2011 BUICK REGAL maintenance

Black plate (14,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Heeding the light can
prevent more serious damage to the
vehicle. This system assists the
service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as
smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
can affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause
this light to come on. Modifications to these systems
could lead to costly repairs not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
This could also result in a failure
to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
See
Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
The following can prevent more
serious damage to the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades. If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑48. The diagnostic
system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.

Black plate (15,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
.Check that the electrical system
is not wet. The system could be
wet if the vehicle was driven
through a deep puddle of water.
The condition is usually
corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
SeeRecommended Fuel on
page 9‑44. If none of the above have made
the light turn off, have your dealer
check the vehicle. The dealer
has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments may have programs
to inspect the on-vehicle emission
control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system
test equipment is connected
to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel near the steering wheel. See
your dealer if assistance is needed. The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
.The critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. This can happen if
the battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system
evaluates critical emission
control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection, your dealer can
prepare the vehicle for
inspection.

Black plate (20,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition is
turned on as a check to indicate
it is working. If it does not come on,
have it fixed.
The low fuel warning light (A) comes
on and a chime sounds periodically
when the vehicle is low on fuel. The
light turns off when fuel is added to
the fuel tank.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22 for more information.

Black plate (25,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Tire Pressure
The display will show a vehicle with
the approximate pressures of all
four tires. Tire pressure is displayed
in either kilopascal (kPa) or pounds
per square inch (psi). SeeTire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑51 andTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑52
for more information.
Remaining Oil Life
This display shows an estimate
of the oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
See Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑28. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9. In addition
to the Engine Oil Life System monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See
Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for more
information.
Remember, the Remaining Oil Life
display must be reset after each
oil change. It will not reset itself.
Also, be careful not to reset the
Remaining Oil Life display
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
Engine Oil Life System, press SET/
CLR while the Remaining Oil Life
display is active. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑13.
Compass
The vehicle has a compass display
in the DIC. See Compass on
page 5‑4 for more information.
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action that may be needed
to correct a condition. Multiple
messages may display one after
the other.
The messages that do not
require immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing SET/CLR. The messages
that require immediate action cannot
be cleared until that action is
performed. All messages should be
taken seriously and clearing the
messages does not correct the
problem.

Black plate (28,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls
HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 10‑21.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13 andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22 for
information on how to reset the
system. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andScheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2
for more information.
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.
ENGINE OIL LOW —ADD OIL
This message displays when the
engine oil level is too low. Check
the oil level. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon
as possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination.
The performance may be reduced
the next time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while this message
is on, but maximum acceleration
and speed may be reduced.
Anytime this message stays on, the
vehicle should be taken to your
dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.

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 (4,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
8-4 Climate Controls
Air Vents
Use the louvers located on the air
vents to change the direction of the
airflow.
To open a vent, move the
thumbwheel to | . To close the vent,
move the thumbwheel to
9.
Operation Tips
.Keep all outlets open whenever
possible for best system
performance.
.Keep the paths under all seats
clear of objects to help circulate
the air inside the vehicle more
effectively.
.Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors can adversely affect
the performance of the system.
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
See Scheduled Maintenance on
page 11‑2 for replacement intervals.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts on page 11‑8.
The passenger compartment air
filter can be accessed by removing
the entire glove box.
1. Open the passenger side door. Remove the end cover located
on the side of the instrument
panel in the top right corner.
Remove the screw affixed to the
side of the glove box. 2. Open the glove box door and
remove the attached screws
from around the glove box.
3. Lower the loosened glove box housing.
4. Unplug both wire cables and remove the glove box.
5. Pull the three tabs to releaseand open the filter door.

Black plate (44,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel
is an important part of the proper
maintenance of this vehicle. To help
keep the engine clean and maintain
optimum vehicle performance, we
recommend the use of gasoline
advertised as TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on the
fuel pump to ensure gasoline meets
enhanced detergency standards
developed by auto companies. A list
of marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
The eighth digit of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) shows
the code letter or number that
identifies the vehicle's engine.
The VIN is at the top left of the
instrument panel. SeeVehicle
Identification Number (VIN) on
page 12‑1.
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85). See
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑47. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑44.
Recommended Fuel
If the vehicle has a 2.4L L4 engine
(VIN Code C), use regular unleaded
gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 87 or higher. If the octane
rating is less than 87, an audible
knocking noise, commonly referred
to as spark knock, might be heard
when driving. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher as soon as possible. If heavy
knocking is heard when using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher, the engine needs service.