1999 BUICK RIVIERA hood open

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2-23
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0
F (-18
C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm
-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110
-volt AC outlet.
CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three
-prong
11 0
-volt AC outlet. If the cord won't reach, use a
heavy
-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts. If you don't, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you'll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.

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3-5
FRONT: This selection is used to defrost
the windshield by directing the airflow toward
the windshield.
If FRONT is selected while in the AUTO mode, the
fan speed and the air temperature from the front
defroster will vary. If a manual fan speed setting is
selected, the fan speed will remain at that selection until
another fan speed selection is made or the AUTO mode
is selected. To turn off FRONT, press the AUTO or
AIR FLOW button.
FRONT defrost will work better if any ice or snow is
cleared from the hood and the air inlet area between the
base of the windshield and the hood.
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
the hot air out. This reduces the time required to cool the
interior of the vehicle to a comfortable level. If thesystem is in the AUTO mode on very hot days, the
system will automatically enter the RECIRC mode and
the temperature door will be positioned at the full cold
position for maximum cooling. If the system is not in
the AUTO mode, RECIRC should be selected to provide
maximum cooling. You can choose the extreme comfort
setting of 60
F (16
C), but the system will not cool any
faster by choosing the extreme comfort setting.
Heating
On cold days, if the AUTO mode is selected, the system
will automatically direct the air toward the floor and the
temperature door will be positioned at the full hot
position. You can choose the extreme comfort setting of
90
F (32
C) but the system will not warm up any faster
by selecting the extreme comfort setting. If the outside
temperature is cold, the fan will be delayed to avoid
blowing cold air. Pushing the FAN, AIR FLOW or
FRONT buttons will override this delay, turn off the
AUTO mode and change the fan speed.

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5-4
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 an automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) before setting the parking brake.
CAUTION:
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.
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. Find the
positive (+) and negative (
-) terminals on each
battery. Your vehicle has a remote positive (+)
terminal for this purpose. (The battery is under the
back seat.)

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5-9
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and the
warning light about a hot engine on your instrument
panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and
ªLow Coolant Warning Lightº in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.

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5-10
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer.If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
)
or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn't come back on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have
the warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

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6-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
CAUTION:
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you and others:

Dispense gasoline only into
approved containers.

Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.

Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the filling is complete.

Don't smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under the Hood
CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.

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6-9 Hood Release
Pull the handle inside the
vehicle to open the hood.
The handle is located on the
lower left side of the
instrument panel, next to the
parking brake release.
Then go to the front of the vehicle and locate the
secondary hood release. It is under the front edge of the
grille, slightly right of center as you face the vehicle.
Push up on the secondary hood release lever as you lift
up the hood.

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6-10
3800 Supercharged V6 (L67) Engine
When you open the hood on the 3800 Supercharged engine, here's what you will see:
A. Windshield Washer
Fluid Reservoir
B. Remote Positive
Battery Terminal
C. Radiator Pressure CapD. Engine Oil Dipstick
E. Oil Fill Cap
F. Automatic Transaxle
Fluid DipstickG. Brake Master Cylinder
H. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
I. Air Cleaner