2003 BUICK REGAL maintenance

Modes
AVG ECON (Average Economy):This mode shows
your average fuel economy since you last reset this
mode. Average fuel economy is viewed as a long term
approximation of your overall driving and driving
conditions. To learn the average fuel economy from a
new starting point, press the RESET button while
the average fuel economy is displayed in the DIC.
INSTANTANEOUS FUEL ECONOMY:This mode
shows your current fuel economy. Instantaneous fuel
economy varies with your driving conditions, such
as acceleration, braking and the grade of the road being
traveled. The instantaneous fuel economy display
cannot be reset.
OIL LIFE MONITOR:This mode shows an estimate of
the oil’s remaining useful life. When the oil life index
is less than 10%, the CHANGE OIL SOON light
will come on. When you have the oil changed according
to the maintenance schedule. SeePart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4. You will have
to reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light.
To reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light, see“How to
Reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light underEngine Oil
on page 5-13.Also, see“When to Change Engine Oil (GM Oil Life
System)”underEngine Oil on page 5-13andPart
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4.
RANGE:This mode shows the approximate distance
you can drive without refueling. This is based on
the amount of fuel in the tank and on the fuel economy
of the most recent 25 miles (40 km). This display
cannot be reset.
BOOST GAGE:If you have the supercharged engine,
this gage will show the amount of boost your engine
is receiving. This display cannot be reset.
Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle–like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio–be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it’s very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s engine,
Delphi Electronics radio or other systems, and
even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment that
has been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
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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 transaxleuid (don’t overll),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help yound 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. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-25.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-63
Wheel Replacement......................................5-63
Tire Chains..................................................5-65
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-66
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-66
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-77
Appearance Care............................................5-77
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-78
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-80
Weatherstrips...............................................5-80
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle..............5-80
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-83
Finish Damage.............................................5-83
Underbody Maintenance................................5-83Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-83
GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials...........5-84
Vehicle Identification......................................5-85
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).................5-85
Service Parts Identification Label.....................5-86
Electrical System............................................5-86
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-86
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-86
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-86
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-86
Fuses and Circuit Breakers............................5-87
Capacities and Specifications..........................5-92
Capacities and Specifications.........................5-92
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts..........5-93
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
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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,
seeService Publications Ordering Information on
page 7-10.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-54.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeePart E: Maintenance Record on page 6-17.
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged ifyou 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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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 occursfirst.
What Kind of Oil to Use
Use only the recommended supercharger oil. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-16.
How to Check and Add Oil
Park the vehicle on a level surface. Check oil only when
the engine is cold. Allow the engine to cool two to
three hours after running.
{CAUTION:
If you remove the supercharger oilll plug
while the engine is hot, pressure may cause
hot oil to blow out of the oilll hole. You may
be burned. Do not remove the plug until the
engine cools.
1. Clean the area around the oilfill plug before
removing it.
2. Remove the oilfill plug.
3. The oil level is correct when it just reaches the
bottom of the threads of the inspection hole.
4. Replace the oil plug with the O-ring in place.
Tighten to 88 lb-in (10Y).
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-10for
location of engine air cleaner/filter.
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Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxlefluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both thefluid andfilter 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.
•In hilly or mountainous terrain.
•When doing frequent trailer towing.
•Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change thefluid andfilter at 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too littleuid can damage
your transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the
uid could come out and fall on hot engine or
exhaust system parts, starting are. Too littleuid
could cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure
to get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxleuid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:
•When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
•At high speed for quite a while.
•In heavy traffic–especially in hot weather.
•While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, thefluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°Fto200°F
(82°Cto93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C).Ifit’s colder than 50°F (10°C), you may have to
drive longer.
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Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
•Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
•With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
•With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
•Let the engine run at idle for three tofive minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The automatic transaxle
fluid dipstick handle is the
black loop located
toward the rear of the
engine. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for more
information on location.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. Thefluid level must be in the cross-hatched
area.
4. If thefluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxlefluid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
If thefluid 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 enoughfluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn’t take muchfluid, generally less than one
pint (0.5 L).Don’t overfill.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system—for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in—be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change–for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve come to expect
can change in many other ways if someone puts in the
wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco®battery. When it’s time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.If your battery has a very low charge or is dead, you
may not be able to remove the ignition key from
the ignition switch or shift out of Park (P). Refer to
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-27.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (−) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See“Jump Starting”next for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, seeTheft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-55.
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