1997 BUICK REGAL engine

NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead
to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0
0
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
2-70
ProCarManuals.com

If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently
put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn
the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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 one or more of these conditions,
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
you are driving.
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.
2-71
ProCarManuals.com

The oil light could also come on in the following situations:
The light will come on briefly when you turn on the
ignition to show you that it is working properly.
(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.)
0 Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and
off. This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You
or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Low Oil Level Light
LOW
OIL
Your engine is equipped with
an oil level monitoring
system. When
the ignition
key is turned on, the
LOW
OIL light will come on
briefly.
If the light does not
come on briefly, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn the engine
off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See “Engine Oil” in the Index.)
If
the light does not flash, have the low oil level sensor
system repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key
on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if
the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time, allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
2-72
ProCarManuals.com

Change Oil Soon Light
CHANGE OIL
SOON
Your CHANGE OIL SOON
light should come on as a
bulb check when you start
the engine. If this light stays
on for about 20 seconds
afte.r you turn
on the
ignition, have the oil
changed.
When to change your oil also depends
on driving habits
and conditions because they directly affect engine speed,
coolant temperature and vehicle speed. Because
of this,
the CHANGE OIL SOON light may come on as early as
2,000 miles (3,200 km) or less for harsh conditions. Remember,
after changing your engine
oil, the system
must be reset; with the ignition key in the
RUN position,
but the engine off,
fully push and release the accelerator
pedal three times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE
OIL SOON light flashes two times, the system is reset.
However if the light comes on and stays on for five
seconds, it did not reset. You’ll need to reset the system
again. (If you have a driver information center, the
system may be reset
by depressing the DIC RESET
button for five seconds while viewing the oil life display
on the DIC. See “Driver Information Center” later in
this section.)
ProCarManuals.com

Driver Information Center (Option)
- PSI kPa
INST- - -MPG %
AvGmm B 4
OIL umh! L/lOO km
LIFERANGE
SC BOOST
3.8L L67 Supercharged Engine
AvGmm n
INST- - -MPG%
OIL u.h!L/iOO krn
LIFERANGE
3.8L L36 Engine
Your Driver Information Center, (DIC) located below
the tachometer
on the instrument panel cluster, gives
you important safety and maintenance facts. When you
turn the ignition on, the entire center lights up for a few
seconds. Then it goes
to work.
ProCarManuals.com

OIL LIFE MONITOR: Shows an estimate of the oil’s RANGE: Shows the approximate distance you can
remaining useful life. When the oil life index is less than drive without refueling. This is based on the amount
of
lo%, the CHANGE OIL SOON light will come on. fuel in the
tank and on the fuel economy of the most
When you have the oil changed according to the recent 25 miles. Pressing
RESET while in this mode
maintenance schedule (see “Maintenance Schedule” in will have
no effect.
the Index),
YOU will have to reset the oil life monitor. TO BOOST GAGE: If you have the supercharged engine,
five seconds while the oil life monitor is being displayed receiving. Pressing RESET while in this mode will have
on the DIC. The
oil life will change to 100%.
do this, press and hold the RESET button for than this gage will show the amount of boost your engine is
no effect.
ProCarManuals.com

Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the temperature knob all
the way in the red area. 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 O 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
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the
flow-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows.
To defrost the windows quickly, use
FRONT with the temperature knob all the way in the red
area.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows
clear, use
BLEND.
Dual ComforTemp Climate Control
(If Equipped)
I_ .
With this system, the driver and passenger can maintain
separate temperatures. The system works best if you
keep your windows closed while using it.
Fan Control
The left knob labeled FAN controls the fan speed selection.
If the airflow seems very low when the fan knob is turned
to the highest setting regardless
of the mode setting, your
passenger compartment air filter may need to be replaced. See “Maintenance Schedule’’ in the Index.
Driver’s Temperature Knob
The center knob sets the temperature for the driver’s
outlets.
Turn the knob toward red (clockwise) for warmer
air. Turn it toward blue (counterclockwise) for cooler air.
3-4
ProCarManuals.com

Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time for the
vehicle to cool down.
For a quick cool-down on very hot days, use MAX with
the temperature knobs all the way
in the blue area. 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 knobs in the blue area. 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 and set the temperature knob to a
comfortable setting. 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.
Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the temperature knobs all
the way in the red area. 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
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air through
your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the flow-through
ventilation system described later
in this section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and side
windows.
To defrost the windows quickly, use FRONT.
For maximum defroster performance, set both
driver and passenger temperature controls to the
warmest setting.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows clear,
use
BLEND.
3-6
ProCarManuals.com