
Black plate (27,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Door Ajar Messages
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver door is open. Close the door
completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display when the
hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver side rear door is open. Close
the door completely.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
front passenger door is open. Close
the door completely.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
passenger side rear door is open.
Close the door completely.
TRUNK OPEN
This message will display when
the trunk is open. Close the trunk
completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
COOLANT LEVEL LOW ADD
COOLANT
This message will display if the
coolant is low. SeeEngine Coolant
on page 10‑18.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.

Black plate (32,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu and the following will be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Air Conditioning Mode
.Auto Area Zone Temp
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Speed
This allows selection of the
automatic fan speed to run lower or
higher than normal.
Press the
Zknob when Auto
Fan Speed is highlighted to open
the menu. Turn the knob to highlight
High, Medium, or Low. Press the
knob to confirm the selection and
move back to the last menu. Air Conditioning Mode
This allows selection of automatic
start of the air conditioning upon
vehicle start. Selecting On indicates
the air conditioning will be on when
the vehicle is started. Selecting Off
turns the air conditioning off each
time the vehicle is started. Last
Setting will resume the last setting
when the vehicle was shut off.
Press the
Zknob when Air
Conditioning Mode is highlighted.
Turn the knob to highlight On, Off,
or Last Setting. Press the knob to
confirm the selection and go back to
the last menu.
Auto Area Zone Temp
This allows selection of the number
of zones of temperature control
upon vehicle start. Selecting Single
Zone automatically resets the
passenger temperature setting the
same as the driver's for every vehicle start. The air conditioning
system will operate using only the
driver's setting until the passenger
temperature setting is changed.
Selecting Dual Zone or Last Setting
will keep the passenger temperature
adjustment separate from the
driver's setting all the time.
Press the
Zknob when Auto
Area Zone Temp is highlighted. Turn
the knob to highlight Single Zone,
Dual Zone, or Last Setting. Press
the knob to confirm the selection
and go back to the last menu.
Auto Defog
This allows the auto defog to be
turned on or off on dual zone
climate control systems.
Press the
Zknob when Auto
Defog is highlighted to select On or
Off. Turn the knob to confirm the
selection and move back to the
last menu.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Climate Control Systems
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with
this system.
A. Air Conditioning
B. Driver and Passenger
Temperature Controls
C. Heated Seats
D. Air Delivery Modes
E. Climate Display F. Defrost
G. Recirculation
H. Fan Controls
I. AUTO (Automatic Mode)
J. Rear Defogger

Black plate (2,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle to
the desired temperature.
When the indicator light is on, the
system is in full automatic operation.
If the air delivery mode or fan
setting is manually adjusted, the
auto indicator turns off and displays
will show the selected settings.
To place the system in
automatic mode:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allowthe system time to stabilize.
Then adjust the temperature as
needed for best comfort.
English units can be changed to
metric units through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑31. Manual Operation
Driver and Passenger
Temperature Control:
The
temperature can be adjusted
separately for the driver and
passenger.
Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the driver or passenger
temperature setting.
Fan Control: Press the left
fan button to decrease the
fan speed. Press the right fan
button to increase the fan speed.
The selected fan speed is indicated
by the number of segments shown
in the display.
Pressing the left fan button longer
turns the fan off.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation. Air Delivery Modes:
Press[,Y,
or
8to change the direction of the
airflow. An indicator light comes on
in the selected mode button.
Changing the mode cancels the
automatic operation and the system
goes into manual mode. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
8(Upper): Air is directed to the
windshield outlets.
0(Defrost): Press to clear the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the automatic air conditioning
on or off. If the fan is turned off or
the outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioner will
not run.

Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-3
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs as needed. When the indicator
light is on, the air conditioner runs
automatically to cool the air inside
the vehicle or to dry the air needed
to defog the windshield faster.
h(Recirculation):Press to turn
on recirculation. An indicator light
comes on. Air is recirculated to
quickly cool the inside of the vehicle
or prevent outside air and odors
from entering.
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger
turns off automatically after about
10 minutes. If turned on again, it
runs for about five minutes before
turning off. At higher speeds, the
rear window defogger may stay on
continuously. For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on with
the rear window defogger and help
to clear fog or frost from the surface
of the mirror. See
Heated Mirrors on
page 2‑11.
Notice: Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect your
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
Sensors
The solar sensor located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system
uses the sensor information to
adjust the temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
If the sensor is covered, the
automatic climate control system
may not work properly.

Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy.
Ease off the accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steerso that the vehicle straddles the
edge of the pavement. Turn the
steering wheel 8 to 13 cm (3 to
5 in), about one-eighth turn, until
the right front tire contacts the
pavement edge. Then turn the
steering wheel to go straight down
the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems
—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.

Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program on page 13‑5.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside
the vehicle and set the fan
speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control System
in the Index.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (Carbon
Monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking the
exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.

Black plate (20,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater,
if available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below−18°C (0°F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the
vehicle. An internal thermostat in
the plug-end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above −18°C (0°F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord.
The electrical cord is located on
the passenger side of the engine
compartment, between the
fender and the air cleaner.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. 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. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.