engine coolant BUICK PARK AVENUE 1993 Owners Manual

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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have to do with
your lights:
LIGHTS PC
HIGH BEAM OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD ' ' '
WASHER
l0 'r' -1
WINDSHIELD 6$
WASHER 8
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
3f
HEADLAMP -
WIPER -
WASHER iQ
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
RADIATOR
a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL wb
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL &4
ANTILOCK (a)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
>
VOLUME
HATCHBACK
e
TRUNK
RELEASE
LIGHTER
1-1
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
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I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels when the “TRACTION
OFF” warning light is on can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin your
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle
back and forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
When you’re stuck, spin the wheels
as little as
possible.
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working. If you have been operating your vehicle under
normal driving conditions,
you should pull off the road,
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
7
280
stop your vehicle and turn the engine off as soon as
possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
100
.Id pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
If you have the Gage Cluster, you have a gage that
shows the engine coolant temperature.
If the gage
This light
tells you that your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator cooling fans are
not
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you
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have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU BADLY!
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
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1
If you have this light and it
comes on, your system
is
low on coolant and the
engine may overheat.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index and have your
vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Engine Oil Pressure Light and Gage
0‘ 1
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This light tells you if there could be a problem with your
engine oil pressure.
If your car has the optional gage cluster, you can read
your oil pressure directly from the gage
on your
instrument panel.
There are three ways this light can come on briefly,
which
is normal and doesn’t show a problem. They are:
The light comes on when you turn your key to
“Run.” It goes off once you turn
it to “Start.” That’s
just a check to be sure the light works. If it doesn’t,
be sure to have it fixed so it will be there to warn you
if something goes wrong.
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“Change Oil Soon” Light (Option)
CHANGE
OIL SOON
This light is activated by
the Engine Oil Life
Monitor System. It
indicates that the engine oil
has degraded enough to
require changing. (See
“Engine Oil” in the Index).
This is determined by electronically monitoring engine
speed, coolant temperature and vehicle speed. Since the
change interval is dependent upon driving habits and
conditions, the “Change Oil Soon” light may come on as
early as
2,000 miles or less for harsh conditions.
The “Change Oil Soon” light
is lit for three seconds as a
bulb check each time the ignition key is turned to the
RUN position. If an oil change is required, it will stay
on for
60 seconds each time the engine is started. If the
“Change Oil Soon” light is on continuously, there is a
problem with the Oil Life Monitor System and service is
required. After
changing; the engine oil, the system should be
- reset. This
will cause the “Change Oil Soon” light once
again,
to be lit for just the bulb check period of three
seconds.
The reset button is.inside this hole, which is under the
passenger’s side of the instrument panel, near the door.
With the ignition key in the
RUN position, but the
engine not started, use a pen to push the reset button,
holding
it in for at least 5 seconds but not more than 60
seconds. After 5 seconds, the “Change Oil Soon” light
will flash 4 times and then go off. This indicates that the
Oil Life Monitor System has been reset.
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Auto Dual Zone
, w. .. . . , ... ,
-*FBr
AUTO
When the system is set for
automatic, air will come
from the
floor outlets, the
instrument panel outlets or
both. Fan speed will vary
(unless a blower
LO or HI
button has been pushed) as
the system gets to and
maintains the temperature
setting you have selected.
The display will show the set temperature and blower
speed.
In cold weather the system will delay turning on the fan,
to avoid blowing cold air. The length of the delay
depends on engine coolant temperature, outside
temperature and time since the engine was last started.
Pushing a
LO or HI blower button will override this
delay, and cause the fan to start.
To rid the system of stale air in warm weather, air will
come out of the floor outlets for
a short time. The
front seat passenger can control the air temperature
in their seating area.
__. ylrr
The air temperature for the right side of the front seat
can be set using the control on the passenger’s door.
Both DUAL
ZONE and AUTO buttons will light up. To
turn off this part of the system, push the DUAL ZONE
button again.
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Winter Driving You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix
is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give
you less traction on ice than regular tires.
If you do
not expect to be driving
in deep snow, but may have
to travel over ice, you may not want to switch to
snow tires at all. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight,
a red cloth, and a
. couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items
in your vehicle.
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Engine Overheating
You will find the warning light about a hot engine on
your Buick instrument panel and if you have the
optional gage cluster,
a coolant temperature gage.
You will also find a low coolant warning light
on your
Buick instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
A CAUTION:
- _earn from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
.. -m it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in
it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
sngine is cool.
- -
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
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If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N” (Neutral).
If
you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just
to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if
you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down. You
may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
e
w . ._
,
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
Coolant recovery tank
* Radiator pressure cap
Electric engine fans
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I A CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
. .” P
The coolant level should be at or above “FULL COLD.”
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump
or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
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A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
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Engine damage? Il’onl I mning bUrlr engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warrbllr
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fans are running. If the engine
is overheating,
both fans should be running. If they aren’t, your vehicle
needs service.
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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level In cold weather, water can free
isn’t at or above “FULL COLD,” add a 50/50 mixture
of clean water (preferably distilled) and the proper
antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine
Coolant’’ in the Index for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
I A CAUTION:
I Adding plain water to your cooling system can
be dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid
like alcohol, can boll befare the proper coolant
mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning system
is set for the groper coolant mix. With plain water
.of the wrung mix, your engine could get too hot
but you wouldn’t get the overheat warning. Your
engine could catch fire and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of Glean water and a
proper antifreeze.
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