Buick PARKAVENUE 1997 User manual

The 1997 Buick Park Avenue Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safetybelts properly. It also explainsthe “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Buick.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This sectiontells you how toadjustthe ventilationand comfort controlsand how to operateyour audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tipsabout the road and howto drive under different conditions.
Problemson the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheatedengine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly andlooking good,
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you whento perform vehicle maintenance and whatfluids and lubricantsto use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contactBuick for assistance and how to get service and ownerpublications.
It also gives you information on “ReportingSafetyDefects” on page
8-8.
Index
Here’s an alphabeticallisting of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quicklyfind
sometlvngyou wantto read.
i

GM
-
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK,
the BUICK Emblem and the name PARK AVENUEare
registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includesthe latest information at the timeit
was printed.We reserve the right to make changes
in the
product after thattime without further notice. For
vehicles first sold inCanada, substitute the name
“General Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick Motor
Division whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in yourBuick,
so it will be there
if youever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell
the vehicle, pleaseleave this manual in it
so the new
owner can use
it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part
No. 25645978 B First Edition
..
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE
NationalInstitute for
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux proprietaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer unexemplaire de ceguide en fraqaischez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7
@CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996
All Rights Reserved

iii

WalterMarr 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 Buick in 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 auto to
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, maybe it was time to switch from the horse and
buggy business to 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
calledit General Motors.
iv

Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909 and 1910, including successes at
Indianapolis two years before the Indy
500 began.
The success of Buick engines was visible not only on
the race track, 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 thefirst carto travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 1914.
Buick drew plenty of attention becauseit 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 successfully that
one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre
by the French government.
As a builderof 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.
1911 Model 21 Touring Car on Buick’s Test Hill
First Buick Factory
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In World War 11, Buick built aircraftengines, 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 introducedin the
1948
Roadmaster. Buick’sfamous “portholes” came along
in
1949.
1949 Roadmaster
A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953.
And Buick’sfamous vertical pillar “toothy” grille
(introduced in
1942) became more massive inthe
post-war era.
I953 Skylark
Motor Trend magazine namedthe 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 walls of the old buildings in Buick’s
formerFlint 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 to be, premium American
motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich
detail and comfortable accommodation.
Ed Mertz, GeneralManager;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 and repurchase experience.”
Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL.
Buicks are DISTINCTIVE.
Buicks are POWERFUL.
Buicks are PREMIUM.
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How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual frombeginning
to end when theyfirst receive their new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features
and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll
find that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you needis the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list
of all
that’s inthe manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word
CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
These mean thereis something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what todo to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t
do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
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VehicleDamageWarnings In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
costly. But the notice will 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.
You’ll also see warning labels
on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Also,
in this book you will findthese mtices: not be covered by your warranty,and it could be
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage
your vehicle.
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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
ACID COULD &
BAllERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BAllERY
X
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS 6
TURN
RUNNING * ' 0
DAYTIME -
LAMPS .'*
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAlTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER a
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
IJ
FUEL p3
1 I

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Here you’ll find information about theseats in your Buick and how touse your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some thingsyou should
not do with airbags and safety belts.
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Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
Here Are QuestionsMany People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
Safety Belt Use DuringPregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
Supplemental Restraint System(SRS)
Center Passenger Position
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Rear Seat Passengers
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guidesfor Children
and SmallAdults
Children
ChildRestraints
Larger Children
Safety Belt Extender
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint SystemParts After
a Crash
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Seats and Seat Controls
This part tells youabout the seats -- how to adjust them,
and also about memory seats, reclining seatbacks and
head restraints.
4-way Power Lumbar Control (Option)
If you have this option, the
driver’s and passenger’s
seatback lumbar support
can be adjusted four ways
by moving the single
switch locatedon the
side
of the seat.
To increase or decrease support, hold the switchforward
or rearward.
To move the lumbar up and down, hold the
switch upwardor downward.
Power Seats
Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front part
of the horizontal control up
or down.
Raise or lower the rear ofthe seat cushion by
holding the rear part of the horizontal control up
or down.
Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding the
whole control up or down.
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0 Move the seat forward or back by pushing the
horizontal control to the front orback.
0 Tilt the seatback by pushing the vertical control
forward or rearward.
0 Raise or lowerthe shoulder belt and head rest by
pushing the vertical control to the top orbottom.
Memory Seat and Mirrors (Option)
If your Buick has this option, the control on the driver’s
door armrest looks like this:
You can use this memory
function to save your seat
cushion (minus the head
restraint), optional lumbar,
mirror adjustment, HVAC
and radio settings by using
the following procedure:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat and lumbar position (if
equipped) to a safe and comfortable driving position.
Adjust both outside mirrors to suit you. See “Outside
Mirrors” in the Index.
2. Press one of the two MEMORY buttons
corresponding with yourdriver number, for longer
than three seconds. You will hear two beeps to
confirm that the mirror and seat positions have been
entered into memory.
When your Buick is inPARK (P), push and release the
memory button you just stored. The seat and mirrors
will move to the set position. You will hear one beep.
To set the seat and mirror positions for a second
driver, follow the previous steps, but use the other
MEMORY button.

If you press the wrong MEMORY button, or if there is a
third driver, the seat adjuster will still work.
The EXIT button allows for easy exit from the vehicle.
Push and release the EXITbutton while in PARK(P)
and the seat will move all the way back. You will hear a
beep when the EXIT button is pressed.
You can also set unique exit positions by moving the
seat to the desired position, and then pushing and
holding the EXIT button for greater than three seconds.
You will hear two beeps to confirm the position has
been set. The exit position will be set for the previously
identified driver.
If the ignition is not in
RUN, automatic seat and mirror
movement will occur if the UNLOCK button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter is pressed. Automatic
seat and mirror movement is programmed through the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
so that the driver can
select whether the seat moves to the programmed
driving position, the programmed exit position or does
not move at all. For memory seat and mirror recall
programming instructions, see “DIC Personal Choice
Programming” in the Index.
1-4

Heated Seats (Option)
, :. '..<. ,^ ,, , ,, . ._
The heated seat
controls are located
next to the climate
controls on the
instrument panel. Press
this button
to turn on
the heating element in
the seat.
The
LO setting warms the seatback and cushion until the
seat nears body temperature. The
HI setting heats the
seat to a slightly higher temperature.
A telltale light in the control reminds you that the
heating system is inuse.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
The front seatbacks can be adjusted by pressing the
vertical control locatedon the side
of the seat. Push it
forward to bring the seat
to a more upright position.
Push it rearward to recline the seatback.
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But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is
moving.
Sittingin a reclined position whenyour vehicle is
in motioncan be dangerous.Even
if you buckle
up, your safety beltscan’t do theirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’tdo itsjob. In a crash
you
could go into it, receiving neckorother injuries.
The lapbelt can’t
do itsjob either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen.The belt
forces would bethere, not atyour pelvic bones.
Thiscould causeseriousinternal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sitwell
back
in the seatand wear your safety belt properly.
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Head Restraints
Use the vertical switch to move a front head restraint up
or down.Lift up on the switch to move the head
restraint up. Press down on the switch to move the head
restraint down. The top of the head restraint should be
closest
to the top of your ears. Thisposition helps
reduce the chance of a neck injury in a crash. When you
move a front seat head restraint up or down,the
shoulder belt height changes. On some models, the head
restraints tilt forward and rearward also.
Somerear seats have adjustable head restraints. Slide an
adjustable 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.
On some models, the rear seat head restraints tilt
forward and rearward also.
There are four different positions for the front seathead
restraints and three different positions for the rear seat
head restraints. Adjust either head restraint by grasping
the top of the restraint and moving it forward the way
you want it to go until you hear a click. It will then be
locked into that position until you need to move it again.
Pulling it forward past the last position will allow the
headrest to return to its full rear position.

SafetyBelts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells yousome things you should not do
with safetybelts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
Don’t let anyoneride where he or shecan’t wear
a safetybelt properly. If you arein a crash and
you’re not wearinga safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.You can hit thingsinsidethe
vehicle orbe ejectedfrom it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled. Inthe samecrash, you might
not be if you
are buckledup. Alwaysfastenyour
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastenedproperly too.
It
is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area,
insideor outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas
are morelikely to be
seriouslyinjured or killed.
Do not allow peopleto
ride in any area of your vehiclethat
is not
equippedwith seatsand
safety belts. Be sure
everyone inyour vehicle isin a seat andusing
a
safety belt properly.
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