1994 BUICK PARK AVENUE Owners Manual

Engine Overheating
You will find a warning light about a hot engine on your
Buick instrument panel and if you have the optional
gage cluster, a coolant temperature gage. You will also
find a low coolant warning light.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
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:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
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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. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N” (Neutral).
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.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away. When you
decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
Coolant recovery tank
Radiator pressure cap
0 Electric engine fans
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If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
P
The coolant level should be at or above “FULL 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.
I NOTICE:
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 fans are running.
If the engine is overheating,
both
fans should be running. If they aren’t, your vehicle
needs service.
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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
“FULL COLD” 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.)
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant.
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When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
“FULL COLD” 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
1
"I
1. You can remove the 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.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.
I 3. Fill the radiator
with the proper
mix, up
to the base
of the filler neck.
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4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to “FULL COLD.”
5. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
6. Start the engine and
let it run
until you
can feel the upper
radiator hose
getting hot. Watch
out for the engine
fans.
7. 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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8. 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.
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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