
The  exit speed is usually posted. 
Reduce your speed according  to your speedometer, not 
to  your sense  of motion. After driving  for any  distance 
at higher speeds,  you  may tend to think  you are going 
slower  than you actually 
are. 
Before Leaving on a Long  Trip 
Make  sure  you’re  ready.  Try to  be well rested.  If you 
must start when you’re not  fresh -- such as  after  a day’s 
work 
-- don’t plan to make  too many miles that  first part 
of  the journey.  Wear comfortable  clothing  and shoes  you 
can easily  drive in. 
Is your vehicle ready  for a long  trip? If  you keep it 
serviced and maintained,  it’s ready 
to go. If it needs 
service, have  it done  before  starting 
out. Of course, 
you’ll  find experienced and  able  service  experts  in 
Buick dealerships all across North America.  They’ll be 
ready and willing to help 
if you need it.  Here 
are some things  you can check before 
a trip: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Windshield Washer  Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are 
all windows clean  inside and outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are they  in good  shape? 
Fuel,  Engine  Oil,  Other  Fluids: Have you checked 
all  levels? 
Lamps: Are they all working? Are  the lenses  clean? 
Tires: They are vitally  important  to a safe, 
trouble-free  trip. 
Is the tread good enough for 
long-distance  driving? Are the tires  all inflated to the 
recommended pressure? 
Weather Forecasts: What’s  the weather  outlook 
along your route? Should  you delay  your trip a  short 
time  to avoid a major storm system? 
Maps: Do you have up-to-date  maps? 
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Before closing  the  hood, be  sure  all the filler  caps 
are  on properly. Then  just  pull the hood down and  close 
it  firmly. 
3800 Supercharged  (Code 1) Engine 
(If Equipped) 
Your  vehicle  may have a 3800 Supercharged  engine. 
The  supercharger  is a device  which is designed to pump 
more  air  into  the engine  than it would normally use. 
This 
air is  mixed with  fuel, which  creates  increased 
engine  power.  Since  the  supercharger is a pump and is 
driven  from an engine  accessory  drive belt, increased 
pressure 
is available at  all  driving conditions. 
The  Powertrain  Control Module (PCM), works  with a 
vacuum control  to  regulate  the increased pressure 
required  during specific  driving conditions. When this 
increased pressure  or  boost is not desired, such  as  during 
idling  and light  throttle  cruising,  the excess  air  that the 
supercharger  is pumping  is routed through a bypass. All 
of  these controls working together  provide high 
performance character and  fuel efficiency in the 
3800 
Supercharged L67 engine. 
Engine Oil 
LOW 
OIL 
If the LOW  OIL  light  on the 
instrument panel comes on, 
it  means  you need  to check 
your  engine  oil level right 
away.  For more 
information, 
see “Low  Oil 
Level  Light”  in the  Index. 
You  should check your  engine  oil  level regularly; this 
is 
an added reminder. 
It’s  a good  idea  to  check your  engine  oil every time you 
get  fuel.  In  order to get an  accurate  reading,  the oil must 
be  warm  and the vehicle must  be on  level  ground. 
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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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High pressure car washes  may  cause  water  to  enter 
your  vehicle. 
Cleaning  Exterior  LampsLenses 
Use  lukewarm or cold  water,  a  soft  cloth  and a liquid 
hand,  dish  or  car washing  (mild  detergent)  soap  to  clean 
exterior  lamps  and  lenses. 
Follow instructions  under 
‘‘Washing  Your  Vehicle.” 
Finish  Care 
Occasional  waxing  or  mild  polishing of your  vehicle  by 
hand  may  be necessary  to  remove  residue  from  the  paint 
finish.  You can  get  GM-approved  cleaning  products 
from  your  dealer.  (See  “Appearance  Care  and  Materials” 
in  the  Index.) 
Your  vehicle  has  a  “basecoatlclearcoat”  paint  finish.  The 
clearcoat  gives  more  depth  and  gloss  to  the colored 
basecoat.  Always  use  waxes  and  polishes  that  are 
non-abrasive  and  made  for 
a basecoatklearcoat 
paint  finish. 
NOTICE: 
Machine  compounding  or  aggressive polishing on 
a  basecoatklearcoat  paint finish may ddl the 
finish or  leave  swirl  marks. 
Foreign  materials  such  as  calcium  chloride  and  other 
salts,  ice melting  agents,  road 
oil and  tar,  tree  sap,  bird 
droppings,  chemicals  from industrial  chimneys,  etc.,  can 
damage  your  vehicle’s  finish  if  they  remain  on  painted 
surfaces.  Wash  the  vehicle 
as soon as  possible. If 
necessary,  use  non-abrasive  cleaners  that  are  marked 
safe  for painted  surfaces  to  remove  foreign  matter. 
Exterior  painted  surfaces  are  subject  to  aging,  weather  and  chemical  fallout  that  can  take  their  toll over  a  period 
of  years.  You can  help  to  keep  the paint 
finish loolring 
new  by  keeping  your  vehicle  garaged  or  covered 
whenever  possible. 
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Part B: Owner  Checks  and  Services 
Listed below are  owner  checks  and services which 
should be performed  at the intervals specified  to  help 
ensure  the  safety, dependability  and emission control 
performance  of 
your vehicle. 
Be  sure  any necessary  repairs  are completed at  once. 
Whenever  any fluids or  lubricants  are  added to your 
vehicle,  make  sure  they are  the  proper ones,  as shown 
in  Part 
D. 
At Each Fuel Fill 
It  is  important for you or a service station attendant  to 
peform  these underhood  checks at each  fuel 
fill. 
Engine Oil Level  Check 
Check  the engine  oil  level and add the proper  oil if 
necessary.  See “Engine  Oil” in the  Index  for 
further  details. 
Engine  Coolant  Level  Check 
Check the  engine  coolant  level  and add DEX-COOL’ 
coolant  mixture  if necessary. 
See “Engine  Coolant”  in 
the Index  for  further  details. 
Windshield  Washer  Fluid  Level  Check 
Check the windshield washer  fluid  level in the 
windshield washer tank and add  the proper  fluid if 
necessary.  See “Windshield  Washer Fluid” in the Index 
for  further  details. 
At Least Once a Month 
Tire  Inflation  Check 
Make  sure  tires are inflated to the  correct  pressures. See 
“Tires” 
in the Index  for  further  details. 
Cassette  Deck  Service 
Clean cassette  deck.  Cleaning should be  done every 
50 hours  of tape  play.  See  “Audio  Systems”  in the 
Index  for  further  details. 
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