Buick 1993 Park Avenue User manual

i
I
'Id? I
,\!la I1 I

..

The 1993 Buick Park Avenue
Owner's Manual
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25603705 B First Edition @CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1992
All Rights Reserved
1

GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem,
BUICK, and the BUICK Emblem are registered
trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve theright to make changes in
the
productafterthat time withoutfurther notice. For vehicles
first
sold in Canada, substitutethe name “General Motors
of CanadaLimited”forBuickMotor Divisionwheneverit
appears in this manual.
Pleasekeep this manual in your Buick,
so it will be there if
you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell the
vehicle,please leavethismanual in
it so thenew ownercan
use it.
VOLUNTARY TECHNKIAN
WE SUPPORT
CERTIFICAT’WNTHROUGH
Nabonal lnstttute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We supportvoluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer
un exemplaire de ce guide en fraqais chez votre
concessionaire ou
B DGN Marketing Services Ltd., 1500
Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T lC7.

A
3

Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
Buick’s chief engineer,Walter L. Man-(left),and
Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,
drove the first FlintBuick in a successfulFlint-Detroit
round trip in July 1904.
David Buick was building gasolineengines by
1899,
and Marr, his.engineer,apparently built the first auto to
be called
a Buick in 1900.However, Buick traditionally
dates itsbeginnings to
1903. That was the year the
company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from
Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product
innovator. Buick engineers developed the
4

Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909 and1910,including successes at
Indianapolis two years before the Indy
500 began.
The success of Buick engines was visible not only
on
the racetrack, but in endurance tests across the country
and around the world. Buick was the only car to
complete a
1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in
1906.
And a Buick was the fistcar to travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 1914.
1911 Model 21 Touring Car
Buick drew plenty of attention because it could climb
hills and
run through mud like no other car. Buick’s
endurance and reliability were world famous.
During World War
I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances
so successful that one
Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre by
the French government.
As a builder
of premier automobiles, Buick was hard hit
by the Great Depression. However, new General
Manager Harlow H. Curtice created.popularnew models
including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales
soon flourished.
First Buick Factory
3

In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines,tanks and
other military hardware. This post-war period brought
great styling and engineeringchanges which resulted
in
increased sales.The torque converter automatic
transmission, Dynaflow,was introduced in the
1948
Roadmaster. Buick’s famous “portholes” came along in
1949.
I949 Roadmaster
A high=cornpression V-X engine was introduced in 1953.
And Buick’sfamous vertical pillar “toothy” grille
(introduced
in 1942)’ became more massive in the
post-war era.
r -- I
I
1953 Skylark
6

Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special
“Car
of the Year”. The first production V-6 engine was
used in the Special.
I962 Buick Special
Built inside the walls of the old buildings in Buick’s
former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone
of
General Motors, Buick City is a state-of-the-art
assembly facility with more than
200 robots and other
high-tech equipment. It was completed
in the fall
of
1985.
Buicks are, and will continue tobe, premium American
motorcars with smooth power, high performance,rich
detail and comfortableaccommodation.
Ed Mertz, General Manager, Buick Motor Division
Our mission is simple:
“Buick
will provide Premium American Motorcars
backed
with servicesthat exceed our customers’
expectations,throughout the purchase, ownership,
service and repurchase experience.”
Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL.
Buicks are DISTINCTIVE.
Buicks are POWERFUL.
Buicks are MATURE.
7

@ Table of Contents
HowtoUsethisManual ................................................................ 10 1
This part tells you howto use yourmanual and includes safety and vehicle damage warnings & symbols. 13
This part tells you how to use yourseats and safety belts properly.
This part explains how to start and operate your Buick.
This part tells you how to adjust the ventilation
& comfort controls and how to operate your sound system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how todrive under different conditions.
This part tells you what to do if you havea problem
while driving, such asa flat tire or engine overheating.
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buickrunning properly and looking good.
This part tells you when to perform vehicle maintenanceand what fluids and lubricants to use.
This part tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get servicepublications. It also gives
you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 315.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.
You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
SeatsandSafetyBelts .................................................................. 13
FeaturesandControls
.................................................................. 59
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
..................................................... 129
YourDrivingandtheRoad
.............................................................. 159
ProblemsontheRoad
.................................................................. 209
Serviceand Appearance Care..
.......................................................... 241
Maintenanceschedule
.................................................................. 293
CustomerAssistanceInformation
........................................................ 313
Index
................................................................................ 321

How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receivetheir new vehicle. This
will help
you learn about thefeatures and controls for
your vehicle. In this manual,
you’ll find that pictures
and words work together to explainthings quickly.
Safety Warningsand Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We
use yellow and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if youwere to ignore
the warning.
I
In the yellow caution area, we tell you what the hazard
is. Then we
tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t, you
or otherscould be hurt.
You will also find a red circle with a slash through it in
:hisbook.
This safety symbol means
“Don’t,” “Don’tdothis,”
or “Don’t let this happen.”

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these bluenotices:
WTICE:
In the blue notice area, we tell you about something that
can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage
would not
be covered by your warranty, and it could be
costly. But the noticewill tell
you what to do to help
avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals,
you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in different words. In this manual, we’ve used the
familiar words and colors that Buick has used for years.
You’ll also seewarning labels
on your vehicle. They use
the same colors, and the words CAUTION or NOTICE.
11

!
!
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
LIGHTS PC
HIGH BEAM OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD ' ' '
WASHER
l0 'r' -1
WINDSHIELD 6$
WASHER
8
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
3f
HEADLAMP -
WIPER -
WASHER iQ
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
RADIATOR
a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINEOIL wb
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL &4
ANTILOCK (a)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
>
VOLUME
HATCHBACK
e
TRUNK
RELEASE
LIGHTER
1-1
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b

Seats and Seat Controls
This sectiontells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, and also aboutmemory seats,reclining seatbacks
and head restraints.
Manual Seat
Move the lever under the front seat to unlock it. Slide
the seat to where you want it. Then release the lever and
try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the
seat is locked into place.
Power Seat
cn
rn
3
Front Control(F): Raise the front of the seat by
pushing on the left side of the switch. Push on the right
side
of the switch to lower the frontof the seat.
Center Control (C): Move the seat forward or back by
holding the control to the front orback. Raise the seat
by holding the control to the left. Hold the control to the
right to lower the seat.
Rear Control (R): Raise the rear of the seat by holding
the switch to the left. Holding
the switch to theright
lowers the rear of the seat.

Memory Seatand Mirrors(Option)
If your Buick has this option,the control looks like this:
I
You can use this when you want to save aseat and
mirror adjustment.
Here’s how to make it work:
1. Adjust the driver’sseat to your desired position.
Adjust both outside mirrors to suityou. See “Outside
Mirrors”
in the Index.
2. Press the SET button, and then one of the two
memory buttons within
5 seconds.You will hear one
beep when you press the setbutton, and two beeps
when
you press the memory button to confirm that
the mirror and seat positions are entered in memory.
Now it’s set. When your Buick
is in PARK with the
ignition
ON, push the memory button you just setand
the seatand mirrors will go to where you’vejust set
them. With the ignition
OFF, the system will work in
any shift lever position.
To
do the same thing for asecond driver, follow the
steps above but use the othermemory button.
If you hit the wrong memory setting, orif there is a third
driver, the seat adjuster will still work,
so you can adjust
the seat to where
you want it.
The EXIT button allows you to get out of the car more
easily. Push it while you’re
in PARK with the ignition
ON, or anytime with the ignition OFF, to make the seat
go all the way down and back. Also, you will hear a
beep when the EXIT button is pushed.
15

Reclining Front Seatback(s)
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of
the seat. Releasethe lever tolock the seatback where
you want it. Pull up on the lever and the seat will
go to
its upright position.
If
you have the power
option, it works with the
switch on the side
of the
seat. Push it back to recline
the seat,push it forward to
return the seatback to the
up position.
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.

A CAUTION:
Sittingin a reclined positionwhen your vehicleis
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclinedlikethis.
CAUTION: (Continued)
I
CAUTION: (Continued)
The shoulder
belt can’t doitsjob because it
won’t be against you*dy. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash you could go intoit,
receiving neck or other Injuries.
The lap belt can’t do Its job either. In a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen. Thebelt
forces waul’d
be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
Far proper protectiun when the vehicleis in
motion,
have the seatback upright. Thensit well
back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
I

Head Restraints
Slidethe head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top
of your ears.
I
A
CAUTION:
I
Don’t letanyone ridewhere they can’t wear a
safety beltproperly.
If you are in acrash and
you’re notwearing a safety belt,your injuriescan
bemuch worse. You can
hit things insidethe
vehicleor be ejectedfrom
it. You can be
seriously injuredor killed.
In the same crash,you
I might not be if you are buckledup. Always fasten
your safety belt,andcheck that your passengers’
belts are fastenedproperly too.
This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a
crash.