1994 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

Part 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Buick . This part begins with service and fuel information. and
then
it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels . There is also technical information about your
vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care
.
Part 6 includes:
Service ........................................................................\
.. 208
Fuel
........................................................................\
..... 209
HoodRelease
..................................................................... 212
Engineoil
....................................................................... \
214
Aircleaner
....................................................................... \
219
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
................................................... : ....... 220
Enginecoolant
.................................................................... 223
PowerSteeringFluid
............................................................... 226
Windshield Washer Fluid
............................................................ 227
Brakes
........................................................................\
... 228
Battery
........................................................................\
.. 231
LoadingYourVehicle
............................................................... 235
Tires
........................................................................\
.... 236
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.................................................. 253
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
....................... ’. ................................... 254
Capacities and Specifications
......................................................... 260
BulbReplacement
................................................................. 232
Appearancecare
.................................................................. 244
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Service
Your Buick dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
dealer far all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
n-
: -3
n
U
Delco
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want
to get the proper Buick Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your Buick than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Buick” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenahce Record” in the Index.
2.
NOTICE:
If you try to do your own service work without
knowing enough about it, your vehicle could be
damaged.
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Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM
D48 14 in
the U.S. and CGSB 3.5-92 in Canada. These fuels
should have the proper additives,
so you should not have
to add anything to the fuel.
In the
U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you get the
right kind of gasoline (unleaded).
You’ll see
“UNLEADED” right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles
will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane
is at least 87. If the octane is
less than 87,
you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have
to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
What about gasoline
with blending materials that
contain oxygen (oxygenates), such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no
more than
15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle. Ethanol
is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that is no more than
10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
I NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for
your vehicle. Don’t use it. It can corrode metal
parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty. And even at
5%
or less, there must be “cosolvents” and
corrosion preventers in this fuel to help avoid
these problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will
help prevent deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel system. That helps keep your engine
in tune and
your emission control system working properly. It’s
good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for
cleaner air.
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Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates.
General Motors recommends that
you use gasolines with
these blending materials, such as MTBE and ethanol. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide.
levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing
reformulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators if their
gasolines contain deposit control additives and
oxygenates, and if they have been reformulated to
reduce vehicle emissions.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
U.S. or Canada, unleaded fuel may be hard to find. Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even one tankful, your emission controls won’t work well or at all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust
system can corrode, and your engine oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will be damaged.
All
of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write
us at the following address for
advice. Just tell
us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation,
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
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Filling Your Tank
I
I
I
I
The cap is behind a hinged door on the left side of your
vehicle.
While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
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Checking Things Under the Hood
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces as soon as possible. See “Cleaning the
Outside
of Your Buick” in the Index.
When you put.the cap back on, turn it to the right until
you hear
a clicking noise.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your
fuel tank and emissions
system might be damaged.
Hood Release
1
To open the hood, first pull
the handle inside the
vehicle. It is located on the
floor next to the driver’s
seat.
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Then go to the front of the
vehicle and release the
secondary hood release.
Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood,
be sure all the filler caps are on
properly. Then just pull the hood down and close it
firmly.
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Engine Oil
LOW
OIL
If the “LOW OIL” light on the instrument panel comes
on,
it means you need to check your engine oil level
right away. For more information, see
“LOW OIL” light
in the Index. You should check your engine oil level
regularly; this
is an added reminder.
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 located near the front and
center of the engine compartment.
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.
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