2005 BUICK PARK AVENUE maintenance

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-27
Airbag System
.........................................1-49
Restraint System Check
............................1-57
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-9
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-22
Mirrors
....................................................2-34
OnStar
®System
......................................2-39
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-40
Storage Areas
.........................................2-44
Sunroof
..................................................2-47
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-48
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-25
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-32
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-46
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-55Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-35
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-57
Tires
......................................................5-58
Appearance Care
.....................................5-82
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-91
Electrical System
......................................5-91
Capacities and Specications
...................5-100
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
....5-101
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Buick Park Avenue Owner ManualM

Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the airbag system in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
airbag system. To purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering Information on page 7-11.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
airbag can still inate during improper service.
You can be injured if you are close to an
airbag when it inates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag systems. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualied to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The airbag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
1-57

The lter should be replaced as part of routine
scheduled maintenance. SeePart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4for replacement
intervals. See your GM dealer for details on changing
the lter.
Once you remove your lter, if you choose not to
replace it, it will not damage your vehicle. However, the
air will no longer be ltered.
Steering Wheel Climate Controls
If your vehicle has this
feature, you can control
the temperature function
by using the switch located
on your steering wheel.
wTEMPx(Temperature):Press the up or
down arrow on this switch to increase or decrease
the temperature.
Climate Controls Personalization
If your vehicle is equipped with this feature, up to two
drivers are able to store and recall climate control
settings for the temperature, the fan speed and the
direction of the airow.
Memory buttons 1 and 2 are located on the
driver’s door armrest and correspond to the
numbers 1 or 2 found on the back of each
remote keyless entry transmitter.
To store settings, do the following:
1. Select the desired temperature, fan speed and
airow mode. If desired, a separate temperature
setting may also be selected for the front seat
passenger. For information on how to do this, see
Dual Automatic Climate Control System on
page 3-25.
2. Locate memory buttons 1 and 2 on the driver’s
door armrest.
3-31

Notice:Modications 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 this light to come on.
Modications 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 does not come on, have it
repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system
on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
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
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps and see your
GM dealer for service as soon as possible.
3-41

If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-6. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your GM dealer can check the vehicle. Your GM
dealer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic
tools to x any mechanical or electrical problems
that may have developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON light is on or not working properly.
3-42

Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
This light tells you if there
could be a problem with
your vehicle’s engine
oil pressure.
The oil pressure light will come on briey when you turn
your ignition to RUN. It goes off once you turn the
key to START. That is just a check to be sure the light
works. This is normal and does not show a problem.If it does not come on and then go off, be sure to
have it xed so it will be there to warn you if there is
a problem.
When this light comes on and stays on, and a chime
sounds, it means oil is not going through the engine
properly. The oil could be low, or there might be some
other oil problem. See your GM dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil.
3-43

Tire Pressure:Press the GAGE INFO button until
TIRE PRESSURE appears in the display. TIRE
PRESSURE NORMAL is displayed when the check tire
pressure system believes your vehicle’s tire pressures
are normal. If a potential tire pressure problem is
detected, the display will show TIRE PRESSURE LOW.
SeeCheck Tire Pressure System on page 5-65for
information on how to reset the system.
Battery Volts:Press the GAGE INFO button until the
display shows BATTERY STATE. If the voltage is
normal the display will show BATTERY STATE
NORMAL. If the voltage drops below 10.5 volts, the
display will show BATTERY STATE LOW. If the voltage
is above 16 volts, the display will show BATTERY
STATE HIGH. If the display shows the high or low
message, you need to have your battery checked. See
your GM dealer for service.Oil Pressure:Press the GAGE INFO button until OIL
PRESSURE appears in the display. If there are no
problems detected with the oil pressure, the display will
show OIL PRESSURE NORMAL. If a low oil pressure
condition is detected, the display will show OIL
PRESSURE LOW. If you see the OIL PRESSURE LOW
message, you could be low on oil or your oil is not
going through the engine properly. See your GM dealer
for service.
Oil Life System:Press the GAGE INFO button until
OIL LIFE INDEX appears in the display. The OIL
LIFE INDEX NORMAL display will show an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. When the oil life index
is less than 10%, the display will show OIL LIFE INDEX
CHANGE OIL. See your GM dealer for service. See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4
andEngine Oil on page 5-13.
When you have the oil changed according to the
maintenance schedule, you will have to reset the Engine
Oil Life System. To reset the Engine Oil Life System,
see “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-17.
3-48

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine.
Shift into a gear.
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you are
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for
more on this. Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle uid (do
not overll), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you nd them quickly. If you
are trailering, it is a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
4-43