
Black plate (30,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-30 Driving and Operating
To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral:Use this position when
you start or idle the engine.
The shift lever is in Neutral when it
is centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, with the
vehicle at a complete stop, press
down the clutch pedal. Then pull up
on the button on the selector lever,
and shift into R (Reverse). Let up
on the clutch pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal. If R (Reverse) gear does not
engage, shift the transmission to
Neutral, release the clutch pedal
and press it back down. Repeat the
gear selection.
Notice:
Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
Use R (Reverse) along with the
parking brake to park the vehicle.
When operating, press the clutch
pedal down completely. Do not use
the pedal as a foot rest.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑17.

Black plate (32,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
The system has a parking brake
status light and a parking brake
warning light. SeeElectric Parking
Brake Light on page 5‑16. There are
also three Driver Information Center
(DIC) messages. See Brake System
Messages on page 5‑26 for more
information. In case of insufficient
electrical power, the EPB cannot be
applied or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.
EPB Apply
The EPB can be applied any time
the vehicle is stopped. The EPB is
applied by momentarily lifting up on
the EPB switch. Once fully applied,
the parking brake status light will be
on. While the brake is being applied,
the status light will flash until it is
fully applied. If the light does not
come on, or remains flashing, you
need to have the vehicle serviced.
Do not drive the vehicle if the
parking brake status light is flashing. See your dealer. See
Electric
Parking Brake Light on page 5‑16
for more information.
If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is in motion, a chime will
sound, and the DIC message
RELEASE PARK BRAKE SWITCH
will be displayed. The vehicle will
decelerate as long as the switch is
held in the up position. Releasing
the EPB switch during deceleration
will release the parking brake. If the
switch is held in the up position until
the vehicle comes to a stop, the
EPB will remain applied.
If the parking brake status light
flashes continuously, then the EPB
is only partially applied or released,
or there is a problem with the EPB.
The DIC message SERVICE
PARKING BRAKE will be displayed.
If this light flashes continuously,
release the EPB, and attempt to
apply it again. If this light continues
to flash, do not drive the vehicle.
See your dealer. If the parking brake warning light is
on, the EPB has detected an error
in another system and is operating
with reduced functionality.
To apply the EPB when this
light is on, lift up on the EPB
switch and hold it in the up position.
Full application of the parking brake
by the EPB system may take a
longer period of time than normal
when this light is on. Continue to
hold the switch until the parking
brake status light remains on. If the
parking brake warning light is on,
see your dealer.
For maximum EPB force when
parking on a hill, pull the EPB
switch twice.
If the EPB fails to apply, the rear
wheels should be blocked to
prevent vehicle movement.

Black plate (48,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
9-48 Driving and Operating
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The tethered fuel cap is behind the
fuel door on the vehicle's passenger
side. The fuel door is unlocked
when the vehicle is unlocked.
Locking the vehicle locks the
fuel door. Turn the fuel cap
counterclockwise to remove. While
refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap
from the disk on the end of the fuel
cap to the mating feature on the fuel
door hinge. Reinstall the cap by
turning it clockwise until it clicks.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait
for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Do not top off or overfill the tank.
Wait a few seconds before removing
the nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible.
See Exterior Care on page 10‑77.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition 65Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-28
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-29
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-34
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40

Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-3
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non‐GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories.
When you go to your GM dealer
and ask for GM Accessories, you
will know that GM-trained and
supported service technicians will
perform the work using genuine GM
Accessories.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑38.

Black plate (7,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-7
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
B. Engine Cover.
C. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑9.
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑9.
E. Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑14. F. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
and Cap. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10‑23.
G. Brake Master Cylinder and Hydraulic Clutch Reservoir
(if equipped with manual
transmission). See Brakes on
page 10‑25 orHydraulic Clutch
on page 10‑14.
H. Battery Cover. See Battery on
page 10‑27. I. Engine Coolant Reservoir and
Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑18.
J. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24.
K. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑36.

Black plate (9,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-9
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
B. Engine Cover.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑9.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑9.
E. Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑14.
F. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Brakes on
page 10‑25.
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir and Cap. See Power Steering
Fluid on page 10‑23.
H. Engine Coolant Reservoir and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑18.
I. Battery Cover. See Battery on
page 10‑27.
J. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑36. K. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑24.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and of
the proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑13.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must
be on level ground. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.

Black plate (14,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
10-14 Vehicle Care
2. Press the DIC menu button onthe turn signal lever to enter the
Vehicle Information Menu. Use
the thumbwheel to scroll through
the menu items until you reach
REMAINING OIL LIFE.
3. Press the SET/CLR button to reset the oil life at 100%.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off and the REMAINING
OIL LIFE 100% message is
displayed.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, you should
have this done at your dealer
service department. Contact your
dealer for additional information.
The procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑11.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2, and be sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑6.
Manual Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
manual transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and
have it repaired as soon as
possible. See
Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑6 for the
proper fluid to use.
Hydraulic Clutch
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is not necessary to
regularly check brake/clutch fluid
unless there is a leak suspected.
Adding fluid will not correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could
indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.