1998 BUICK REGAL Owners Manual

,&I NOTES
4-41
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k% NOTES
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-3
5-8
5-15
5- 17 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
Cooling System 5-25
If a Tire Goes Flat
5-26 Changing a Flat
Tire
5-37 Compact Spare Tire
5-38
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
5-1
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Hazard Warning Flashers
................ ..................
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off. Press the switch on top
of
the
steering column to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps
flash on and
off. Your hazard warning
flashers work no matter
what position your key is in;
they even work if the key
isn’t in the ignition.
To turn off the flashers, press the switch again. When
the hazard warning flashers are on, your
turn signals
won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
5-2
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Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
burn
you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
5-3
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2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause
a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump
start procedure. Put your automatic
transaxle in
PARK (P) before setting the
parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter
or accessory power outlet. Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well
as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t
be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. (Your
vehicle’s battery is located toward the front
of the
passenger’s side
of the vehicle’s engine, underneath
a diagonal brace.)
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood
electric fan.
5-4
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5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery. Your vehicle has a remote positive (+)
jump starting terminal. The terminal is on the same
side
of the engine compartment as your battery. To
uncover the remote positive (+) terminal, squeeze the
sides
of the red plastic cap and pull the cap upward.
You should always use the remote positive
(+)
terminal instead of the positive (+) terminal on
your battery. Using
a match near
a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the ACDelco Freedom@
battery installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take care
of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes
or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5-5
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6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before
you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts too.
A CAUTION:
I
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
I
7. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
5-6
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