BUICK REGAL 2011 Owner's Manual
Page 111 of 368
Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is
on the side of the steering
column. With the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, move
the windshield wiper lever to select
the wiper speed.
2:Use for fast wipes.
1: Use for slow wipes.
&(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
9(Off): Use to turn the windshield
wipers off.
3(Mist): For a single wipe,
briefly move the wiper lever down.
For several wipes, hold the wiper
lever down.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If they
are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. Damaged wiper blades should
be replaced. See
Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑30.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. A circuit breaker stops them
until the motor cools.
Wipe Parking
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF while the wipers are on 1, 2,
or
&, they will immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever
is then moved to OFF before the
driver door is opened, or within
10 minutes, the wipers will restart
and move to the base of the
windshield.
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF during a windshield wash, the
wipers will stop when they reach the
base of the windshield.
Page 112 of 368
Black plate (4,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-4 Instruments and Controls
Windshield Washer
Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
The wipers will continue until the
lever is released or the maximum
wash time is reached.
When the windshield wiper lever is
released, additional wipes may
occur depending on how long
the windshield washer had been
activated. SeeWasher Fluid on
page 10‑24 for information on
filling the windshield washer fluid
reservoir.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.
Compass
There is a compass display in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
The compass receives its heading
and other information from the
Global Positioning System (GPS)
antenna, StabiliTrak, and vehicle
speed information.
Avoid covering the GPS antenna for
long periods of time with objects
that may interfere with the antenna's
ability to receive a satellite signal.
See Backglass Antenna on
page 7‑13 andSatellite Radio
Antenna on page 7‑14 for the
location of the vehicle's antennas. The compass system is designed to
operate for a certain number of
miles or degrees of turn before
needing a signal from the GPS
satellites. When the compass
display shows CAL, drive the
vehicle for a short distance in an
open area where it can receive
a GPS signal. The compass
system will automatically determine
when the GPS signal is restored
and provide a heading again.
See
Compass Messages on
page 5‑26 for more information
on the messages that may be
displayed for the compass.
Page 113 of 368
Black plate (5,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Clock
The infotainment system controls
are used to access the time and
date settings through the menu
system. SeeOperation on page 7‑4
for information about how to use the
menu system.
Setting the Time and Date
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Select Set Time or Set Date.
3. Turn the
Zknob to adjust
the highlighted value.
4. Press the
Zknob to select
the next value.
5. To save the time and return to the Time Settings menu, press
the BACK button at any time or
press the
Zknob after
adjusting the minutes.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Highlight 12/24 HR Format.
3. Press the
Zknob to select
the 12 hour or 24 hour display
format.
Setting the Month and Day
Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings.
2. Highlight Month & Day format.
3. Press the
Zknob to select
DD/MM/YYYY (day/month/year),
MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/year),
or YYYY/MM/DD (year/month/
day) display format.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlet can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
This outlet is located under the
armrest inside the center console
storage.
The outlet is powered when the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of
turning off the vehicle. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.
Page 114 of 368
Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Certain electrical accessories
may not be compatible with the
accessory power outlets and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If there is a problem, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. SeeAdd-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9‑50.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power
outlet can cause damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
The power outlets are designed
for accessory power plugs only,
such as cell phone charge cords. Power Outlet 110 Volt Alternating
Current
The vehicle may have a power
outlet that can be used to plug
in electrical equipment with a
maximum limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is located on the
rear of the center console.An indicator light on the outlet
comes on when in use. The light
comes on when the ignition is in
ON/RUN and equipment requiring
less than 150 watts is plugged into
the outlet, and no system fault is
detected.
The indicator light on the outlet will
not turn on if the plug is not fully
seated.
If you try to connect equipment
using more than 150 watts or a
system fault is detected, the
equipment may operate for
a short period and turn itself off.
A protection circuit shuts off the
power supply and the indicator light
turns off. To reset the circuit, unplug
the item and plug it back in or turn
the Remote Accessory Power (RAP)
off and then back on. See
Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21. Prolonged usage of the
Page 115 of 368
Black plate (7,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-7
power outlet at the maximum load of
150 watts may cause the outlet to
overheat and automatically shut
down. The power restarts when
equipment that operates within the
limit is plugged into the outlet and a
system fault is not detected.
The power outlet is not designed for
the following equipment, and may
not work properly if any of the
following is plugged in:
.Equipment with high
initial peak wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring
an extremely stable
power supply such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch sensor
lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.
Page 116 of 368
Black plate (8,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-8 Instruments and Controls
Instrument Cluster
English Automatic Transmission Shown, Manual and Metric Similar
Page 117 of 368
Black plate (9,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper‐resistant
odometer. The digital odometer will
read 999,999 if it is turned back.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
If that is not possible, then it must
be set at zero and a label must be
put on the driver door to show the
old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can show how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last reset.
The trip odometer is accessed and
reset through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑22 for more information.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the
engine speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Notice:If the engine is operated
with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area, the vehicle could
be damaged, and the damages
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in
the shaded warning area.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows about how much fuel
is left in the tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle
the fuel door is on.
The FUEL LEVEL LOW message
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and a single chime
sounds. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22 for
more information.
Page 118 of 368
Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with the fuel gauge:
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less
fuel to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and will go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
Metric
English
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the
shaded area, the engine is too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.
Page 119 of 368
Black plate (11,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the engine is started this light
begins to flash and a chime comes
on for several seconds to remind
the driver to fasten their safety belt.
The light also stays on if the driver
remains unbuckled.
This cycle repeats if the driver is
unbuckled while the vehicle is
moving.
If the driver safety belt is already
buckled, neither the light nor the
chime comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
There is a passenger safety belt
reminder light located on the center
console.
When the engine is started this light
begins to flash and a chime comes
on for several seconds to remind
the passenger to fasten their safety
belt. The light also stays on if the
passenger remains unbuckled.
This cycle repeats if the passenger
is unbuckled while the vehicle is
moving.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and/or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring, and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the airbag
system, see
Airbag System on
page 3‑27.
Page 120 of 368
Black plate (12,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-12 Instruments and Controls
The airbag readiness light comes on
and stays on for several seconds
when the vehicle is started. Then
the light goes out.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑34
for important safety information.
The instrument panel has a
passenger airbag status indicator.
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light the words ON and OFF for
several seconds as a system check. Then, after several more seconds,
the status indicator will light either
the word ON or OFF to let you
know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag and
seat‐mounted side impact airbag.
If the word ON is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator, it
means that the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat‐mounted
side impact airbag are enabled
(may inflate).
If the word OFF is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag.