1993 BUICK RIVIERA Owners Manual

A CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from a---
underhood electric fan.
-
A CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a fire. These include liquids like
gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield
washer and other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others could be burned. Be careful not to
drop or spill things that will burn onto a hot
engine.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly.
Then just pull the hood down and close
it firmly.

Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel.
In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine
oil dipstick.is
directly behind the engine
fan..
Turn off the engine and
give the oil a
few minutes
to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show the
actual level.
To Check Engine Oil: Pull ’
1 out the dipstick and clean it
with a paper towel or cloth,
I.ii’ ” then push it back in all the
.. , way. Remove it again,
When to Add Oil: If the oil is at or below the ADD
mark, then you’ll need to add some oil. But you must
use tlwright kind. This section explains what kind
of oil
to use. For crankcase capacity, see “Capacities and
Specifications”
in the Index.

Add engine oil at the engine oil fill cap next to the oil
dipstick.
Just fill it enough to put the level somewhere in the
proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through. What Kind of Oil to Use:
Look for three things:
. sc
“SG’ must be on the oil container, either by itself or
combined with other quality designations, such as
“SG/CC,” “SG/CD,” “SF,SG,CC,” etc. These letters \
show American Petroleum Institute (API) levels of
quality.
225

RECOMMENDED SAE VISCOSITY BRADE ENGINE: OILS
FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY AND COW STARTlW6, SELECT THE LOWEST
SAE VISCOSITY GRADE OIL FOR THE EXPECTED TEMPERATURE RANGE.
HOT
WEATHER r
"F
-100 '
+a0 '
+60
+40
+20 '
7
"C
I +3a
. +27
,+16
+4
-7
- 18
WEATHER
LOOK
@
FOR THIS
LABEL $+';J
-- SAE T. 10W.30
PREFERRED above 0°F (-18°C)
IF NEITHER SAE 5W-30 NOR SAE 1OW-30
GRADE OILS ARE AVAILABLE, SAE 30
GRADE MAY BE USED AT TEMPERATURES
ABOVE
40 DEGREES F (4 DEGREES C).
DO NOT USE SAE
1OW-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED
SAE 1OW-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE 1OW-30 is best
for
your vehicle. However, you can use SAE 5W-30
' if it's going to be colder than 60 OF (16 C) before
your next oil change. When it's very cold, below
O*F (-18*C), you should use SAE 5W-30.
These numbers on an oil container show its viscosity, or
thickness.
Do not use other viscosity oils such as SAE
1OW-40 or SAE 20W-50.
0 Energy Conserving I1
Oils with these words on the container will help you
save fuel.
This doughnut-shaped logo (symbol) is used on most oil containers to help you select the correct oil.
You should look for this on the oil container, and use
only those oils that display the logo.
GM Goodwrench@ oil (in Canada, GM Engine Oil)
meets all the requirements for your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives: Don't add anything to your oil.
Your Buick dealer is ready to advise
if you think
something should be added.
226

When to Change Engine Oil: See if any one of these is
true for you:
Most trips are less than 4 miles (6 km).
a It’s below freezing outside and most trips are less
than
10 miles (16 km).
0 The engine is at low speed most of the time (as in
door-to-door delivery, or in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty places.
If any one of these is true for your vehicle, then you
need to change your oil and filter every
3,000 miles
(5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever comes first.
If none of them is true, change the oil every 7,500 miles
(12
500 km) or 12 months -- whichever comes first.
Change the filter at the first oil change and at every
other oil change after that.
Engine Block Heater: An engine block heater can be a
big help if you have to park outside in very cold
weather, -20
OF (-29 C) or colder. If your vehicle has
this option, see ?Engine Block Heater”
in the Index.
What to Do with Used Oil:
1
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be
sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose of oil
by pouring it on the ground, into sewers, or into streams
or bodies
of water. Instead, recycle it by taking it to 2
place that collects used oil. If you have a problem
properly disposing
of your used oil, ask your dealer, a
service station or a local recycling center for help.
227

Air Cleaner
As you face the front of the vehicle, the air cleaner is in
the front right section of the engine compartment. There
is a filter inside the air cleaner.
Refer to -the Maintenance Schedule
to detemine when
to replace the air filter.
A I
A CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others
to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air,
it stops flame if
I the engine backfires. If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t
drive with
it off, and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner off.
I
the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
228

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change:
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to change
your fluid. See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in
the Index.
How to Check:
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at a Buick dealership Service
Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or you could get a false reading on the
dipstick.

Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these
stem:
1. Pull out the dipstick and
wipe it with a clean rag
or paper towel.
2. Push it ‘back in aa the way, wait three seconds and
I :then pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides ofthe
dipstick, and read the
lower level. The fluid
level must be
.in the
cross-hatched
mea.
P
4. If the fluid level is where it should be, push the
How to Add Fluid:
dipstick back in all the way.
Refer
to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to
use. See “Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
If the- fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid
to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than a \
pint. D,on’t overfill. We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRONB-IIE, because fluids with that label
230
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