2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE headlamp

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation of DRL and
Twilight Sentinel
®, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness in daylight when
the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is off.
The transaxle is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps will
be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps will not be on. Your instrument panel
will not be lit up either.When it is dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will be at full brightness. The other lamps
that turn on with your headlamps will also turn on. When
it is bright enough outside, the regular lamps will turn
off, and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, shift the transaxle
into PARK (P). The DRL will stay off until you shift
out of PARK (P).
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are
parked, turn off the exterior lamp control and slide the
Twilight Sentinel
®control all the way to the left.
When released, the control will return to the Twilight
Sentinel
®minimum delay position and the lights will
turn off.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Cornering Lamps
The cornering lamps come on when the headlamps
or parking lamps are on and you signal a turn with
the multifunction lever. They provide more light
for cornering.
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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 time-out.
You can set the delay time from only a few seconds to
three minutes. 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 is just on,
the lamps will go off quickly when you turn off your
engine. Sliding the control to OFF, turns off the Twilight
Sentinel
®feature.
Light Sensor
Your Twilight Sentinel®and DRL work with the light
sensor on top of the instrument panel. Do not cover it
up. If you do, it will sense “dark” and the headlamps will
come on.
Instrument Panel Brightness
Adjust the instrument panel light brightness by turning
the exterior lamps control.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you to enter and leave your vehicle. You
can also turn these lamps on by turning the exterior
lamps control clockwise all the way past the normal stop.
Entry Lighting
When you open either front door or press the unlock
button 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.
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To turn the feature on do the following:
1. Press and hold LOCK on the driver’s door
lock switch throughout this procedure. All doors
will lock.
2. Press the remote alarm button on the transmitter to
enter the programming mode. Perimeter lighting
remains off at this time and the horn will chirp
one time.
3. Press the remote alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is now enabled and the
horn will chirp two times.
4. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
feature is now on.
Perimeter lighting can also be activated through the
DIC. SeeDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-50or
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-46.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
panel displays during daylight while your headlamps are
on. This feature operates with the light sensor for the
Twilight Sentinel
®and is fully automatic. When the light
sensor reads darkness outside, you will be able to
dim your instrument panel displays once again.
Glove Box Lamp
When you open the glove box, a lamp inside will come
on. The light will automatically turn off when the
glove box is closed.
Front Reading Lamps
The front reading lamps, located on the headliner, and
the interior courtesy lamps will come on when you
open a door. They will turn off when you turn on
the ignition.
To turn on the front reading lamps when the doors are
closed, press the button behind the lamp you want
to turn on. Press it again to turn the lamp off.
These lamps work even when the ignition is off.
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The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as a reection in the windshield.
The HUD consists of the following information:
Speedometer Reading
Turn Signal Indicators
High-Beam Headlamp Indicator
CHECK GAGES Message
The HUD shows these images when they are lighted on
the instrument panel cluster.Be sure to continue scanning your displays, controls
and driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel, you may not see something important, such as a
warning light.
Notice:If you try to use the HUD image as a
parking aid, you may misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use the HUD image as
a parking aid.
The HUD controls
are located in the
overhead console.
1. Start your engine and slide the HUD dimmer switch
all the way up.
The brightness of the HUD image is determined by
whether the headlamps are on or off, and where
you have the HUD dimmer switch set.
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2. Adjust the seat to a comfortable driving position.
Keep pressing the top arrow on the image height
adjuster to raise the image as far as possible.
3. Keep pressing the bottom arrow on the image
height adjuster to move the image as low as
possible, while still keeping it in full view.
4. Slide the dimmer switch downward until the HUD
image is no brighter than necessary.
To turn the HUD display off, slide the dimmer switch all
the way down.
If the sun comes out, the sky becomes cloudy, or if
you turn your headlamps on, you may need to
adjust the HUD brightness using the dimmer switch.
Polarized sunglasses could make the HUD
image harder to see.
To change the display from English to metric units,
push the ENG/MET button located to the left of
the steering column.Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield as necessary to
remove any dirt or lm that reduces the sharpness or
clarity of the HUD image.
To clean the HUD lens, spray GM Glass Cleaner or a
liquid household glass cleaner on a soft, clean cloth.
Gently wipe and dry the HUD lens. Do not spray
cleaner directly on the lens to avoid cleaner leaking
inside the unit.
If You Can’t See The HUD Image When
the Ignition is On
If the ignition is on and you can’t see the HUD image,
check to see if:
The headlamps are on.
Something is covering the HUD unit.
The HUD dimmer control is adjusted properly.
The HUD image is adjusted to the proper height.
A fuse is blown. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-92.
Keep in mind that your windshield is part of the HUD
system. If you ever have to have your windshield
replaced, be sure to get one that is designed for HUD
or your HUD image may look blurred or out of focus.
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Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase. A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They
may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
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You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and
are not even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to
go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when
your reexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
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.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking
can help you get out when you are stuck, but you
must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment re or other damage. When you
are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible.
Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h)
as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-30.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-72.
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