Black plate (38,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
3-38 Seats and Restraints
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such
as seat covers, seat heaters, and
seat massagers can affect how well
the passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑38 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑11.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front
end, or side sheet metal, they
may keep the airbag system
from working properly. Changing
or moving any parts of the seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering
wheel, instrument panel, roof-rail
airbag modules, ceiling headliner
or pillar garnish trim, front
Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is
on the side of the steering
column. With the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, move
the windshield wiper lever to select
the wiper speed.
2:Use for fast wipes.
1: Use for slow wipes.
&(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
9(Off): Use to turn the windshield
wipers off.
3(Mist): For a single wipe,
briefly move the wiper lever down.
For several wipes, hold the wiper
lever down.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If they
are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. Damaged wiper blades should
be replaced. See
Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑30.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. A circuit breaker stops them
until the motor cools.
Wipe Parking
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF while the wipers are on 1, 2,
or
&, they will immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever
is then moved to OFF before the
driver door is opened, or within
10 minutes, the wipers will restart
and move to the base of the
windshield.
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF during a windshield wash, the
wipers will stop when they reach the
base of the windshield.
Black plate (5,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Clock
The infotainment system controls
are used to access the time and
date settings through the menu
system. SeeOperation on page 7‑4
for information about how to use the
menu system.
Setting the Time and Date
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Select Set Time or Set Date.
3. Turn the
Zknob to adjust
the highlighted value.
4. Press the
Zknob to select
the next value.
5. To save the time and return to the Time Settings menu, press
the BACK button at any time or
press the
Zknob after
adjusting the minutes.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Highlight 12/24 HR Format.
3. Press the
Zknob to select
the 12 hour or 24 hour display
format.
Setting the Month and Day
Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Highlight Month & Day format.
3. Press the
Zknob to select
DD/MM/YYYY (day/month/year),
MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/year),
or YYYY/MM/DD (year/month/
day) display format.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlet can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
This outlet is located under the
armrest inside the center console
storage.
The outlet is powered when the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of
turning off the vehicle. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.
Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Certain electrical accessories
may not be compatible with the
accessory power outlets and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If there is a problem, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. SeeAdd-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9‑50.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power
outlet can cause damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The power outlets are designed
for accessory power plugs only,
such as cell phone charge cords. Power Outlet 110 Volt Alternating
Current
The vehicle may have a power
outlet that can be used to plug
in electrical equipment with a
maximum limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is located on the
rear of the center console.An indicator light on the outlet
comes on when in use. The light
comes on when the ignition is in
ON/RUN and equipment requiring
less than 150 watts is plugged into
the outlet, and no system fault is
detected.
The indicator light on the outlet will
not turn on if the plug is not fully
seated.
If you try to connect equipment
using more than 150 watts or a
system fault is detected, the
equipment may operate for
a short period and turn itself off.
A protection circuit shuts off the
power supply and the indicator light
turns off. To reset the circuit, unplug
the item and plug it back in or turn
the Remote Accessory Power (RAP)
off and then back on. See
Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21. Prolonged usage of the
Black plate (9,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper‐resistant
odometer. The digital odometer will
read 999,999 if it is turned back.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
If that is not possible, then it must
be set at zero and a label must be
put on the driver door to show the
old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can show how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last reset.
The trip odometer is accessed and
reset through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑22 for more information.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Notice:If the engine is operated
with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area, the vehicle could
be damaged, and the damages
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in
the shaded warning area.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
is left in the tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle
the fuel door is on.
The FUEL LEVEL LOW message
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and a single chime
sounds. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22 for
more information.
Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with the fuel gauge:
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less
fuel to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and will go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the
shaded area, the engine is too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.
Black plate (13,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
If, after several seconds, both
status indicator lights remain on,
or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights
or the passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑11 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
The light turns off when the engine
is started. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It makes sure that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light comes on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on, while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.
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.