BUICK LESABRE 1993 Owners Manual

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. You
may decide not to lift
the hood but to get service
help right away.
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When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll
see:
0 Coolant recovery tank
Radiator pressure cap
Electric engine fans
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0 -' e
A! ek-bic fan under the kod-can start up even
when' the endne is not runniiig and can Injure
yoG. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
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If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down.
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rs-
L
I
P
The coolant level should be at or above "FULL COLD.''
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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/A CAUTION: 0
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very
hot. Don't touch them. If you p
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak.
If you run
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
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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 fans are running.
If the engine is overheating,
both fans
should be running. If they aren'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
“FULL COLD,” 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.)
‘A CAUTION: Q
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant
mix will. Your vbhicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the properecoolant mix. With
plain water or the’wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot
but you douldn’t get the overheat
warning.
Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
a proper antifreeze.”
I NOTICE 1
I fr ze an :rack In cold weather, water c
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Us€
the recommended coolant. I
211

A 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. Don’t
spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above “FULL COLD,” start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system
is
cool before you do it.
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 radiatorpressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure
cap to cool if you ever have40
turn the pressure cap.
212

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator I
A@' #, I
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 to the left until
it first stops.
(Don't press down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still
some pressure left.
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2. Then keep turning
the pressure cap,
but now push down
as you turn it.
Remove the
pressure cap.
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3. Fill the radiator
with the proper
mix, up to the base
of the filler neck.
E
4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to "FULL
COLD."
5. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap
off.
214

Bp. 6. Start the engine and
let
it run until you
can feel the upper
radiator hose
getting hot. Watch
out for the engine
fans.
7. 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.
:. . L *- 1 8. Then replace the
pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows on
the pressure cap
line up like this.
215

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 your tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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.
A CAUTION:
Changing 8 tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can
slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured. Find
eve1 place to change your tire. To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever In “P” (Park).
3. Turn off the engine.
lo be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put chocks at the front and rear of the tire
Farthest away from the one being changed. That
would
be the tire on the other side of the vehicle,
at the oppll le end.
216
-

The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire. The
equipment
you'll need is in the trunk.
217

If your vehicle has an aluminum wheel with a center
cover, remove it by using the
flat end of the wheel
wrench to access the wheel nuts.
I
If your vehicle has a wheel cover, remove it by using the
flat end
of the wheel wrench. Pry along the edge of the
wheel cover until
it comes off. Be careful; the rim edges
may be sharp. Don't try
to remove it with your bare
hands.
(Note: When replacing any wheel cover, carefully line
up the tire valve stem and
the notch in the wheel cover.)