warning light BUICK REGAL 2000 Owner's Guide

4-27
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:

Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.

You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
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.

5-9
With current trends in automotive styles and design, it is
essential that the correct towing equipment is used to
tow a vehicle. Your vehicle can be towed with wheel
-lift
or car
-carrier equipment. Additional ramping may be
required for car
-carrier equipment. Don't have your
vehicle towed on the drive wheels, unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the drive wheels,
do not tow the vehicle more than 500 cumulative miles
(800 km) or exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). If these
limitations must be exceeded, then the drive wheels
have to be supported on a dolly.
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your vehicle towed. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a hot
engine warning light on your instrument panel. See
ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and ªEngine
Coolant Temperature Warning Lightº in the Index.
You also have a LOW COOLANT warning light on
your instrument panel. See ªLow Coolant Warning
Lightº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
Should an overheated engine condition exist, an
overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups
of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant loss in power and engine
performance. The low coolant light may come on and
the temperature gage will indicate an overheat condition
exists. Towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss and change the oil.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.

6-16 Engine Oil Additives
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for good
performance and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil
Your vehicle has a computer that lets you know when to
change your engine oil. This is not based on mileage,
but on engine revolutions and engine operating
temperature. When the computer has calculated that the
oil needs changing, the GM Oil Life System
will
indicate that a change is necessary. The mileage between
oil and filter changes will vary depending on how you
drive your vehicle
-- usually between 3,000 miles
(5 000 km) and 7,500 miles (12 500 km) since your
last oil and filter change. Under severe conditions, the
system may come on before 3,000 miles (5 000 km).
Never drive your vehicle more than 7,500 miles
(12 500 km) or 12 months (whichever occurs first)
without an oil change.
The system won't detect dust in the oil. So, if you drive
in a dusty area, be sure to change your oil and filter
every 3,000 miles (5 000 km) or sooner. Remember to
reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light whenever the oil
is changed.How to Reset the GM Oil Life System

After changing the engine oil, the system must be reset.
With the ignition key in RUN but the engine off, fully
push and release the accelerator pedal slowly three times
within five seconds. If the CHANGE OIL SOON light
flashes, the system is resetting. Turn the key to OFF,
then start the vehicle. The oil life will change to 100%.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON light comes back on, the
system has not reset. Repeat the procedure. (If you have
a Driver Information Center, the system may be reset by
pressing the DIC RESET button for five seconds while
viewing the oil life display on the DIC. See ªDriver
Information Centerº in the Index.)What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don't let used oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer's warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)

6-23 How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transaxle fluid to use. See ªRecommended
Fluids and Lubricantsº in the Index.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross
-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long
-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It doesn't take much fluid, generally less than one
pint (0.5 L). Don't overfill.
NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON-III, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRON
-III is not covered by your new
vehicle warranty.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under ªHow to Check.º
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX
-COOL engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX
-COOL extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL coolant will:

Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).

Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).

Protect against rust and corrosion.

Help keep the proper engine temperature.

Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.

6-30
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won't work well, or won't work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to ªtop offº your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
CAUTION:
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See ªBrake System Warning
Lightº in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT
-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container only.
Refer to ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the
Maintenance Schedule.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.

6-48 Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter
-type snow
tires, space
-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited
-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight
-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.