The 1996 Buick Park Avenue Owner’s Manual Seats and Restraint Systems ............................................................. 1-1 This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains “SRS” system. Featuresand Controls .................................................................. 2-1 This section explains how to start and operate your Buick. Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 3-1 This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio 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 what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 6-1 Here the manual tells you howto keep your Buick’ running properlyand looking good. Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1 This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. CustomerAssistance Information ........................................................ 8-1 This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-7. Index ................................................................................ 9-1 Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. i We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem, WE SUPPORT BUICK, the BUCK Emblem and the namePARK VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN AVENUE are registered trademarks of General Motors CERTIFICATION THROUGH Corporation. National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE This manual includes the latest information at the timeit EXCELLENCE was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the product after that time withoutfurther notice. For vehicles first sold inCanada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick Motor For Canadian Owners WhoPrefer a Division whenever it appears in this manual. French Language Manual: Please keep this manual in yourBuick, so it will be there Aux proprietaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell procurer un exemplaire de ceguide en franqaischez the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new votre concessionaire ou au: owner can use it. DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7 Litho in Litho U.S.A. @Copyright GeneralCorporation Motors 1995 Part No. 2563945 1 B First Edition ReservedRights All ii “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 nucleusor a giant distribution system. He knew the Buick asa “self-seller.” If automobiles could be this good, he thought, maybe it was time to switch from the horse and buggy business to automobiles. At the 1905 New York Auto Show, Durant took orders for 1,000 Buicks Walter Maur and Thomas Buick before the company had built 40. On Buick’s Buick’s chief engineer, WalterL. Marr (left), and success, Durant createda Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick, holding company, drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit September 16, 1908. He round trip in July 1904. called it General Motors. 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 William C. (Billy)Duvant company was reorganized, refinanced and movedfrom Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product innovator. Buick engineers developed the 1. Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing Buick drew plenty of attention because it could climb trophies in 1909 and 19 10, including successes at hills and run through mud likeno other car. Buick’s Indianapolis two years before the Indy 500 began. endurance and reliability were world famous. The success of Buick engines was visible not onlyon During World War I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines the race track, but in endurance tests across the country as well as Red Cross ambulances so successfully that and around the world. Buick was the only car to one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croixde Guerre complete a 1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in by the French government. 1906. And a Buick was the first car to travel across As a builder of premier automobiles, Buick was hard hit South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Great Depression. However, new General over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 1914. Manager Harlow H. Curtice created popular new models including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales soon flourished. I : I9II Model 21 Touring Car on Buick’s Test Hill First Buick Factory V In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953. other military hardware.This post-war period brought And Buick’s famous vertical pillar “toothy” grille, great styling andengineering changes which resulted in (introduced in 1942)’became more massive in the increased sales. The torque converter automatic post-war era. transmission, Dynaflow, was introduced in the1948 Roadmaster. Buick’s famous “portholes” came along in 1949. I953 Skylark Motor Trend magazine named the1962 Buick Special 1949 Roadmaster “Car of the Year.” The first production V-6 engine was used in the Special. vi 1962 Buick Special Ed Mertz, ‘GeneralManager-, Buick Motor Division Built inside the walls of theold buildings in Buick’s Our mission is simple: former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone of “Buick will provide Premium American Motorcars General Motors, Buick City is a state-of-the-art backed with services that exceed our customers’ assembly facility with more than 200 robots and other expectations, throughout the purchase, ownership, high-tech equipment. It was completed in the fall service and repurchase experience.” of 1985. Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL. Buicks are, and will continue to be, premium American motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich Buicks are DISTINCTIVE. detail and comfortable accommodation. Buicks are POWERFUL. Buicks are MATURE. How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner’s manualfrom beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle.If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and These mean thereis something that could hurt controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find you or other people. that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazardis. Then Index we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or A good place to look forwhat you need is the Index in others could be hurt. the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all that’s in the manual, and thepage number where you’ll IYou~~~ will~~ also~ find a circle find it. with a slash through it in Safety Warnings and Symbols this book. This safety symbol means “Don’t,” You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. “Don’t do this,” or “Don’t We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you let this happen.” about things that could hurt you if you wereto ignore the warning. Vehicle Damage Warnings not be covered byyour warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you whatto do to help avoid Also, in this book you will find these notices: the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION NOTICE: and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. These mean there is something thatcould You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use damage your vehicle. the same words CAUTION or NOTICE. In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, These symbols These symbols These symbols These symbols Here are some these symbols are important have to do with are on some of are used on other symbols are used on an for you and your lights: your controls: warning and you may see: original battery: your passengers indicator lights: whenever your WINDSHIELD vehicle is WIPER CAUTION driven: POSSIBLE A FUSE INJURY COOLANT TEMP - DOOR LOCK TURN PROTECT UNLOCK SIGNALS I EYES BY e e BATTERY LIGHTER I SHIELDING CHARGING I-1 SYSTEM CAUSTIC WINDSHIELD HORN FASTEN DEFROSTER h=r SEAT BRAKE (0) BELTS HAZARD BURNS WARNING FLASHER A SPEAKER AVOID WINDOW b SPARKS OR POWER DEFOGGER FLAMES DAYTIME - WINDOW RUNNING 0 ENGINE OIL LAMPS '** e, PRESSURE FUEL n3 SPARK OR ,\I/, FLAME VENTILATING COULD FAN ANTI-LOCK EXPLODE FOG LAMPS (@) $0 BRAKES BATTERY X Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Power Seat Buick and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts. Seats and Seat Controls This part tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them, and also about memory seats, reclining seatbacks and head restraints. Manual Seat You may have a manual seat on the passenger side of your Park Avenue.Move the lever under thefront seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then Front Tilt Control (F): Raise the front ofthe seat by release the lever and try to move the seat with your pressing on the left side of the switch.