Black plate (48,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
10-48 Vehicle Care
model name molding that is
higher or deeper than the same
moldings on the other sidewall
of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:A
tire used on passenger cars and
some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure as shown
on the tire placard. See Tire
Pressure on page 10‑49
andVehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑12.
Radial Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated. Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
:An
alphanumeric code assigned to
a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 in) of tread remains. See
When It Is Time for New Tires
on page 10‑56.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards)
:A tire
information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a tire's traction, temperature,
and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire
manufacturers using
government testing procedures.
The ratings are molded into the
sidewall of the tire. See
Uniform
Tire Quality Grading on
page 10‑59.
Vehicle Capacity Weight
:The
number of designated seating
positions multiplied by 68 kg
(150 lbs) plus the rated cargo
load. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑12.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard
:A label
permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the vehicle
capacity weight and the original
equipment tire size and
Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-3
system whenever the oil is changed.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13.
Every Engine Oil Change
.Change engine oil and filter.
Reset oil life system. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9 and
Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13. An Emission
Control Service.
.Engine coolant level check. See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑18.
.Engine cooling system
inspection. Visual inspection of
hoses, pipes, fittings, and
clamps and replacement,
if needed.
.Windshield washer fluid level
check. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24.
.Windshield wiper blade
inspection for wear, cracking,
or contamination and windshield
and wiper blade cleaning,
if contaminated. See Exterior
Care on page 10‑77. Worn or damaged wiper blade
replacement. See
Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑30.
.Tire inflation pressures check.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑49.
.Tire wear inspection. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑55.
.Rotate tires if necessary. See
Tire Rotation on page 10‑55.
.Fluids visual leak check (or
every 12 months, whichever
occurs first). A leak in any
system must be repaired and the
fluid level checked.
.Engine air cleaner filter
inspection. See Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 10‑15.
.Brake system inspection (or
every 12 months, whichever
occurs first).
.Steering and suspension
inspection. Visual inspection for
damaged, loose, or missing
parts or signs of wear.
.Body hinges and latches, key
lock cylinders, folding seat
hardware, and sunroof (if
equipped) lubrication. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑6. More
frequent lubrication may be
required when the vehicle is
exposed to a corrosive
environment. Applying silicone
grease on weatherstrips with a
clean cloth makes them last
longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
.Restraint system component
check. See Safety System
Check on page 3‑26.
.Fuel system inspection for
damage or leaks.
.Exhaust system and nearby heat
shields inspection for loose or
damaged components.
Black plate (14,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
13-14 Customer Information
Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
This GM vehicle has a number of
sophisticated computers that record
information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven.
For example, the vehicle uses
computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment
and deploy airbags in a crash, and,
if so equipped, to provide antilock
braking to help the driver control the
vehicle. These modules may store
data to help your dealer technician
service the vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate of
fuel consumption or average speed.
These modules may also retain the
owner’s personal preferences, such
as radio pre-sets, seat positions,
and temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose
of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an airbag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that
will assist in understanding how a
vehicle's systems performed. The
EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and
safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:
.How various systems in the
vehicle were operating.
.Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened.
.How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal.
.How fast the vehicle was
traveling. This data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:
EDR data is recorded
by the vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) is recorded.
However, other parties, such as
law enforcement, could combine
the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required, and
access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer, other parties, such as
law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the
information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR.
Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Adjustments
Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Airbag Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Airbag System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Airbag System (cont.)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-29
Airbags Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-12
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Anti-theft
Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-29
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80 Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Audio System Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-25
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-30
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-20, 7-21, 7-23
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-16
Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-3
CoolantEngine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . .13-11
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . 13-9
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Rear Seat Pass-through . . . . . . 3-10
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Driving
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-19
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-11 Driving (cont.)
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . 5-16
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Electrical System Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Black plate (4,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
EngineAir Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-27
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-24
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-14
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-3
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-32, 6-4
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-45
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-45
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-20
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-45
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Fuses
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Black plate (5,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-5
G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-50
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-34 Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Interactive
Drive Control System . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Interactive Drive Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
i-6 INDEX
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-29
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-43
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-2
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-13
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Light
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-16
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 5-16
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21 Lights (cont.)
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-11
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®. . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Ultrasonic Parking Sensor . . . . 5-17
Locks Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5