Page 14 of 308
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will 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 ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
e
e
BELTS 4
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e @
TURN
HIGH BEAM
OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD ' ' ' 0- 0-
WASHER
WINDSHIELD WASHER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
HEADLAMP
-
WIPER
WASHER
Q
These symbols
are
used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING
I-1
BATTERY SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
RADIATOR 0
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL &b
ANTILOCK (a)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
VOLUME
CONDITIONING
AIR 43
HATCHBACK TRUNK
RELEASE
t LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
12
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Page 105 of 308

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
(Option) anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, see “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier
in this part.
With anti-lock, this light will go on unless you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you
if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when you’re driving,
stop
as soon as possible and turn the key off. Then start
the engine to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes
on again while you’re driving, your Buick
needs service. Unless the regular brake system warning
light is also
on, you will still have brakes, but not If
the anti-lock brake system warning light ever flashes,
your anti-lock brake system is still working but needs
.service as soon as possible.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
TEMP
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
hot
!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
103
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Page 106 of 308
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, your
system is low
on coolant
and the engine may
overheat.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced as soon
as you can.
Engine Oil Pressure Gage
OIL
I
You can read your engine
oil pressure directly from
the gage on your instrument
panel.
If the gage reads in the red band and stays there, it
means oil isn’t going through your engine properly.
You
could be low on oil, or you might have some other oil
problem. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
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Page 168 of 308
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix is correct.
0 Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give
you less traction on ice than regular tires. If you do
not expect to be driving in deep snow, but may have
to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply
of windshield washer fluid,
a rag, some winter outer
clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include
a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple
of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items
in your vehicle.
166
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Page 194 of 308

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
Buick's instrument panel.
You may also find a low coolant warning light
on your
Buick instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn
it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait
until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
'* -7ou keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
If your engine catch
driving with
no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs
w?uld not b
covered by your warranty. ,, , 1 ,.
I If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam,
the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
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Page 195 of 308

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for
a minute or so:
1.
2.
3.
Turn off your air conditioner.
Turn on
your heater to full hot
speed and open the window as
Try to keep your engine under
where the engine runs slower). at
the highest fan
necessary.
load (in a drive gear
If you no longer have the overheat warning,
you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower
for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn‘t corne back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park
your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two
or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE
OUT OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right
away.
m .... ... ..
h 1
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll
see:
0 Coolant recovery tank
0 Radiator pressure cap
0 Electric engine fan
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Page 196 of 308
tder the hood can =&drt up even
is not running and can injure
--, clothing and tools away frnm
I nlcwtric fan-
~ ~~~~ ---
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it
cools down. The
coolant level should be at or above the
“COLD”. If
it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the
cooling system.
9
Heater and radiator hoses, and other englne
parts, can be very hot.
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you r,,,
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned
my leak fixed before you drive +he vehicl,.
I U
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fan
is running. If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running.
If it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
194
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Page 197 of 308
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant leveI
isn’t at or above “COLD” add a 50/50 mixture of clean
- water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze at
the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant’’
in the
Index for more information about
the proper coolant
mix.)
can bedangerous. Plain water, or some othe
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the prope
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warn
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. Wit
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheal
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and a proper antifreeze
m-u mw-.
In cold weath wate :an frc anc
engine, radiator, heater core and other- parts. Use
the recommended coolanl
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