1996 BUICK REGAL coolant temperature

Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather,
0°F (-1 8°C) or colder,
the engine coolant
heater can help. You’ll
get easier starting and
better fuel economy
during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged
in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
I. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should
you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature,
the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Buick dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for
that particular area.
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E
Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
-
TEMP
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan
is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for
a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure,
The anti-lock brake system active light
also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active. If
you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage

TEMPERATURE
You have a gage that shows
the engine coolant temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light. It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,”
this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
LOW
COOLANT
If this light comes on, your
system is low on coolant
and the engine may
overheat. See “Engine
Coolant” in ‘the Index and
have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
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Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the temperature lever all
the way to
WARM. The system will bring in outside air,
heat it and send it
to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it’s
cold outside
(0°F (-18°C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See “Engine Coolant
Heater” in the Index.
Ventilation System
Adjust the direction of airflow by moving the
louvered vents.
Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when
it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan
is running.
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Engine Overheating
YOU will find a coolant temperature gage and a warning
light about a hot engine on your instrument panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and “Engine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light” in the Index.
You also have a LOW COOLANT warning light on
your instrument panel. See “Low Coolant Light” in
the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is
no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle
until the engine is cool.
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How to Add Fluid
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.
1.
2.
0
0
Pull out the dipstick.
Using
a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring
it to the proper level. It doesn’t
take much fluid, generally less than a pint
(0.5 L).
Don t overfill. We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRONO-111, because fluid with that label
is made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON@-I11
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level
as
described under “How to Check.”
When
the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with new
DEX-COOL
TM (orange-colored, silicate-free) engine
coolant. This coolant
is designed to remain in your
vehicle for
5 years or 100,000 miles (166 000 km),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when
it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or
if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and the proper coolant for
your Buick will:
Give freezing protection down to
-34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up
to’ 265 “F ( 129” C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
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Radiator Pressure Cap
NOTICE:
Your radiator cap is a 15 psi (105 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed to
prevent coolant loss and possible engine damage
from overheating. Be sure the arrows on the cap
line up with the overflow tube on the radiator filler neck.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an AC@
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches
a preset temperature.
When
you replace your thermostat, an AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
Power Steering Fluid
3.lL L82 (Code M) Engine 3.8L L36 (Code K) Engine
When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering
fluid unless
you suspect there is a leak in the system or
you hear an unusual noise.
A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
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I Short TripKity Maintenance Schedule
100,000 Miles (144 000 km)
0 Drain, flush and refill cooling system
(or every
60 months since last service
whichever occurs first). See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for what to use. ‘7
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test cooling
system and pressure cap.
AI? E1nission Control
Service.
j-
0 Inspect spark plug wires. An Em.ission
0 Replace spark plugs. An Emission
Control Service.
Control Service.
0 Change automatic transaxle fluid and filter
if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32°C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the.fluid andfilter do
not require changing.
I DATE I ACTUAL MILEAGE ISERVICED RE I
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