2004 BUICK LESABRE Owner's Manual

{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 re. You
or others could be badly burned. Stop your
engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
Notice:If your engine catches re 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. 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.
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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.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the hood, here is what
you will see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
{CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood
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.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
do not do anything else until it cools down. The
vehicle should be parked on a level surface.
SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
more information on
location.
5-28

The coolant level should be at or above the FULL
COLD mark when the engine is cold. The coolant level
should be at the FULL HOT mark under normal
operating conditions. If it is not, 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. Do not touch them. If
you do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you
run the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could cause an engine re, and you could be
burned. Get any leak xed 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 are not, your vehicle needs service.
Notice:Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-29

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
{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 would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re 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.If you have not found a
problem yet, but the
coolant level is not at the
FULL COLD mark,
add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable waterand
DEX-COOL
®engine
coolant at the coolant
recovery tank. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-23
for more information.
{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. Do not spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at the
FULL COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there is 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.
5-30

{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
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when
the cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it rst stops. Do not press down while turning the
pressure cap.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss
means there is still some pressure left.
5-31

2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
3. Remove the 3800 Series II V6 engine cover shield
to access the bleed valve.3.1. Clean the area around the engine oil ll tube
and cap before removing. Twist the oil ll
tube, with cap attached, counterclockwise
and remove it.
3.2. If you have the supercharged engine,
remove the nut in the center of the cover
shield.
3.3. Lift the engine cover shield at the front, slide
the catch tab out of the engine bracket and
remove the cover shield.
3.4. Put the oil ll tube, with cap attached, in the
valve cover oil ll hole until you are ready to
replace the cover shield.
5-32

4. After the engine cools,
open the coolant air
bleed valve. There
is one bleed valve. It is
located on the
thermostat housing.5. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL®coolant
mixture, up to the base of the ller neck. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-23for more information
about the proper coolant mixture.
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close the valve. Otherwise, close
the valve after the radiator is lled.
6. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and the compartment.
7. Replace the 3800 Series II V6 engine cover shield.
7.1. Remove the oil ll tube, with cap attached,
from the valve cover.
7.2. Insert the catch tab on the cover shield
under the bracket on the engine.
7.3. Place the hole in the cover shield over the
hole in the valve cover. Install oil ll tube and
cap by twisting clockwise.
7.4. If you have the supercharged engine, install
the nut in the center of the cover shield.
5-33

8. Then ll the coolant
recovery tank to the
FULL COLD mark.
9. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
10. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
5-34