1997 BUICK REGAL engine

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.
2-26
ProCarManuals.com

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).
2-27
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting Into PARK (P) 2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
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, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot. Hold in the button on the
lever, and
push the lever
all the way toward the
front
of your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
2-29
ProCarManuals.com

Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running,
it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly
set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then,
see
if you can move the shift lever out of PARK (P)
without first pushing the button. If
you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK
(P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
2-30
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your 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. See
“Automatic Transaxle Operation” in the Index.
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).
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK
(P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
2-31
ProCarManuals.com

Engin? Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
0 Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
0 Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
/d CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
2-32
ProCarManuals.com

I
I
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Windows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s door armrest control each of
the windows when the ignition is on. In addition, each
passenger’s door has a switch for its own window.
The driver’s window switch has an express-down
feature. This switch is labeled
AUTO. Tap the rear of
the switch, and the driver’s window will open a small
amount. If the rear of the switch
is pressed all the way
down, the window will go all the way down.
2-33
ProCarManuals.com

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven
in either miles (used
in the United States) or in
kilometers (used in Canada).
Your Buick has a tamper-resistant odometer. If you see
ERROR, you’ll know someone has probably tampered
with it and the numbers may not be accurate.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs
a new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then that will be
done. But if it can’t, then it will be set at zero and
a label
must be put
on the driver’s door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
Your trip odometer tells how far you have driven since
you last reset it.
To set it to zero, press the button on the
right side
of the instrument cluster.
Your triphelect reset switch will
go back and forth
between the odometer and the trip odometer if the button
is pressed and released within 1.5 seconds. If the button is
pressed and held for longer than
1.5 seconds while in the trip
odometer mode, it will be reset to zero. If the button
is pressed and held for longer than 1.5 seconds while in
the odometer mode, it will have no effect.
Tachometer
1
0
5 /
The tachometer displays
the engine speed
in
thousands of revolutions
per minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
2-58
ProCarManuals.com