2001 BUICK REGAL maintenance

3-10 Ventilation System
Adjust the direction
of airflow by moving
the vents.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan is running.
If the airflow seems very low when the fan is adjusted to
the highest setting regardless of the mode setting, your
passenger compartment air filter may need to be
replaced. See ªMaintenance Scheduleº or
ªPassenger Compartment Air Filterº in the Index.Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction, such as leaves. The heater and
defroster will work far better, reducing the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
mode knob or button to FLOOR and the fan to the
highest speed for a few seconds before driving off.
This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and
moisture and reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of objects.
This helps air to circulate throughout your vehicle.

For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside air
through your vehicle.
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4-40 When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

Start your engine;

Shift into a gear; and

Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you're trailering, it's
a good idea to review this information before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
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6-
6-1
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6
-6 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-14 Engine Oil
6
-20 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-21 Passenger Compartment Air Filter
6
-22 Supercharger Oil
6
-23 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6
-27 Engine Coolant
6
-31 Power Steering Fluid
6
-32 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-33 Brakes
6
-37 Battery
6
-38 Bulb Replacement6
-46 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
6
-47 Tires
6
-57 Appearance Care
6
-57 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-59 Care of Safety Belts
6
-60 Cleaning the Outside of the Windshield and
Wiper Blades
6
-61 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-62 Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated
Wheels (If Equipped)
6
-62 Cleaning Tires
6
-64 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-65 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-66 Electrical System
6
-72 Replacement Bulbs
6
-73 Capacities and Specifications
6
-74 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
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6-2
Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you'll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You'll get genuine GM parts and
GM
-trained and supported service people.
We hope you'll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you'll
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, see ªService
and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, see ªServicing Your
Air Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and
list the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See ªMaintenance Recordº in the Index.
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6-3
CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.

Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.

Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top left of your instrument panel.
See ªVehicle Identification Numberº in the Index.
If you have the 3800 V6 engine (VIN Code K), use
regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
If you're using fuel rated at the recommended octane
or higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine
needs service. But don't worry if you hear a little
pinging noise when you're accelerating or driving up a
hill. That's normal, and you don't have to buy a higher
octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It's the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
If you have the 3800 Supercharged V6 engine
(VIN Code 1), use premium unleaded gasoline rated
at 91 octane or higher. With the 3800 Supercharged
engine, in an emergency, you may be able to use a
lower octane
-- as low as 87 -- if heavy knocking
does not occur. If you are using 91 or higher octane
unleaded gasoline and you hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service.
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6-20
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/filter
is located underneath a
diagonal brace on the
driver's side of the engine.
See ªEngine Compartment
Overviewº in the Index
for more information
on location.
To check or replace the engine air cleaner/filter:
1. Loosen the wing nut on the air duct and lift up on the
two clips located on the top of the filter assembly.
2. Then disconnect the duct and reposition it while
removing the side cover.
3. Pull out the filter.
4. Replace the filter if needed.
5. Be sure to install the engine air cleaner/filter and
install the cover tightly when you are finished.Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the air filter.
See ªScheduled Maintenance Servicesº in the Index.
CAUTION:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/filter
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/filter off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner/filter 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/filter in place when
you're driving.
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6-21
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The passenger compartment
air filter is located
underneath your hood just
below the windshield wiper
arm, on the passenger's side
(underneath the air inlet
grille) of the vehicle.
The filter traps most of the pollen from the air entering
the air conditioning module. Like your engine's air
cleaner filter, it may need to be changed periodically.
For information on how often to change the passenger
compartment air filter, see ªMaintenance Scheduleº in
the Index.To change the passenger compartment air filter, use the
following steps:
1. Turn off the ignition when the windshield wipers are
in the up position.
2. Raise the hood.
3. Disconnect the windshield washer pump hose from
the fender rail and air inlet grille.
4. Remove the hood weatherstrip from the passenger's
side of the vehicle (peel back halfway to center).
5. Remove the air inlet grille retainers.
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6-22
6. Remove the air inlet grille.
7. Remove the passenger compartment air filter.
8. Then replace the old air filter with the new one. For
the type of filter to use, see ªNormal Maintenance
Replacement Partsº in the Index.
9. Reposition the air inlet grille.
10. Reinstall the air inlet grille retainers.
11. Reattach the hood weatherstrip.
12. Reconnect the windshield washer pump hose to the
fender rail and air inlet grille.
13. Close the hood.
14. Return the windshield wipers to the park position.Supercharger Oil
Unless you are
technically qualified
and have the proper
tools, you should
let your dealer or
a qualified service
center perform
this maintenance.
When to Check
Check oil level every 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or every
36 months, whichever occurs first.
What Kind of Oil to Use
Use only the recommended supercharger oil. See
ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the Index.
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