2005 BUICK TERRAZA engine coolant

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. SeeOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode on page 5-26
for information on driving to a safe place in an
emergency.
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. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the windows as necessary.
3. If you are in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving — AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) or
THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning does not come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you are 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” later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-25

Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates ring groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a signicant loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will indicate
an overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles
(km) and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection
mode should be avoided.
Notice:After driving in the overheated engine
protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage,
allow the engine to cool before attempting any
repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system. SeeEngine Oil
on page 5-13.
Cooling System
When you decide it is safe to lift the hood, here is what
you will see:
A. Radiator Pressure Cap
B. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
C. Coolant Recovery Tank
5-26

{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.
The coolant level should be at or above the full cold
mark. 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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
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 is not covered by your warranty. See
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode on
page 5-26for information on driving to a safe place
in an emergency.
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.
5-27

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you have not found a problem yet, but the coolant
level is not at or above the full cold mark, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®
engine coolant at the coolant recovery tank. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-21for 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 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.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the full cold mark, start your vehicle.
{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.
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.
5-28

{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.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.
5-29

2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
{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.3. After the engine cools, open the coolant air bleed
valves.
There are two bleed valves. One is located on the
thermostat housing. The other is located on the
thermostat bypass tube.
4. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL
®
coolant mixture, up to the base of the ller
neck. SeeEngine Coolant on page 5-21for 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 valves after the radiator is lled. Housing
Bypass Tube
5-30

5. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and the compartment.
6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans.
7. By this time, the coolant level inside the radiator
ller neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper DEX-COOL
®coolant mixture
through the ller neck until the level reaches
the base of the ller neck.8. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to ow out of the
ller neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure
the arrows on the pressure cap line up with the
vent tube.
9. Then ll the coolant recovery tank to the full
cold mark.
10. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank.
5-31

Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the
washer symbol on it.
Add washer uid until the
tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for reservoir
location.
Notice:
When using concentrated washer uid, follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for adding
water.
Do not mix water with ready-to-use washer uid.
Water can cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer uid tank and other parts
of the washer system. Also, water does not
clean as well as washer uid.
Fill your washer uid tank only three-quarters
full when it is very cold. This allows for
expansion if freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is completely full.
Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze) in your
windshield washer. It can damage your washer
system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level
in the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the brake
uid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the uid
level goes back up. The other reason is that uid is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should have
your brake system xed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work well, or will
not work at all.
5-33