Page 185 of 368
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
Page 186 of 368

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.
Page 187 of 368

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.
Page 188 of 368

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.
Page 189 of 368
Black plate (5,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-5
6. Remove the old air filter.
7. Install the new air filter.
8. Reinstall the air filter door.Re‐install the glove box.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Page 190 of 368
Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
8-6 Climate Controls
2NOTES
Page 191 of 368

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-25
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-34
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Interactive Drive Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-42
Page 192 of 368

Black plate (2,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Gasoline Specifications (U.S.and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-45
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-47
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Driving Information
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑11.
{WARNING
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
.Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.