2003 BUICK PARK AVENUE brake fluid

{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid 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
instrument panel cluster when the vehicle is low
on washer ¯uid.
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.
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can not drive safely at a steady speed.
So, do not use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on
slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-8. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
3-9

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-14
Supercharger Oil..........................................5-19
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-22
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-27
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27
Cooling System............................................5-30
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-38Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-40
Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-49
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-49
Headlamps..................................................5-50
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-52
Rear Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-Up Lamps........................................5-52
Rear Quarter Panel Turn Signal and
Stoplamps................................................5-56
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-57
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-58
Tires..............................................................5-59
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-59
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-60
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-62
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-63
Buying New Tires.........................................5-64
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-65
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-66
Wheel Replacement......................................5-66
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Battery
B. Underhood Fuse Block
C. Radiator Pressure Cap
D. Engine Oil Dipstick
E. Engine Oil Fill CapF. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
H. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
I. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
5-13

Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
¯uid level if you have been driving:
·When outside temperatures are above 90ÉF (32ÉC).
·At high speed for quite a while.
·In heavy traffic ± especially in hot weather.
·While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the ¯uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180ÉF to 200ÉF
(82ÉC to 93ÉC).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50ÉF
(10ÉC). If it's colder than 50ÉF (10ÉC), you may have to
drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three to ®ve minutes.Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transaxle ¯uid dipstick
top is a round, red loop
and is located next to the
brake master cylinder
reservoir behind the engine
block. See
Engine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12
for more
information on location.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
5-23

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your master cylinder reservoir is ®lled with DOT-3 brake
¯uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake ¯uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The ®rst is that the
brake ¯uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the ¯uid level goes back up. The other reason is
that ¯uid is leaking out of the brake system. If it is, youshould have your brake system ®xed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes won't work well,
or won't work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to ªtop offº your brake ¯uid.
Adding brake ¯uid won't correct a leak. If you add ¯uid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too
much ¯uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake ¯uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake ¯uid, it can spill on
the engine. The ¯uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
¯uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake ¯uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. A chime will sound if you try
to drive with this warning light on. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page 3-34.
5-40

What to Add
When you do need brake ¯uid, use only DOT-3 brake
¯uid. Refer toPart D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-25. Use new brake ¯uid from a
sealed container only.
Always clean the brake ¯uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of ¯uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake ¯uid.
Notice:
·Using the wrong ¯uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts so badly that they'll have to be replaced.
Don't let someone put in the wrong kind of ¯uid.
·If you spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle's painted
surfaces, the paint ®nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle. If
you do, wash it off immediately. See
ªAppearance Careº in the Index.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal ®rmly).
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
5-41

Maintenance Schedule......................................6-2
Introduction...................................................6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................6-2
Maintenance Requirements..............................6-2
How This Section is Organized.........................6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services...........6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule....................6-4
Selecting the Right Schedule...........................6-4
Short Trip/City Scheduled Maintenance..............6-6
Long Trip/Highway Scheduled Maintenance......6-14
Part B: Owner Checks and Services................6-19
At Each Fuel Fill..........................................6-19
At Least Once a Month.................................6-19At Least Twice a Year...................................6-20
At Least Once a Year...................................6-20
Part C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections.........6-23
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection............................6-23
Exhaust System Inspection............................6-23
Fuel System Inspection..................................6-23
Engine Cooling System Inspection...................6-24
Throttle System Inspection.............................6-24
Brake System Inspection................................6-24
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants. . . .6-25
Part E: Maintenance Record...........................6-26
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
6-1

Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identi®ed below by name, part
number or speci®cation may be obtained from your
dealer.
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine OilEngine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certi®ed for
Gasoline Engines starburst symbol
of the proper viscosity. To determine
the preferred viscosity for your
vehicle's engine, see
Engine Oil on
page 5-14.
Engine Coolant50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and use only
DEX-COOL
žCoolant. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-24.
Hydraulic Brake
SystemDelco Supreme 11 Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT-3 brake ¯uid.
Windshield
Washer SolventGM Optikleen
žWasher Solvent or
equivalent.
Parking Brake
Cable GuidesChassis Lubricant (GM Part No.
U.S. 12377985, in Canada
88901242, or equivalent) or lubricant
meeting requirements of NLGI #2,
Category LB or GC-LB.
Power Steering
SystemGM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part
No. U.S. 1052884, in Canada
993294, or equivalent).
Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Automatic
TransaxleDEXRONž-III Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock
CylindersMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474, or equivalent).
SuperchargerSupercharger Oil (GM Part No. U.S.
12345982, in Canada 10953513).
See
Supercharger Oil on page 5-19.
Hood Latch
Assembly,
Secondary
Latch, Pivots,
Spring Anchor
and Release
PawlLubriplate Lubricant Aerosol (GM
Part No. U.S. 12346293, in Canada
992723, or equivalent) or lubricant
meeting requirements of NLGI #2,
Category LB or GC-LB.
Hood and Door
HingesMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474, or equivalent).
Fuel Door,
Glove Box
Door, Console
Door and Rear
Compartment
Lid HingesMulti-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube
(GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474, or equivalent).
Weatherstrip
ConditioningDielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part
No. U.S. 12345579, in Canada
10953014, or equivalent).
6-25