1997 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 1 SOC) 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.
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To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is attached to the diagonal brace near the
coolant recovery tank.
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. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
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
wing 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.
AI natic Transaxle Operation . ~
Your automatic transaxle
will have a shift lever on the
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I I PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
I position to use when you start your engine because your
I I vehicle can’t move easilv.
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B I B I B!I BJ LI ------
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It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
‘I
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
The above graphic is also displayed on your instrument
panel cluster.
Maximum engine speed
is limited on automatic
transaxle vehicles when you’re in PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) to protect driveline components from
improper operation.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift
lever to PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index.
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Make sure the shift lever is fully into PARK (P)
range before starting the engine. Yoyr Buick has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You must fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK
(P)
when the ignition is in RUN. If you cannot shift out of
PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever by pushing it
all the way into PARK (P) while keeping the brake pedal
pushed down. Release the shift lever button. Then move the shift lever out of PARK
(P). See “Shifting Out of
PARK
(P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine
is “racing” (running at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered
by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (56 kmh), push your
Going about 35 mph (56 kmk) or more, push the
accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and have
more power.
NOTICE:
I If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly,
or
if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (56 km/h) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (0) for higher speeds.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, but it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
When driving in non-highway scenarios (i.e. city
between
gears.
streets, etc.).
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed
as you go down steep
mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 kmk), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever
is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear
until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a
solid object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Performance Shifting (If Equipped)
Press the performance shift button to allow the
transaxle
to shift at higher
engine speeds, increasing
acceleration performance.
PERF
SHIFT
The PERF SHIFT light
on your instrument panel
cluster will glow when
performance shifting is
being used.
Downshifts will occur at a lower percentage of accelerator
use while you’re
in the performance shift mode. Press the button again to return to normal shifting. The
transaxle will then shift at lower engine speeds,
increasing
fuel economy.
Shift Lock Release
P
1
If your vehicle’s battery should
vehicle electrical power, there is an access slot that will allow you
to override PARK (P) lock if
your shifter is stuck in PARK
(P).
I( go dead or there is a lack of
The access slot
is located beneath a small cap on the
right side of the console shift panel.
To remove the
cap, use a screwdriver or key. Then insert the key or screwdriver into the slot. Make sure you have your
foot on the brake pedal while you are performing this
procedure. Press down and hold.
You will now be able
to shift your vehicle out
of PARK (P).
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake
pedal down with your
right foot. Push down
the
parking brake pedal with
your
left foot,
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When
you lift your left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it
to the
released position.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition
is on and the shift lever is not in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N).
I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and
you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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