engine overheat BUICK TERRAZA 2007 User Guide

{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.Notice:If you use an improper coolant
mixture, your engine could overheat and be
badly damaged. The repair cost would not be
covered by your warranty. Too much water
in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a
year, have your dealer check your cooling
system.
Notice:If you use extra inhibitors and/or
additives in your vehicle’s cooling system, you
could damage your vehicle. Use only the
proper mixture of the engine coolant listed in
this manual for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 518for more information.
421

{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. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Occasionally check the coolant level in the
radiator. For information on how to add coolant to
the radiator, seeCooling System on page 426.
Radiator Pressure Cap
Notice:The radiator cap on your vehicle is a
pressure-type cap and must be tightly
installed to prevent coolant loss and possible
engine damage from overheating. Be sure
the cap is properly closed.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 410
for more information on location.
Engine Overheating
You will nd an engine coolant temperature gage
on your vehicle’s instrument panel. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Gage on page 217.
Your vehicle may also have an ENGINE
COOLANT HOT message displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 230.
423

If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam 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 from it. 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 you open the hood.
If you keep driving when the vehicles
engine is overheated, the liquids in it can
catch re. You or others could be badly
burned. Stop your engine if it overheats,
and get out of the vehicle until the engine
is cool.
SeeOverheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 425for
information on driving to a safe place in
an emergency.Notice:If your engine catches re because
you keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle
can be badly damaged. The costly repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. See
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
on page 425for information on driving to a
safe place in an emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
If you get an engine 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.
424

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of
steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest
fan speed and open the windows as
necessary.
3. If you are in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving — DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for
about 10 minutes. If the warning does not come
back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park
your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you are parked. If you still
have the warning, turn off the engine and
get everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down.
Also, see “Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode” later in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get
service help right away.Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your
vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an
emergency situation. If an overheated engine
condition exists, an overheat protection mode
which alternates ring groups of cylinders helps
prevent engine damage. In this mode, you
will notice a signicant loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will
indicate an overheat condition exists. Driving
extended miles (km) and/or 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, change the oil and reset the oil life
system. SeeEngine Oil on page 411.
425

{CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other
engine parts, can be very hot. Do not
touch them. If you do, you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If
you run the engine, it could lose all
coolant. That could cause an engine re,
and you could be burned. Get any leak
xed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on,
check to see if the electric engine cooling fans
are running. If the engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not, your vehicle
needs service.Notice:Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant is not covered by your
warranty. SeeOverheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode on page 425for information on
driving to a safe place in an emergency.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®
may cause premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant may require changing sooner, at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs rst. Any repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your
vehicle.
427

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you have not found a problem yet, but the
coolant level is not at or above the full cold mark,
add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water
and DEX-COOL
®engine coolant at the coolant
recovery tank. SeeEngine Coolant on page 420
for more information.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant mixture will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning system is
set for the proper coolant mixture. With
plain water or the wrong mixture, your
engine could get too hot but you would
not get the overheat warning. Your engine
could catch re and you or others could
be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and
crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts. Use the recommended coolant and
the proper coolant mixture.
428

{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. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is
at or above the full cold mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there is one
more thing you can try. You can add the proper
coolant mixture directly to the radiator, but be sure
the cooling system is cool before you do it.
{CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot
cooling system can blow out and burn
you badly. They are under pressure, and if
you turn the radiator pressure cap — even
a little — they can come out at high
speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and radiator pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to turn the pressure cap.
429

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
Notice:Your engine has a specic radiator ll
procedure. Failure to follow this procedure
could cause your engine to overheat and
be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the
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 counterclockwise.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss
means there is still some pressure left, close
the cap and wait for the system to cool down.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap. Remove the
pressure cap.{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. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
3. Fill the radiator with the proper DEX-COOL
®
coolant mixture, up to the base of the ller
neck. SeeEngine Coolant on page 420
for more information about the proper coolant
mixture.
4. Rinse or wipe any spilled coolant from the
engine and the compartment.
430

Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to add anything electrical to your
vehicle, seeServicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 91.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by four internal
fuses in the underhood fuse block. An electrical
overload will cause the lamps to go on and off, or
in some cases to remain off. If this happens,
have your headlamp wiring checked right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
The windshield wiper motor is protected by an
internal fuse in the underhood fuse block. If
the motor overheats due to heavy snow, etc., the
wiper will stop until the motor cools. If the
overload is caused by some electrical problem, be
sure to get it xed.
The rear washer pump is controlled by a relay
located in the engine compartment, behind
the windshield washer uid reservoir. The rear
wiper motor is protected by a fuse located in the
instrument panel fuse block.
Power Windows and Other Power
Options
Circuit breakers in the instrument panel fuse panel
protect the power windows and other power
accessories. When the current load is too heavy,
the circuit breaker opens and closes, protecting
the circuit until the problem is xed.
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected
from short circuits by a combination of fuses,
circuit breakers, and fusible thermal links.
Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse. If
the band is broken or melted, replace the fuse.
Be sure you replace a bad fuse with a new one of
the identical size and rating.
497

Engine (cont.)
Drive Belt Routing.................................... 521
Engine Compartment Overview................ 410
Exhaust................................................... 141
Oil ........................................................... 411
Oil Life System........................................ 414
Overheated Protection Operating Mode...... 425
Overheating............................................. 423
Starting.................................................... 130
Entry Lighting.............................................. 184
Event Data Recorders (EDR)...................... 537
Exit Lighting................................................ 185
Extender, Safety Belt..................................... 48
Exterior Lamps............................................ 181
F
Filter
Engine Air Cleaner................................... 416
Finish Damage............................................ 494
Fixed Mast Antenna.................................... 344
Flashers, Hazard Warning........................... 172
Flash-to-Pass.............................................. 174
Flat Tire...................................................... 470
Flat Tire, Changing...................................... 470Flat Tire, Storing......................................... 483
Fluid
Automatic Transaxle................................. 417
Power Steering........................................ 432
Windshield Washer.................................. 433
Folding Tray................................................ 161
Front Console Storage Area........................ 161
Front Reading Lamps.................................. 186
Front Turn Signal, Parking and
Daytime Running Lamps.......................... 445
Fuel............................................................ 402
Additives.................................................. 403
California Fuel.......................................... 403
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.............. 407
Filling Your Tank...................................... 405
Fuels in Foreign Countries....................... 404
Gage....................................................... 222
Gasoline Octane...................................... 402
Gasoline Specications............................ 402
Low Warning Light................................... 222
Fuses
Fuses and Circuit Breakers...................... 497
Instrument Panel Fuse Block................... 498
Underhood Fuse Block............................. 500
Windshield Wiper..................................... 497
552