coolant BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
Fur example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
Q
CAUSTIC
BURNS AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
FASTEN SEAT 4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIRBAG P
These symbols have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
HIGH BEAM
OR = =o
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WIPER v
WINDSHIELDw DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F&
TEMP -.--
ENGINE
CHARGING
I-1
BAllERY SYSTEM
RADIATOR COOLANT
a
FUEL
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
TEMP
OIL 4%
ANTILOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
k
VOLUME J
CONDITIONING A'R 0
RELEASE 6
TRUNK
LIGHTER
m
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Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block Heater) (Canada Only)
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
I NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord
as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the weather, the kind
of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list
everything here, we ask that you contact a Buick dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle. The
dealer can give you the best advice for that particular
area.
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NOTICE:
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
a Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to
freeze and damage your washer fluid tank
and other parts of the washer system.
Also,
water doesn’t clean as well as washer fluid.
0 Fill your washer fluid tank only 3/4 full
when it’s very
cold. This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank
if
it is completely full.
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
Wagon Rear Window Washedwiper
(Option)
The rear window
washer/wiper switch is at
the center
of the instrument
panel. Press the top
of the
switch labeled
“WASH”
and the rear wiper will run
at a constant speed.
Press the switch further and hold
to spray washer fluid
while
the wiper continues to run. The wiper will
continue
to run until you press the switch to “OFF.”
The rear window washer fluid reservoir is the smaller
reservoir next to the coolant reservoir.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRACTION
When your anti-lock
system is adjusting
brake pressure to help
avoid a braking
skid, the
“LOW
TRACTION’ light
will come on.
Slippery road conditions will exist if this light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will stay on
for
a few seconds after the system stops adjusting brake
pressure. The
“LOW TRACTION” light also comes on
briefly, as a
bulb check, when the engine is started.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
k F- 4ccN
TEMP
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating
your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you
should pull off the road,
stop your vehicle and turn
the engine
off as soon as
possible.
The chapter “Problems on the Road,” in this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
100 -E- 260 i
T lm,
hot!

TEMPERATURE
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
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.
The chapter “Problems on the Road,”
in this manual
explains what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
A computer monitors
operation of your fuel,
ignition and emission
control systems. This light
should come on when the
ignition is on, but the
engine is not running, as
a
check to show you it is
working.
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right away. If
it stays on, or it comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that
you have a problem. You
should take your vehicle
in for service soon.
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Winter Driving
0
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and
you can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like
a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area, or
winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate
action. Here
are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your
engine coolant mix is correct.
your vehicle.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage or the warning
light about a hot engine on
your Buick’s instrument
panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
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. Try to keep your engine under load (in a drive gear
where the engine runs slower).
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. When you
decide it's safe to
lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
(A) Coolant recovery tank
(B) Radiator pressure cap
(C) Electric engine fan
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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I
I.
A
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above the
“FULL
HOT” mark.
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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1 NOTICE: I
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fan is running. If the engine
is overheating, the
fan should be running. If
it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above the
“ADD” mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze at \
the coolant recovery
tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the
Index for more information about the proper coolant mix.)
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