Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Buick dealer before adding equipment
to the
outside
of your vehicle.
Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared
to
other gasolines.
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
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.
If your vehicle
is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on
fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn
on and/or
your vehicle may fail a smog-check
test. If this occurs,
return
to your authorized Buick dealer for diagnosis
to determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may
not be covered by your warranty.
6-3
ProCarManuals.com
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions contain
an octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug
life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn
on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Buick dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming
in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system
to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything
to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area
to
help clean the air. General Motors recommends that you
use these gasolines if
they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. 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.
6-4
ProCarManuals.com
