2003 BUICK REGAL engine overheat

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning can indicate a serious problem.
SeeEngine Coolant Temperature Warning Light
on page 3-34.
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. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.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, and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can 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 vehicleuntil it cools down. Also, see
“Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode”listed
previously in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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If it isn’t, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak. If you
run the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could cause an enginere, and you could be
burned. Get any leakxed before you drive the
vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check
to see if the electric engine cooling fans are running.
If the engine is overheating, both fans should be
running. If they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.Notice:Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
See“Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode”in the Index for information on driving to a
safe place in an emergency.
Notice:When adding coolant, it is important that
you use only DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL®is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant will require change sooner—at 30,000 miles
(50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occursrst.
Damage caused by the use of coolant other
than DEX-COOL
®is not covered by your new vehicle
warranty.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture ofclean,
drinkable waterand DEX-COOL
®engine coolant at
the coolant recovery tank. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-22for more information.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catchre and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
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If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling
system is cool before you do it.
{CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the radiator
pressure cap -- even a little -- they can come
out at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have
to turn the pressure cap.
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
Notice:Your engine has a specic radiator
ll procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could
cause your engine to overheat and be severely
damaged.
Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until it
first stops. Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap.
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E
Electrical System
Add-On Equipment......................................5-86
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...........................5-87
Headlamp Wiring.........................................5-86
Power Windows and Other Power Options......5-86
Windshield Wiper Fuses...............................5-86
Emergency Trunk Release Handle.....................2-13
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs...................................................3-37
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter.........................................5-18
Battery.......................................................5-42
Change Engine Oil Light...............................3-39
Check and Service Engine Soon Light............3-35
Compartment Overview................................5-10
Coolant......................................................5-22
Coolant Heater............................................2-20
Coolant Temperature Gage...........................3-34
Coolant Temperature Warning Light................3-34
Cooling System Inspection............................6-15
Exhaust
.....................................................2-29
Oil
.............................................................5-13
Overheating
................................................5-25
Starting
......................................................2-19
Supercharger Oil
.........................................5-18
Engine Coolant Level Check
.............................6-10Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing..................4-41
Engine Oil Additives........................................5-16
Engine Oil Level Check...................................6-10
Entry Lighting.................................................3-13
Express-Down Window....................................2-15
Extender, Safety Belt.......................................1-26
Exterior Lamps...............................................3-10
F
Fabric/Carpet.................................................5-78
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner......................................5-18
Finding a Station....................................3-46, 3-50
Finish Care....................................................5-81
Finish Damage...............................................5-83
Flash-to-Pass................................................... 3-7
Flat Tire........................................................5-66
Flat Tire, Changing.........................................5-66
Fluid
Automatic Transaxle.....................................5-20
Power Steering...........................................5-36
Windshield Washer......................................5-38
FM ...............................................................3-57
Fog Lamps ....................................................3-13
Folding Rear Seat............................................ 1-6
Following Distance..........................................4-39
Footnotes........................................................ 6-5
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O
Odometer......................................................3-28
Off-Road Recovery..........................................4-14
Oil
Change Engine Oil Light...............................3-39
Engine.......................................................5-13
Low Oil Level Light......................................3-39
Pressure Light.............................................3-38
Supercharger, Engine...................................5-18
Older Children, Restraints................................1-27
Online Owner Center........................................ 7-3
OnStar
®Personal Calling.................................2-34
OnStar®Services............................................2-34
OnStar®System.............................................2-34
OnStar®Virtual Advisor....................................2-35
Operation Tips................................................3-24
Other Warning Devices...................................... 3-4
Outlet Adjustment............................................3-24
Outside
Convex Mirror.............................................2-33
Power Foldaway Mirrors...............................2-33
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode.....5-25
Overseas–Customer Assistance........................ 7-5
Owners, Canadian............................................... ii
Owner’s Information........................................7-11
P
Park (P)
Shifting Into................................................2-25
Shifting Out of............................................2-25
Parking
Brake........................................................2-24
Over Things That Burn.................................2-28
Parking Brake and Automatic Transaxle
Park (P) Mechanism Check...........................6-13
Parking on Hills..............................................4-40
Part A - Scheduled Maintenance Services............ 6-4
Part B - Owner Checks and Services................6-10
Part C - Periodic Maintenance Inspections..........6-14
Part D - Recommended Fluids and Lubricants.......6-16
PartE-Maintenance Record
...........................6-17
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
.....................3-24
Passenger Control
..........................................3-23
Passing
.................................................4-14, 4-39
PASS-Key
®II
.................................................2-16
Perimeter Lighting
...........................................3-14
Plan Ahead When Possible
................................ 7-8
Playing a Cassette Tape
..........................3-47, 3-51
Playing a Compact Disc
...................................3-53
Playing the Radio
...................................3-46, 3-49
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