The 2002 Buick Park Avenue is equipped with the General Motors series II 3800 V6 power plant. Many Park Avenues with the "Ultra" designation came equipped with a supercharged version of the V6. Whether your Buick Park Avenue features a supercharger or not, the power steering pump is located on the passenger side of the engine compartment, close to the firewall. If it is difficult to turn--or you hear a whining noise while turning your steering wheel--check your power steering fluid levels and replenish if necessary.
Allow the engine to cool thoroughly before attempting to check your power steering fluid. Remove the power steering reservoir cap and wipe off the dipstick attached.
Screw the reservoir cap back into the power steering unit and take it back off again to read the dipstick. Much like checking your oil dipstick, you must wipe off the power steering fluid from the dipstick initially to remove the excess fluid that has sloshed around it due to normal driving.
Add power steering fluid to the reservoir if the dipstick reads at the "FILL" mark or less than half way between the "FILL" and "HOT" marks. Feed the funnel tub into the power steering reservoir and add a little bit of fluid in the funnel at a time.
Check the power steering fluid levels again by replacing the cap back on to the reservoir and then removing it. Add more fluid to the reservoir until the dipstick reads the fluid level halfway between the "FILL" and "HOT" marks. Do not overfill the reservoir, as damage will occur to the power steering pump.
