1998 BUICK REGAL maintenance schedule

Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air,
it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the
air cleaner off.
I NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The passenger compartment
air filter is located
underneath your hood just
below the windshield wiper
arm on the car’s passenger
side (Underneath the air
inlet grille).
The filter traps
most of the pollen from the air entering
the air conditioning module. Like your engine’s air
filter, it may need to be changed periodically. For
information on how often
to change the passenger
compartment air filter, see “Maintenance Schedule” in
the Index.
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How to Check and Add Oil
Check oil only when the engine is cold. Allow the
engine
to cool two to three hours after running.
~ ~ -
A CAUTION:
If you remove the supercharger oil fill plug while
the engine is hot, pressure may cause hot oil to
blow out
of the oil fill hole. You may be burned.
Do
not remove the plug until the engine cools.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Clean the area around the oil fill plug before
removing it.
Remove the oil fill plug using a
3/ 16 inch
Allen wrench.
The oil level is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads of the inspection hole.
Replace the oil plug with the O-ring
in place. Torque
to
88 lb-in (10 N-m).
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32” C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the
fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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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. Pull out the dipstick.
2. 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 one
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill.
NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON@-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.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.” 4.
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling s stem in your vehicle is filled with
DEX-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240
000 km) whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX-COOL6 extended life coolant.
J
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 DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (1 29°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
0 Let the warning lights and gages work as they should.
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The red RESET button is
located inside your
instrument panel fuse block.
(It’s the first button in the
top row of the fuse block.)
The LOW TIRE light will come
on and flash three
times. Then it will go off. If the light doesn’t go off, see
your dealer for service.
The system completes the calibration process during driving.
The system normally takes
15 to 20 minutes of driving in
each of three speed ranges to “learn” tire pressures. The
speed ranges are 15 to 40 mph (25 to 65 km/h), 40 to
65 mph (65 to 105 km/h) and above 65 mph (105 km/h).
When learning is complete, the system will alert you after
2-8 minutes if a tire is 12 psi (83 kPa) different from the
other
three tires. Detection thresholds may be higher and
detection times may be longer on rough roads, curves and
at high speeds. The system
is not capable of detection at
speeds greater
than 70 mph (1 10 km/h).
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires”
and
“Wheel Replacement” later in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for
all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
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n
Section 7 Maintenance Schedule
This section covers the maintenance required for your vehicle. Your vehicle needs these services to retain its safety,
dependability and emission control performance.
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Introduction
Your Vehicle and the Envlronment
How This Section
is Organized
Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Servlces
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
Part
B: Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Fill
At Least Once a Month
At Least Twice a Year
At Least Once a Year
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7-20 Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection
Exhaust System Inspection
Engine Cooling System Inspection
Throttle System Inspection
Brake System Inspection
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
Part
E: Maintenance Record
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How This Section is Organized
The remainder of this section is divided into five parts:
“Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services” shows
what to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex,
so unless you are technically
qualified and have the necessary equipment, you should
let your dealer’s service department or another qualified
service center do these jobs.
I
I
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you can
be seriously injured.
Do your own maintenance
work only
if you have the required know-how
and the proper tools and equipment for the job.
If you have any doubt, have a qualified
technician do the work.
If you are skilled enough to do some work on your
vehicle,
you will probably want to get the service
information. See “Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.
“Part B: Owner Checks and Services” tells
you what should be checked and when. It also explains
what you can easily do to help keep your vehicle in
good condition.
“Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections”
explains important inspections that your dealer’s service
department or another qualified service center
should perform.
“Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants”
lists some recommended products to help keep your
vehicle properly maintained. These products, or their
equivalents, should be used whether you do the work
yourself
or have it done.
“Part E: Maintenance Record” provides a place
for you
to record the maintenance performed on your
vehicle. Whenever any maintenance is performed, be
sure to write
it down in this part. This will help you
determine when your next maintenance should be done.
In addition,
it is a good idea to keep your maintenance
receipts. They may be needed to qualify your vehicle for
warranty repairs.
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Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good working condition. But we don’t know
exactly how you’ll drive it. You may drive very short
distances only a few times a week. Or you may drive
long distances all the time in very hot, dusty weather.
You may use your vehicle in making deliveries. Or
you may drive it to work, to do errands or in many
other ways.
Because of all the different ways people use their
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may even need
more frequent checks and replacements than you’ll find
in the schedules in this section.
So please read this
section and note how you drive.
If you have any
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good
condition, see your dealer. This
part tells you the maintenance services you should
have done and when
you should schedule them. If you
go to your dealer for your service needs, you’ll know
that GM-trained and supported service people will
perform the work using genuine GM parts.
The proper fluids and lubricants to use are listed in Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses these.
All parts should be replaced and all necessary repairs
done before you or anyone else drives the vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will find these limits
on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended fuel. See “Fuel” in the Index.
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I Maintenance Schedule I
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166
000 km) should be performed after 100,000 miles
(166
000 km) at the same intervals. The services shown
at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be performed at
the same interval after
150,000 miles (240 000 km).
See “Owner Checks and Services” and “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections” following.
Footnotes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure
to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to the
completion of the vehicle’s useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the maintenance
be recorded.
* Your vehicle has an Engine Oil Life Monitor. This
monitor will show you when to change the engine oil
and filter
-- usually between 3,000 miles (5 000 km)
and 7,500 miles (12 500 km) since your last oil change.
Under severe conditions, the indicator may come on
before
3,000 miles (5 000 km). Never drive your vehicle
more than
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 12 months
without an oil and filter change.
The system won’t detect dust in the oil.
So if you drive
in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or sooner if the CHANGE
OIL SOON light comes
on. Remember to reset the Oil
Life Monitor when the oil has been changed. For more
information,
see “Change Oil Soon Light” in the Index.
+ A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See “Brake System Inspection” under “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections” in Part C of this schedule.
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