Buick 1995 Skylark User manual

The 1995 Buick Skylark Owner’s Manual
How toUsethisManual ................................................................ iii
This section tells you how to use your manual and includes safety and vehicle damage warnings and symbols.
SeatsandRestraintSystems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you howto use yourseats and safety belts properly.It also explains “SRS” system.
FeaturesandControls .................................................................. 2- 1
This section explains howto start and operate your Buick.
ComfortControlsandAudioSystems ..................................................... 3-1
This section tells you howto adjustthe ventilation and comfortcontrols and howto operate your
sound system.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
This section tells you whatto do if you have a problem whiledriving, such as aflat tire or engine
overheating, etc.
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 6-1
Here the manual tells you howto keep your Buick running properly and looking good.
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1
This section tells you whento perform vehicle maintenance and whatfluids and lubricantsto use.
CustomerAssistanceInformation ........................................................ 8-1
This sectiontells you how to contact Buickfor assistanceand howto get servicepublications.It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-4.
Index ................................................................................ 9-1
Here’s an alphabeticallisting
of almost every subject inthis manual. You can useit toquickly find
something you wantto read.
i

%
GENERAL MOTORS,GM and the GM Emblem,
BUICK, and the BUICK Emblem are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest informationat the time
it
was printed.We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first soldin Canada, substitute the name
“General Motorsof Canada Limited”for Buick Motor
Division wheneverit appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your Buick,
so it will be there
if you ever need
it when you’re onthe road. If you sell
the vehicle, please leave this manual init
so the new
owner can useit.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part
No. 25620607 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propriiitaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer
un exemplairede ce guide en franpis chez votre
concessionaire ouau DGN Marketing Services Ltd.,
1500 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7.
@Copyright General Motors Corporation
1994
All Rights Reserved
ii

Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
Buick’s chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and
Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,
drove the first Flint Buickin a successful Flint-Detroit
round trip in July 1904.
David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899,
and Marr, his engineer, apparently built the first autoto
be called a Buick
in 1900. However, Buick traditionally
dates its beginnings
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
“valve-in-head” engine, a light, powerful and reliable
engine which would eventually influence the entire
automotive industry.
William C.Durant was instrumental in promoting
Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort
Carriage
Co. outlets and salespeople as the nucleus of a
giant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a
“self-seller”. If automobiles could be this good, he
thought, maybeit was time to switchfrom the horse and
buggy businessto automobiles.
William C. (Billy)Durant
At the 1905,New York
Auto Show, Durant took
orders for
1,000 Buicks
before the company had
built
40. On Buick’s
success, Durant created a
holding company,
September 16, 1908.He
called
it General Motors.
iv

Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing
trophiesin 1909and 19 10,including successesat
Indianapolistwo years before the Indy
500 began.
The success
of Buick engineswas visible not onlyon
therace track, but in endurancetests acrossthe country
and around the world. Buick was the only car to
completea 1,000-mileChicago-to-New York race in
1906. And a Buick was the first carto travelacross
SouthAmerica, driven fromBuenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in1914.
1911 Model 21 Touring Car on Buickk Test Hill
Buick drew plenty of attentionbecause it could climb
hills and run through mudlikeno other car. Buick’s
enduranceand reliability were world famous.
DuringWorld WarI, Buick built Liberty aircraftengines
as well as Red Cross ambulances
so successfulthat one
Buick ambulancewas awardedthe Croix de Guerreby
theFrench government.
As a builder of premier automobiles,Buick washard hit
by the GreatDepression.However, newGeneral
Manager, Harlow
H. Curticecreatedpopular new
models includingthe Specialand the Roadmaster. Buick
sales soon flourished.
I
First Buick Factory
V

In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and
other military hardware. This post-war period brought
great styling and engineering changes 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.
1949 Roadmaster
A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953.
And Buick’s famous vertical pillar “toothy” grille,
(introducedin
1942), became more massive in the
post-war era.
I953 Skylark
Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special,
“Car of the Year”.The first production
V-6 engine was
used in the Special.
vi

1962 Buick Special
Built inside the wallsof the old buildings in Buick’s
former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstoneof
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 thefall of
1985.
Buicks are, and will continueto be, premium American
motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich
detail and comfortable accommodation.
Ed Mertz, General Manage& Buick Motor Division
Our mission is simple:
“Buick will provide Premium American Motorcars
backed with services that exceed our customers’
expectations, throughout the purchase, ownership,
service andrepurchase experience.”
Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL.
Buicks are DISTINCTIVE.
Buicks are POWERFUL.
Buicks are
MATURE.
vii

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. This
~ willhelpyoulearnaboutthefeaturesandcontrols for
your vehicle.In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work togetherto explain things quickly.
Index
A good place to lookfor what you needis the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical listof all
that’s inthe manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
I You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box with gray background and the word
1 CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt youif
you were to ignore the warning.
In
the gray 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
others couldbe hurt.
You will
also find a circle
with a slash throughit in
this book.
This safety symbol means
“Don’t,’’ “Don’t do
this,” or
“Don’t let this happen.’’

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book youwill find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that
couId damage your vehicle.
In the notice area, wetell you about somethingthat can
damageyour vehicle.Many times,this damage would
not be coveredby your warranty, andit couldbe costly.
But the notice will tell you whatto do to help avoid
the
damage.
When you readothermanuals, you mightsee
CAUTION and NOTICE warningsin different colorsor
in different words.
You’ll also
see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
yellow for cautions,blue for notices andthe words
CAUTION or NOTICE.
iX

L
CAUSTIC

I

Four-Way ManuaI Seat - Driver's Seat Only
(Option)
Power Seat (Option)
If you have this option, youhave two leversunder the
frontedge of the seat.The lever near the outer side of
the seat
(A) unlocks the seat allowing it to slideforward
and back.The leveron the right
(B) allows youto tilt
the seatup and down.
1-2
The power seatcontrol is located onthe side of the seat.
Front Control (F): Raise thefront of the seatby
holding the switchup. Hold the switch down to lower
the front of the seat.
Center Control (C): Move the seatforward or back by
holding the controlto the front or back. Raiseor lower
the seat by holding thecontrolup or down.
Rear Control (R): Raise the rear of the seat by holding
the switch up. Hold the switch downto lower therear of
the seat.

Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjustthe seatback,lift thelever on the outer side of
the seat and move theseatbackto where you want it.
Release the lever to lockthe seatback.Pull
up on the
lever and theseat
will go to an upright position.
1-3

I
But don’t havea seatbackreclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-4

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraintis closestto the top of your ears. Thisposition
reduces the chance of a neck in$&in-a'crash.
' "
. ,.
Front Seatback Latches (2-Door Models)
The front seatbackfolds forward to let people get into
theback seat.
Your seatbackwill moveback and forth freely, unless
you come toa sudden stop. Then it will lockin place.
There's onetime the seatbackmay notfold without
some help from you. That's
if your vehicleis parked
going downa fairly steep
hill.
To fold a frontseatback
forward,push the seatback
toward therear as youlift
this latch. Thenthe seatback
will fold forward.The latch
must be downfor the seat to
work properly.
1-5

Easy-Entry Seat 'Option (2-Door Models)
Therightfront seat of your vehicle makes it easy to get
in and out of therear seat.
When youtilt the rightfrontseatbackfully forward,
After someone getsinto the rear seat area, move the
right front seatback toits original position. Then
move the seat rearwarduntil it locks.
the whole seat
will slideforward.
To get out, againtilt the seatback fullyforward.

Your car has a light
that comes on as a
reminder
to buckle up.
(See “Safety Belt
Warning Light” in
the Index.)
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast asit
goes.
In many states and Canadian provinces, the law saysto
.f
wearsafetybelts.Here’swhy: Theywork. i
You never knowif you’ll be in a crash. If you dohave a
crash, you don’t know ifit will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be
so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away.
Without belts they could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter
... a lot!
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust a seaton
wheels.

Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed.Then stop the vehicle.The rider
doesn’t
stop.
1-9