1994 BUICK CENTURY engine

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load (in a drive gear
where the engine runs slower).
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 come 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. When you
decide it's safe to
lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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1 NOTICE: I
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
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.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the
“ADD” mark, 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.)
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NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the the
“FULL HOT” mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you
do it.
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure
to follow this procedure could cause your
engine
to overheat and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the
1 radiator pressure cap
when the cooling
system, including the
radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose,
is no longer hot. Turn
the pressure cap slowly
to the left until it first
stops. (Don't press
down while turning the
pressure cap.)
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If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the
pressure cap, but now
push down as you turn
it. Remove the pressure
cap.
I CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine
parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
-and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
Pon’t spill coolant on .a hot engine.
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3. After the engine cools, open the coolant air bleed
valve.
On
the 3100 SF1 V6 (VIN Code M), it is located on
the thermostat bypass tube.
4. Fill the radiator with the proper mix, up to the base
of the filler neck.
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close
the valve. Otherwise, close the
valve after the radiator is filled.
5. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and compartment.
F
6. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to “FULL HOT’’
mark.
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7. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
8. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine fan.
9. By this time the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper
mix through the filler neck until
the level reaches the base of the filler neck.
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10. Then replace the
pressure cap. At any
time during this
procedure if coolant
begins to flow
out of the
filler neck, reinstall the
pressure cap. Be sure
the arrows on pressure cap line up like this.
11. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the
“HOT”
mark when the engine is hot or at the “ADD” mark
when the engine
is cold.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are
a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your
foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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