March 20, 200719 yr Does anybody have the slightest clue as to what this little knob is below the oil/engine light? I tried to pull/push/turn it...nothing happens. BTW, this is when I first opened the car after 3 years of sitting outside.
March 20, 200719 yr Oh, that ol' thing. It's for decoration purposes only. It doesn't do jack $h!.
March 20, 200719 yr Good one. Does the 225 have a trip odometer? If it does, and it reads 00000, the knob isn't going to 'do' anything because it already did. It reminds me of Buick's safety Buzzer system: on my '59 there's a small knob and a tiny window to the left of the speedo where a drum rotates with the knob to show speeds from 20 to 110MPH, and the speedo buzzes when you surpass that. It also reminds me of my '64 & '65 Pontiac's Electro-Cruise knob, but both those years also have a needle that swings across the speedo to choose your cruise speed. Besides the needle, the knob also won't 'do' anything when the car is not running at speed. Clean the speedo face off and shine a strong flashlight on each warning lamp- look for one that says 'CRUISE'.
March 20, 200719 yr That's to set the clock if you're left handed. And please don't call me "knob". :AH-HA_wink:
March 20, 200719 yr Author The wiper adjustments are controlled by the wiper knob....not this little mystery knob...ill see if anything happens withit while the car is in motion when I get home.
March 20, 200719 yr it's the garage door opener for the bat cave...... but if you don't know where the bat cave is, then ya, it won't be much use to you
March 20, 200719 yr Good one. Does the 225 have a trip odometer? If it does, and it reads 00000, the knob isn't going to 'do' anything because it already did. It reminds me of Buick's safety Buzzer system: on my '59 there's a small knob and a tiny window to the left of the speedo where a drum rotates with the knob to show speeds from 20 to 110MPH, and the speedo buzzes when you surpass that. It also reminds me of my '64 & '65 Pontiac's Electro-Cruise knob, but both those years also have a needle that swings across the speedo to choose your cruise speed. Besides the needle, the knob also won't 'do' anything when the car is not running at speed. Clean the speedo face off and shine a strong flashlight on each warning lamp- look for one that says 'CRUISE'. I have to agree with balthazar...My uncle growing up had an old Regal, and whenever we got in the car my brother would set his stupid thing to a low speed so the alarm (buzzer) would go off as soon as he passed it.
March 20, 200719 yr For the love of God, someone tell Ravenfreak13 what he is supposed to use his knob for!
March 21, 200719 yr Do you have a trip odometer? Did you check to see what your dash warning lights read with a bright light? Or... you could go ahead and buy an owner's manual off e-Bay or Faxon's and find out egg-xactly what it is/does.
March 21, 200719 yr Author I checked all the warning lights...2 turn signals, hot/cold temp, and e-break...thats it due to the fact thats its the base custom..it might have been there for the cruise control...which it was probably never equipped with. who knows...who cares and no, there is no trip odom. Edited March 21, 200719 yr by Ravenfreak13
March 21, 200719 yr Well, that IS a puzzle then. It's extremely unlikely it's a 'dud' knob for non-existant Cruise. General Motors just didn't do things that way in this era. I'm going to find out what this is.....
March 21, 200719 yr Polish it. But put goggles on first. It burrrrns.... only 25% of the people in this forum have the potential to get that joke to it's fullest extent......
March 21, 200719 yr Author bal- ok? lol go on your mission! Edited March 21, 200719 yr by Ravenfreak13
March 21, 200719 yr only 25% of the people in this forum have the potential to get that joke to it's fullest extent...... Good movie too. :AH-HA_wink:
March 22, 200718 yr http://forums.aaca.org/showflat.php?Cat=0&...ge=0#Post452592 In '67, the same placement & styled knob is optional Electro-Cruise. Buick may not have used a speedo-pointer by '66, maybe it was just 'press at speed' and it would engage. '65 Pontiac owner's manual states E-C works at 30 MPH and above- Buick's should be the same. The earlier styles with the speedo pointer were fun: you could be in cruise at say 35, whip the knob to the right and the car would downshift and rocket forward under near full-throttle. A pic underhood of the carb with the aircleaner off, and the firewall area would show me if the cruise components were on your '66. Here's the (very large) pic from the '67 brochure- look at pic 6: http://tocmp.com/brochures/Buick/1967/Full...ge%2055_jpg.jpg
March 22, 200718 yr Author Yes indeedy....that must be where it is...same exact placement as my car...ill try it tomarrow...thanks!
March 22, 200718 yr Author Heres a clean closeup of my speedometer... and heres a loaded 66 with the same thing...
March 22, 200718 yr Raven- if you look just to the right of the '80 MPH' mark on the black interior Electra, you can see a small off-white dot. That's the tip of the Electro-Cruise needle- same as in my '64 GP. What's different from my Pontiacs is there does not appear to be any warning lamp for the system; in '64 Pontiac had a 'CRUISE" lamp, and in '65 the system got even more complicated, with 'SPEED" 'AUTO" and "CRUISE" lamps. For some reason I don't see ANY lamps for Buick '66, and this just isn't right IMO. Your needle may have broken/fallen off or be stuck out of sight. And the possibility still exists that it IS a dummy knob. Underhood will show cruise components or not.
March 23, 200718 yr hm-mmm- no cruise-ery underhood. Could've been removed, but looks pretty damn original there. Evidence points back to it being a dummy knob. Does it turn or push in at all?
March 23, 200718 yr Damn: a dummy knob. Like I said- I'm surprised Buick did this even once this far back. It would be freaky-weird to have cruise on relatively 'stripper' Electra anyway. Sorry- RF!
March 23, 200718 yr It's gotta do something. Like Balthazar said there's no "dummy knobs" back in the 1960s. Maybe on Toyotas & Datsuns but not on a Buick. If there's a knob it does something.
March 23, 200718 yr Author Seriously...it does nothing...and the 1967 riv brochure had the same knob in the same place and it was for cruise...and bal said theres no cruise components thereofre I have a nice rare base custom with a rare GM dummy knob. Honestloy the original owner who bought it only bought it for food shopping...plus she was 60+...therefore im sure she didnt order any special options.
March 26, 200718 yr Author Well, hardy har har har to my discovery today, I found the cruise needle laying down in the bottom of the speedometer! so I took some plyers and turned the now not dummy knob and the little needle popped up! So YAY! I have glide to speed cruise control...which I can now claim that my 41 yr. old electra is better equipped then my 9 yr old saturn.
March 26, 200718 yr Oh thank God, you found the needle that allows you to play with your knob. I was truely worried on your behalf.
March 26, 200718 yr Damn you Raven, do you know what you put me thru on this?? j/k Sheesh. Again- you have no cruise componentry underhood, I am back to thinking --esp with your low/no option 225-- that this is the Safety Buzzer, which was standard on '65 Electras (can't find detailed enough info for '66).
March 26, 200718 yr Author it might be...the lowest it goes down to is 30 mph...i wonder why they dont put that on modern cars...its such a good idea! i just told my mom about the buzzer thing..she was like "thank god, you always go over the speed limit!" Edited March 26, 200718 yr by Ravenfreak13
March 26, 200718 yr Author Damn you Raven, do you know what you put me thru on this?? j/k Sheesh. Again- you have no cruise componentry underhood, I am back to thinking --esp with your low/no option 225-- that this is the Safety Buzzer, which was standard on '65 Electras (can't find detailed enough info for '66). well...i do hav one option which i thank the world for, the strato vinyl seats...imagine what condition cloth would have been in by now.Also, I started spraying the lower dash since it had begun to rust...i found the exact color match.
March 26, 200718 yr I like the Safety Buzzer concept; like I said, my '59 has a tiny window with a drum that shows speeds by 10 from 20 to 110. How cool that this car was made when a manufacturer could openly acknowledge their buyers would be taking their cars to over 110 MPH?
March 26, 200718 yr Author very smart concept....especially so you dont have to look down at the speedometer every 5 seconds to make sure you are under the limit. also good at night since my my speedometer doesnt have any lights to see what speed ur going
March 26, 200718 yr Author o yea..another question...my brake lights/tail lights dont work, yet my turn signals do...a fuse perhaps?
March 26, 200718 yr Maybe you have dummy brake lights... If: yes turn signal, no brake light, no taillight- probably a fuse.
March 26, 200718 yr Author k thanks...i do hav a dummy sound system....no speaker behind the back speaker plate
March 26, 200718 yr k thanks...i do hav a dummy sound system....no speaker behind the back speaker plate I believe that was very common. because stereo and Mono where options.
March 26, 200718 yr Author I guess its a good thing considering i can put any size speaker behind it.
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