BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owners Manual

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure
to follow this procedure could cause your
engine
to overheat and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the
1 radiator pressure cap
when the cooling
system, including the
radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose,
is no longer hot. Turn
the pressure cap slowly
to the left until it first
stops. (Don't press
down while turning the
pressure cap.)
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If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the
pressure cap, but now
push down as you turn
it. Remove the pressure
cap.
I CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine
parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
-and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough.
Pon’t spill coolant on .a hot engine.
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3. After the engine cools, open the coolant air bleed
valve.
On
the 3100 SF1 V6 (VIN Code M), it is located on
the thermostat bypass tube.
4. Fill the radiator with the proper mix, up to the base
of the filler neck.
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed valve, close
the valve. Otherwise, close the
valve after the radiator is filled.
5. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the engine
and compartment.
F
6. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to “FULL HOT’’
mark.
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7. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
8. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine fan.
9. By this time the coolant level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper
mix through the filler neck until
the level reaches the base of the filler neck.
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10. Then replace the
pressure cap. At any
time during this
procedure if coolant
begins to flow
out of the
filler neck, reinstall the
pressure cap. Be sure
the arrows on pressure cap line up like this.
11. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the
“HOT”
mark when the engine is hot or at the “ADD” mark
when the engine
is cold.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are
a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your
foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid.
In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
The following steps
will tell you how to use the jack and
change a
tire.
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Sedan
The equipment you'll need is stored in the trunk.
Pull the carpeting from the floor of the trunk. Turn the
center retainer bolt on the compact spare tire housing
counterclockwise to remove
it, then lift the tire cover. Lift off
the jack and remove
the spare tire. Remove the
wheel wrench from the
bag.
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Wagon
The equipment you’ll need is stored in the rear of your
vehicle, behind the spare tire cover.
I
To remove the spare tire cover:
Fold
down the third seat, if so equipped. Then release
the housing that covers
the spare tire by carefully
pushing
in on the top edge of the cover.
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Slide the spare tire cover back while lifting it up and out
of the lower track.
To remove the tire-changing equipment:
Remove the wing
nut and retainer from the center of the
spare tire. Remove the spare tire.
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A
Turn the two wing nuts counterclockwise and remove
the jack retainer plate. Then pull out the jack and wheel
wrench.
Standard Wheel Cover
You will be using the flat end of the wheel wrench to
remove the wheel cover. Pry along the edge
of the wheel
cover until it comes
off.
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