2018 BUICK REGAL engine overheat

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
240 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 241
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 242
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 249
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 251
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 256
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Battery - North America . . . . . . 260
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 261
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 261
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 262
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 263
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Front Turn Signal Lamps . . . . . 266
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 267
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 268
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 293

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
Vehicle Care 253
3.6L V6 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Outof View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{Warning
An underhood electric fan can
start up even when the engine is
not running and can cause injury.
Keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
{Warning
Do not touch heater or radiator
hoses, or other engine parts.
They can be very hot and can
burn you. Do not run the engine if
there is a leak; all coolant could
leak out. That could cause an
engine fire and can burn you. Fix
any leak before driving the
vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for five years
or 240 000 km (150,000 mi),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0256.
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
Vehicle Care 255
Warning (Continued)
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
{Warning
Spilling coolant on hot engine
parts can burn you. Coolant
contains ethylene glycol and it will
burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
Caution
Failure to follow the specific
coolant fill procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and could
cause system damage. If coolant
is not visible in the surge tank,
contact your dealer.If no problem is found, check to see
if coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank. If coolant is visible but
the coolant level is not at the
indicated level mark, add a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL coolant at the
coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the
coolant surge tank pressure cap, is
cool before you do it.
1. Remove the coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fans.

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
256 Vehicle Care
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap tightly.
Check the level in the coolant surge
tank when the cooling system has
cooled down. If the coolant is not at
the proper level, repeat Steps 1–
3 and reinstall the pressure cap.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down
again, see your dealer.
Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge and an engine
coolant temperature warning light on
the instrument cluster to warn of
engine overheating.
See Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge 0130 and Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light 0138.
If it is decided not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, but
instead get service help right away,
see Roadside Assistance Program
0 350.
If it is decided to lift the hood, make
sure the vehicle is parked on a level
surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine,
and have the vehicle serviced.Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
Vehicle Care 257
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
. Stops after high-speed driving.
. Idles for long periods in traffic.
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam: 1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone or the engine coolant
temperature warning light no longer displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally
and have the cooling system
checked for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. See
Engine
Compartment Overview 0244 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
(Continued)

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
268 Vehicle Care
Headlamp Wiring
An electrical overload may cause
the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. Have the
headlamp wiring checked right away
if the lamps go on and off or
remain off.
Windshield Wipers
If the wiper motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the windshield
wipers will stop until the motor cools
and will then restart.
Although the circuit is protected
from electrical overload, overload
due to heavy snow or ice may
cause wiper linkage damage.
Always clear ice and heavy snow
from the windshield before using the
windshield wipers.
If the overload is caused by an
electrical problem and not snow or
ice, be sure to get it fixed.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
The wiring circuits in the vehicle are
protected from short circuits by a
combination of fuses and circuit
breakers. This greatly reduces the
chance of damage caused by
electrical problems.
{Danger
Fuses and circuit breakers are
marked with their ampere rating.
Do not exceed the
specified amperage rating when
replacing fuses and circuit
breakers. Use of an oversized
fuse or circuit breaker can result
in a vehicle fire. You and others
could be seriously injured or
killed.
To check a fuse, look at the
silver-colored band inside the fuse.
If the band is broken or melted,
replace the fuse. Be sure to replace
a bad fuse with a new one of the
identical size and rating. Fuses of the same amperage can
be temporarily borrowed from
another fuse location, if a fuse goes
out. Replace the fuse as soon as
possible.
To identify and check fuses, circuit
breakers, and relays, see
Engine
Compartment Fuse Block 0268 and
Instrument Panel Fuse Block 0272.
Engine Compartment
Fuse Block
To remove the fuse block cover,
squeeze the three retaining clips on
the cover and lift it straight up.

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
Index 375
Driving (cont'd)Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 28
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 180
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 182
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 198
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 135
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Electrical System
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 268
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Check Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 244
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 194
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 358
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 159 Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 160
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
F
FeaturesMemory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 162
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 250
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 219
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Buick Regal Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-2nd Timed Print-U.S./Canada-
11486030) - 2018 - crc - 3/23/18
378 Index
Lights (cont'd)Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 139
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Maintenance and Care
Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 332 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 133
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Massage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Messages
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Vehicle Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Mirrors Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 54
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283N
NavigationOnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 186
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 249
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 91
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 349
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
OnStar Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
OnStar Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
OnStar Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
OnStar Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
OnStar Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Operation
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 355
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 256