Buick 1998 Skylark User manual

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The 1998 Buick Skylark Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you howto use your seats and safety belts properly.It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and howto operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells whatto do if you have a problem while driving, such as aflat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you howto keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use,
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you howto contact Buickfor assistance and howto get service and owner publications.
It also givesyou information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-8.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.You can useit to quickly find
somethingyou want to read.
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@wWMOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK,
the BUCK Emblem and the name SKYLARK are
, ,gegistered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
Please
keep -this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever needit when you're on the road. If you:
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new
wner can use it.
..
...
b
I
WE SUPPWIT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFI.CATION THROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE
National Institute for
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
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How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when theyfirst receive their new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn aboutthe features
and controlsfor your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll
find that pictures and words work together
to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to lookfor what you needis the Index in
back of the manual. It’s
an alphabetical list of what’s in
the manual, andthe page number whereyou’llfind it.
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the 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
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautionsin this book.
We use a box and the word
CAUTION to tellyou
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
others could be 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.”
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Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
I NOTICE:
~ ~ ~~~
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the 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 notice will tell you what to do to help
avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you mightsee
CAUTION and NOTICE warningsin different
colorsor in different words.
You’ll alsoseewarning labels
on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you
and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
UNLOCK Ed
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
-'ag
SWITCH 0 ,
SIGNALS 6
TURN
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
Thesesymbols
are used on
warning
and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
BRAKE (@)
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
I
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’llfind information aboutthe seats in your Buick and how touse your safety belts properly.You can also
learn about some things you should
not do with air bags and safety belts.
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Seatsand SeatControls
Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
HereAre Questions Many People
Ask About
Safety Belts
-- And the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
SafetyBelt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Rear SeatPassengers
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Rear SafetyBelt Comfort Guidesfor Children
and SmallAdults
Center Passenger Position
Children
Child Restraints
Larger Children
Safety Belt Extender
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
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Seats and Seat Controls
This section tellsyou aboutthe seats -- how to adjust
them, and also about recliningfront seatbacks and
head restraints.
Manual Front Seats
You canlose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seatwhile the vehicle
is
moving. The suddenmovement could startle and
confuseyou, or makeyou push
a pedal when you
don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seatonly when
the vehicle is not moving.
4-Way Manual Seat (If Equipped)
Driver’s Side
I If you have this option, you have two levers under the
front edgeof the seat. The lever near the outer side
of
the seat (A) unlocks the seat allowing it to slide forward
and back.The lever on the right
(B) allows you to tilt
the seatup and down.

2-Way Manual Seat
Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped)
Passenger’s Side
Move the control leverunder thefront of the seat to
unlock it. Slidethe seat to where you wantit. Then
release the lever and
try to movethe seat with your
body, to make sure the seatis locked in place.
Turn theknob onthe right front of the driver’s seat
cushion tothe right or tothe leftto adjust the support
for
the lower back.
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Power $eat Controls (If Equipped)
Thepower seat controls are located on the sideof the
driver’s seat.
Front Control (F): Raise thefrontof the seat by
holding the switch
up. Hold the switch down to lower
the front
of the seat.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
Your vehicle will have one of these reclining
seatback levers.
Center Control (C): Move the seat forward or
backward
by holding the control to the front .or back.
Raise
or lower the seat by holding the control up
or down.
Rear Control (R): Raise the rear of the seatby holding
the switch up. Hold the switch down to lower the
rear of
the seat.
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Sitting in a reclined positionwhen your vehicleis
in motion canbe dangerous.Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their jobwhen
you’re reclined likethis.
The shoulderbelt can’t do its jobbecause it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead,
it will be in
front of you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap beltcan’t do
its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forceswould be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection whenthe vehicle
is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sit wen
back
in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
Slide the
head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury
in a crash.
Rear Seats
Folding theRear Seat (If Equipped)
With the rear folding
seatbacks,
you can carry
long cargo by folding down
part or allof the rear seat.
Pull this strap to fold down
the seatback.
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When youfoldthe seatback up, push the top of the seat,
making surethe seat is completely closed to ensurethe
seat locks in a sudden stopor crash.
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not
do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
Don’t let anyone ride wherehe or shecan’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be muchworse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle orbe ejected fromit.
You can be seriously
injured orkilled.
In the same crash,you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check that yourpassengers’ belts
arefastened properlytoo.
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It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding inthese areas are morelikely to be
seriously injured or killed.
Do not allow people to
ride in any areaof your vehiclethat is not
equipped with seats and safetybelts. Be sure
everyone in yourvehicleis in a seat andusing a
safety beltproperly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on
as a reminder
to buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash.If youdo have 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
30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes bucklingup does
matter
... a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Put someone onit.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust
a seat
on wheels.
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Get it up to speed. Thenstopthe vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. Theperson keeps
going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle,it could be the windshield ...
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or the instrument panel . . .
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, :belt or not. But you c,an unbuckle a safety belt, -
even if you're upside down. And your chance of
.beingconscious during and after an accident, so-
but especially~in side and other collisions.
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HOW to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special
things to know about safety
belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your
vehicle, see the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start withthe driver position.
Driver Position
This part describesthe driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shQuMm beltAiexe3 hmv tc, wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats”in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
4. Push the latchplate into the buckle untilit clicks.
Don’t let it get twisted.
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