will return back to the previously
selected mode when the car is turned back on. RECIRC
can be selected in all manual airflow modes except
FRONT defrost. RECIRC cannot be selected with the
VENT button.
FRONT: This selection is used to defrost
the windshield by directing the airflow toward
the windshield.
If FRONT is selected while in the AUTO mode, the fan
speed and the air temperature from the front defroster
will vary. If a manual fan speed setting is selected, the
fan speed will remain at that selection until another fan
speed selection is made or the AUTO mode is selected.
To turn off FRONT, press the AUTO or AIR
FLOW button.
FRONT defrost will work better if any ice or snow is
cleared from the hood and the air inlet area between the
base of the windshield and the hood.

3-7
At speeds above 30 mph (48 km/h), the rear defogger
will stay on until you press the REAR button again.
After 10 minutes of driving below 30 mph (48 km/h),
the defogger will turn off automatically. If you need
additional warming time, push the button again. The
system will then operate for five minutes before going
off by itself.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license, tape or decals
across the defogger grid on the rear window.
NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid or the
integrated rear window antenna, and the repairs
wouldn't be covered by your warranty.
Passenger Climate Control
The front seat passenger can control the air temperature
in their seating area. This can be set up to 5
F (3
C)
cooler or warmer than the primary setting. You can
activate this feature by sliding the lever located on
the right side of the instrument panel toward WARM
or COOL.
If the passenger climate control has been turned on, it
can be turned off by pressing the OFF button once.
Pressing the OFF button a second time will turn off the
main system.

4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We've also
included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Traction Control System (If Equipped)
4
-11 Steering
4
-13 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-15 Loss of Control
4
-16 Driving at Night4
-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-21 City Driving
4
-22 Freeway Driving
4
-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-24 Highway Hypnosis
4
-24 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-26 Winter Driving
4
-30 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-30 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-32 Towing a Trailer

4-30
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
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
see ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground will damage drivetrain components.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire
-Loading Information label
found on the rear edge of the driver's door tells you the
proper size, speed rating and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you
important information about the number of people that
can be in your vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight
and includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory
-installed options.