1996 BUICK REGAL fuel

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel”
in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may
go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause
the light
to turn on.
If you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you use.
It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools
to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine, or come on when
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep
it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on
in two other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a
test to show you it is
working, but the light will go
out when you turn the
ignition to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
2-54
ProCarManuals.com

Fuel Gage
F
L
UNLEADED FUEL ONL’
1
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have
left when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
- nears EMPTY (E), you still
1 have a little fuel left, but
b
you should get more soon.
Here are some things owners ask about. All these
situations are normal and do not show a problem with
your
fuel gage:
0
0
0
At the service station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
a little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill it.
The gage moves a little when
you turn a corner or
speed up.
Low Fuel Light
LOW
If your fuel is low, a light
will come on and stay on
until you add fuel. It will
also come on for
a few
seconds when
you first turn
on the ignition as a check to
show you it’s working. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed.
ProCarManuals.com

MAX: This setting recirculates much of the air inside
your vehicle and sends it through
the instrument panel
outlets. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically
in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40°F (4.5"C).
NORM: This setting brings in outside air and sends
it through the instrument panel outlets. The air
conditioning compressor will run automatically
in this
setting unless the outside temperature is below 40°F
(4.5 " C).
BI-LEV: This setting brings in the outside air and
directs
it two ways. Half of the air is directed through
the instrument panel outlets. Most
of the remaining air is
directed through the floor ducts and
a little to the defrost
and side window vents. The air conditioning compressor
will run automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature
is below 40°F (4.5"C).
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to
run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot days, use
MAX with
the temperature lever all the way to COOL.
If this
setting is used for long periods of time,
the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use
NORM with the
temperature lever all the way to COOL. The system will
bring
in outside air and cool it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI-LEV with the temperature knob in the
middle. The system will bring
in outside air and direct it
to your upper body, while sending slightly warmed air to
your lower body. You may notice this temperature
difference more at some times than others.
3-3
ProCarManuals.com

Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Windsh.ield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires
on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than
a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan
the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
4-20
ProCarManuals.com

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it
or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. Ths saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all
the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this
only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
ProCarManuals.com

OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS.
KG
MAX. LOADING
& GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE
SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG
PSliKPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSIi28KPa
SEE OWNER‘S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
. INFORMATION MFDBYGENERALMOTORSCORP
DATE GVWR GAWR FRT
GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE
U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON
THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge
of the driver’s door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity
of your vehicle, called the GVWR
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry.
The Tire-Loading Information label
is inside the trunk lid. The label tells
you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you important
information about the number
of people that can be in If you do have a heavy load, spread it out. Don’t carry
your vehicle and the total weight you can carry. This more than
167 ibs. (75 kg) in your trunk.
weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and includes
the weight
of all occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options. (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle.
4-27
ProCarManuals.com

Towing a Trailer
A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull
a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Buick dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Buick dealer
for important information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later
in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability, and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
4-29
ProCarManuals.com

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Buick. This section 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 part devoted to its
appearance care.
Service
Your Buick dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with
it. We hope you’ll go to your
dealer for 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:
Delco
6-1
ProCarManuals.com