2004 BUICK PARK AVENUE ECU

Your vehicle has a right front passenger air bag.Never
put a rear-facing child restraint in this seat. Here is why:
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger’s air bag inates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child restraint
would be very close to the inating air bag.
Always secure a rear-facing child restraint in
a rear seat.
A rear seat is a safer place to secure a forward-facing
child resraint. If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat you will be using the
lap-shoulder belt to secure the child restraint in this
position. Be sure to follow the instructions that came with
the child restraint. Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
1. Because your vehicle has a right front passenger
air bag, always move the seat as far back as it will
go before securing a forward-facing child restraint.
SeePower Seats on page 1-2.2. Put the restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
4. Buckle the belt. Make sure the release button is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-47

5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.6. To tighten the belt, feed the lap belt back into the
retractor while you push down on the child restraint.
You may nd it helpful to use your knee to push
down on the child restraint as you tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
To remove the child restraint, just unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way. The safety
belt will move freely again and be ready to work for an
adult or larger child passenger.
1-48

{CAUTION:
Both frontal and side impact air bags inate
with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inating air bag, as you
would be if you were leaning forward, it could
seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you
in position for air bag ination before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt,
even with frontal air bags. The driver should sit
as far back as possible while still maintaining
control of the vehicle. Front occupants should
not lean on or sleep against the door.
{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle’s safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see the part of this manual called “Older
Children” or “Infants and Young Children.”
1-50

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-5
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-6
Doors and Locks............................................2-10
Door Locks..................................................2-10
Central Door Unlocking System......................2-11
Power Door Locks........................................2-11
Door Ajar Reminder......................................2-11
Delayed Locking...........................................2-11
Programmable Automatic Door Locks..............2-12
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-14
Lockout Protection........................................2-14
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-14
Trunk..........................................................2-15
Windows........................................................2-17
Power Windows............................................2-18
Sun Visors...................................................2-19
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-19
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-19
PASS-Key
®III ..............................................2-21
PASS-Key®III Operation...............................2-22Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-23
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-23
Ignition Positions..........................................2-24
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-25
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-26
Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-27
Parking Brake..............................................2-29
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-30
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-33
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-33
Engine Exhaust............................................2-34
Running Your Engine While You Are
Parked.....................................................2-35
Mirrors...........................................................2-36
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-36
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror................2-36
Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror with Compass..................................2-37
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-39
Outside Curb View Assist Mirror.....................2-40
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-40
Outside Automatic Dimming Heated Mirror........2-41
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Personalization Features
Each remote keyless entry transmitter can be
programmed to the driver’s preference for automatic
door locks, security feedback, delayed locking, memory
seat, perimeter lighting, outside curb view assist mirror
and window lockout. Each of these personalization
features will be explained in this manual.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you can also program any of these features
through the DIC. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on
page 3-47.
You can also personalize your climate control
temperature, air delivery mode and fan speed.
SeeClimate Controls Personalization on page 3-31.
Security Feedback
This feature provides feedback when the vehicle
receives a command from the remote keyless entry
transmitter. The following modes may be selected:
Mode 0:No feedback when locking or unlocking
vehicle.
Mode 1:No feedback when locking; exterior lamps
ash when unlocking vehicle.
Mode 2:Exterior lamps ash when locking; no feedback
when unlocking vehicle.
Mode 3:Exterior lamps ash when locking and when
unlocking vehicle.
Mode 4:Exterior lamps ash and horn chirps when
locking; no feedback when unlocking vehicle.
Mode 5:Exterior lamps ash and horn chirps when
locking; exterior lamps ash when unlocking vehicle.
2-7

Rear Door Security Locks
Your vehicle is equipped
with rear door security
locks that prevent
passengers from opening
the rear doors of your
vehicle from the inside.
To use one of these locks, do the following:
1. Open the rear door you want to lock.
2. Move the lever located on the inside door edge,
all the way to the lock symbol.
3. Close the door.
4. Do the same thing to the other rear door lock.
The rear doors of your vehicle cannot be opened from
the inside when this feature is in use.
To open a rear door when the security lock is on,
do the following:
1. Unlock the door.
2. Then open the door from the outside.If you don’t cancel the security lock feature, adults or
older children who ride in the rear seat won’t be able
to open the rear door from the inside. You should
let adults and older children know how these security
locks work, and how to cancel the locks.
To cancel the rear door lock, do the following:
1. Unlock and open the door from the outside.
2. Move the lever all the way to the unlock symbol.
3. Do the same for the other rear door.
The rear door locks will now work normally.
Lockout Protection
The power door locks will not work if the key is left in
the ignition and the driver’s door is open. You can
override this feature by holding the power door lock
switch on the driver’s door for more than three seconds.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take the keys, open the
door and set the locks from the inside, then get out and
close the door.
2-14

Remote Trunk Release Lockout
The remote trunk release lockout button allows you to
secure items in the trunk.
Insert the ignition key into
the TRUNK button, located
to the left of the steering
column. Turn the key
one-quarter turn clockwise
to LK then remove it
from the button.
This will disable the trunk release button and prevent
the trunk from opening when this button is pressed.
Trunk Security Override
The remote keyless entry transmitter will open the trunk
when the ignition is on or off and the vehicle is in
PARK (P), even if the trunk release lockout is activated.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Using the emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk may damage it. Use the
emergency trunk release handle only to help you
open the trunk lid.
There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located near the trunk latch. This handle will glow
following exposure to light. Pull the release handle up
to open the trunk from the inside.
2-16

Sun Visors
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirror
If your vehicle has this feature, when you open the visor
vanity mirrors, the lamps turn on.
To block out glare, swing down the visors. The larger
sun visor can be removed from the center mount
and moved to the side, while the auxiliary sun visor
remains to block glare from the front.
The front side of the driver’s sun visor also contains a
pocket for map storage.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle is equipped with a content theft-deterrent
alarm system. With this system, the SECURITY light will
ash as you open the door if your ignition is off.United States
Canada
2-19