2011 BUICK LUCERNE automatic transmission fluid

Black plate (31,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:
.start the 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
The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a
trailer. See Scheduled Maintenanceon page 7‑3for
more information. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid,
engine oil, belts, cooling system and brake system. It is
a good idea to inspect these before and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See Engine Overheating
on page 6‑35.
Changing a Tire When Trailer Towing
If the vehicle gets a flat tire while towing a trailer, be
sure to secure the trailer and disconnect it from the
vehicle before changing the tire.
5-31

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27 Engine Coolant (4.6L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Engine Coolant (3.9L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Sidemarker Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-55
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-66
6-1

Black plate (15,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
A.Underhood Fuse Block on page 6‑108.
B. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See Jump
Starting on page 6‑44.
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on
page 6‑38.
D. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. See Cooling
System on page 6‑27.
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. See Cooling System
on
page 6‑27.
F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See Power
Steering Fluid on page 6‑37. G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
“When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑18.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑18.
I. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6‑24.
J. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”under
Brakes on page 6‑39.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑23.
6-15

Black plate (17,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
A.Underhood Fuse Blockon page 6‑108.
B. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑44.
C. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on
page 6‑38.
D. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System on page 6‑27.
E. Remote Negative (−) Terminal. See Jump Starting
on page 6‑44.
F. Power Steering Fluid on page 6‑37. G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
“When to Add Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑18.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
under Engine Oil on page 6‑18.
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake
Fluid” under Brakes on page 6‑39.
J. Automatic Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick (Out of View). See Automatic Transmission Fluid
on page 6‑24.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑23.
6-17

Black plate (24,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
To reinstall the cover:1. Align the two hinges located on the inboard side of the cover.
2. Push the cover slightly down and towards the engine to engage the tabs in the hinges and align
the two screws.
3. Tighten the two screws on the top of the engine air cleaner/filter cover.
{WARNING:
Operating the engine with the air cleaner/filter off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it helps to stop
flames if the engine backfires. Use caution when
working on the engine and do not drive with the
air cleaner/filter off.
Notice: If the air cleaner/filter is off, dirt can easily
get into the engine, which could damage it. Always
have the air cleaner/filter in place when you are
driving.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change Automatic
Transmission Fluid
A good time to check the automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change the fluid and filter at the intervals listed in
Scheduled Maintenance
on page 7‑3and be sure
to use the transmission fluid listed in Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 7‑8.
How to Check Automatic Transmission
Fluid (3.9L Engine)
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at the dealer 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 little fluid can damage
the transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Too
little fluid could cause the transmission to overheat.
Be sure to get an accurate reading if checking the
transmission fluid.
6-24

Black plate (26,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
3.9L V6 Engine
4. Check both sides of the dipstick and read the lower level. The fluid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
5. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Automatic Transmission
Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid to use. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 7‑8.
If the fluid 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 enough fluid at the dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It does not take much fluid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L). Do not overfill.
Notice: Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
fluid may damage the vehicle, and the damages may
not be covered by the vehicle's warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 7‑8.
6-26

Black plate (27,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level asdescribed under “How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid” earlier in this section.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the dipstick back in all the way.
How to Check Automatic Transmission
Fluid (4.6L Engine)
For the 4.6L V8 engine, it is not necessary to check
the transmission fluid level. A transmission fluid leak is
the only reason for fluid loss. If a leak occurs, take the
vehicle to your dealer service department and have it
repaired as soon as possible.
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the engine to maintain the
correct working temperature.
3.9L Engine
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
6-27

Black plate (5,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Once a Year
.Starter switch check. SeeOwner Checks and
Services on page 7‑6.
.Automatic transmission shiftlock control function
check. See Owner Checks and Serviceson
page 7‑6.
.Ignition transmission lock check. See Owner
Checks and Services on page 7‑6.
.Parking brake and automatic transmission P (Park)
mechanism check. See Owner Checks and
Services on page 7‑6.
.Accelerator pedal check for damage, high effort,
or binding. Replace if needed.
.If the vehicle has a Tire Sealant and Compressor
Kit, check the sealant expiration date printed on
the instruction label of the kit. See Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit on page 6‑80.
.Underbody flushing service.
.Hood/Decklid/Liftgate/Liftglass Support Gas Strut
Service: Visually inspect gas strut, if equipped, for
signs of wear, cracks, or other damage. Check the
hold open ability of the gas strut. Contact your
dealer if service is required.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
40 000 km/25,000 Miles
.Passenger compartment air filter replacement
(or every 24 months, whichever occurs first).
More frequent replacement may be needed if
you drive in areas with heavy traffic, areas with
poor air quality, or areas with high dust levels.
Replacement may also be needed if you notice
reduced air flow, windows fogging up, or odors.
Your dealer can help you determine when it is the
right time to replace the filter.
First Engine Oil Change After Every
80 000 km/50,000 Miles
.Engine air cleaner filter replacement. See Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter on page 6‑23.
.Automatic transmission fluid change (severe
service) for vehicles mainly driven in heavy city
traffic in hot weather, in hilly or mountainous
terrain, when frequently towing a trailer, or used
for taxi, police, or delivery service. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on page 6‑24.
.Evaporative control system inspection. Check
all fuel and vapor lines and hoses for proper
hook‐up, routing, and condition. Check that the
purge valve, if the vehicle has one, works properly.
7-5