2013 BUICK REGAL wheel

Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
9-10 Driving and Operating
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑35.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑89.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
(Continued)

Black plate (15,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-15
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
Notice:Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in, and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
The key must be fully extended to
start the vehicle.
To shift out of P (Park), turn the
ignition to ON/RUN and apply the
brake pedal.
1 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF):
When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑23 for more
information.
This is the only position from which
the key can be removed. This locks
the steering wheel, ignition, and
automatic transmission.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑32.

Black plate (16,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
9-16 Driving and Operating
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with the wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from right
to left while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service.
2 (ACC/ACCESSORY): This
position unlocks the steering wheel.
Some accessories can be used in
this position. 3 (ON/RUN):
The ignition switch
stays in this position when the
engine is running. This position can
be used to operate the electrical
accessories, as well as to display
some warning and indicator lights.
This position can also be used for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes.
The battery could be drained if the
key is left in the ON/RUN position
with the engine off. The vehicle
might not start if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
4 (START): This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to ON/RUN for normal
driving.
If the ignition becomes difficult to
turn, see Keys on page 2‑1.
Key Lock Release
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission are equipped with an
electronic key lock release system.
This system is to prevent ignition
key removal unless the shift lever is
in P (Park).

Black plate (25,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-25
Shifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
.Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN and the
brake pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9‐volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting
(On-board with eAssist Only) on
page 10‑85 orJump Starting (with
or without eAssist) on page 10‑87 To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) if parking on a downhill slope. On a level surface or an
uphill slope, use 1 (First) gear.
Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn
the wheels toward the curb for a
downhill slope, or away from the
curb for an uphill slope. Once the
shift lever has been placed into gear
with the clutch pedal pressed in,
turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF,
remove the key, and release the
clutch.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.

Black plate (27,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-27
Automatic
Transmission
The automatic transmission has a
shift lever located on the console
between the seats.
The mode or selected gear is shown
in the instrument cluster.
P (Park):This position locks the
drive wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park on
page 9‑24.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. The regular brake must be
fully applied first and then the shift
lever button pressed before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition key
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever, then push the shift lever
all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then

Black plate (28,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
9-28 Driving and Operating
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. SeeShifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission) on
page 9‑25.
Without the brake pedal applied, the
control indicator will be on.
If the shift lever is not in P (Park)
when the ignition is turned to OFF,
the control indicator and P will flash.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up. 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.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑10.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart the engine when
the vehicle is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only with the brake pedal
applied.{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If more power is
needed for passing, and the
vehicle is:
.Going less than 56 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 56 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.

Black plate (32,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
9-32 Driving and Operating
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The switch for the
EPB is on the center console. The
EPB can always be activated, even
if the ignition is off. To prevent
draining the battery, avoid repeated
cycles of the EPB system when the
engine is not running.
The system has a parking brake
status light and a parking brake
warning light. See
Electric Parking
Brake Light on page 5‑18. There are
also three parking brake related

Black plate (33,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 11/5/12
Driving and Operating 9-33
Driver Information Center (DIC)
messages. SeeBrake System
Messages on page 5‑29 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 5‑18
for more information. If the EPB is applied while the
vehicle is in motion, a chime will
sound, and a DIC message 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.
A DIC message 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 theparking 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.
EPB Release
To release the EPB, place the
ignition in the ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN position, apply and hold
the brake pedal, and push down
momentarily on the EPB switch.
If you attempt to release the EPB
without the brake pedal applied, a
chime will sound, and a DIC
message will be displayed. The
EPB is released when the parking
brake status light is off.