2004 BUICK REGAL open hood

Engine Coolant Heater
The vehicle may have this feature. In very cold weather,
0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine coolant heater can
help. The vehicle will start easier and get 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. At temperatures
above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant heater is not
required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is attached to the underside of the vehicle’s
diagonal brace, which is located above the engine
air cleaner/lter assembly.
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 re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Unplug and store the cord as it was before to keep
it away from moving engine parts, before starting
the engine. If this is not done, the cord could
be damaged.
2-20

Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.
Battery Rundown Protection
This helps prevent the vehicle’s battery from draining in
case the interior courtesy lamps, reading lamps,
trunk lamp, underhood lamp, glove box lamps, or sun
visor vanity lamps, if equipped, are accidently left on. If
any of these lamps are left on while the ignition is in
OFF, they will automatically turn off after 20 minutes.
The lamps will not come back on again until one of the
following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is turned off, then on.
A door is opened.
If the vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps after
only three minutes.
Accessory Power Outlets
With accessory power outlets you can power electrical
equipment such as a cellular telephone or CB radio.
The vehicle is equipped with a 12-volt outlet. It is located
on the console, near the oor on the passenger’s
side. Open the cover to use the outlet. Be sure to close
the cover when the outlet is not in use.Notice:Adding any electrical equipment to your
vehicle may damage it or keep other components
from working as they should. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Check with your dealer
before adding electrical equipment.
Certain power accessory plugs may not be compatible
to the power accessory outlet and could result in
blown vehicle or adapter fuses. If you experience a
problem, see your dealer.
Notice:Improper use of the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by your warranty. Do not
hang any type of accessory or accessory bracket
from the plug because the power outlets are
designed for accessory power plugs only.
Notice:Leaving electrical equipment on for
extended periods will drain the battery. Always turn
off electrical equipment when not in use and do
not plug in equipment that exceeds the maximum
amperage rating.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
proper installation instructions included with the
equipment.
3-16

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the interior hood
release handle located
to the left of the
steering column below
the instrument
panel.
2. Push the secondary hood release, located under
the hood, to the right to disengage it.
3. Lift the hood.
Before closing the hood, make sure all the ller caps
are properly secured. Pull the hood down and close
it rmly.
5-11

Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood on the 3800 V6 engine, you will see:
5-12

When you open the hood on the 3800 V6 Supercharged engine, you will see:
5-14

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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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.
See “Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode” underEngine Overheating on page 5-29
for information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
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. See “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” underEngine
Overheating on page 5-29for information on driving
to a safe place in an emergency.
5-30

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheated engine warning can indicate a serious
problem. SeeEngine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light on page 3-34.
If there is an overheated engine warning, and no steam
is seen or heard, the problem may not be too serious.
Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when
the vehicles:
Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
Stops after high-speed driving.
Idles for long periods in traffic.
Tows a trailer.
If the overheated engine warning appears 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. Adjust the heater to the highest temperature and
fan speed settings and open the window as
necessary.If the overheated engine warnings no longer exist, the
vehicle can be driven. Just to be safe, drive slower
for about 10 minutes. If the warning does not come back
on, continue to drive.
If the warning continues, and you have not stopped, pull
over, stop, and park the vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three
minutes while parked. If the warning still exists, turn
off the engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until
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.
5-31

4. Open the hood of each vehicle and locate the
batteries. Find the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminal location on each vehicle. You will not need
to access your battery for jump starting. Your
vehicle has a remote positive (+) jump starting
terminal for that purpose. The terminal is located on
the same side of the engine compartment as
your battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for more information on location.To uncover the remote positive (+) terminal,
squeeze the sides of the red plastic cap and pull it
upward. Always use the remote positive (+)
terminal instead of the positive (+) terminal on your
battery.
{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.
5-48