engine coolant BUICK PARK AVENUE 1994 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to
do with
your lights:
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
HIGH BEAM OR
= -0
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINoSHIELD WIPER w
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols
are
used on
warning and indicator lights:
CHARGING 1-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
RADIATOR
a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
TEMP OIL &
ANTILOCK (a)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
"i"
SELECTOR fi
RADIO >
VOLUME
LIGHTER
n
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3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding
it there as you hold the key in
“Start” for about three seconds. If the car starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine. After
waiting about
15 seconds, repeat the normal starting
procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the fuel injection system operates. Before adding
electrical equipment, check with your dealer.
If
you don’t, your engine might not perform
properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to
do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Car”
in the Index.
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
I NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come
in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine.
If you can’t avoid deep puddles or
standing water, drive through them very slowly.
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 1 10-volt outlet.
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Automatic Transaxle
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. There are
several different positions for your shift lever.
P (Park)
This locks your front wheels. It’s the best position to
use when you start your engine because your vehicle
can’t move easily.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage If the “TRACTION OFF” warning light comes on and
stays on for an extended period of time, your vehicle
needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
TEMP
This light tells you that your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator cooling fans are 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.
If you have the Gage Cluster, you have a gage that
shows the engine coolant temperature.
If the gage
pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
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.
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Low Coolant Warning Light Engine
Oil Pressure Light and Gage
COOLANT
LOW
When this light comes on,
the cooling system is low
on coolant. As a bulb
check, it will come on
when the ignition in the
RUN position and then go
Off.
Wb
OIL
If the coolant level is low, the light will come back on
and
a warning chime will sound. If this happens, see
“Engine Coolant’’ in the Index for proper cooling system
fill.
After the coolant level is returned to its proper level, the
LOW COOLANT light will go off after 20 seconds or
remain off
on the next ignition cycle. This
light
tells you if there could be a problem with your
engine oil pressure.
If your car has the optional gage cluster, you can read
your oil pressure directly from the gage on your
instrument panel.
There are three ways this light can come on briefly,
which
is normal and doesn’t show a problem. They are:
0 The light comes on when you turn your key to
“Run.”
It goes off once you turn the key to “Start.”
That’s just a check
to be sure the light works. If it
doesn’t, be sure
to have it fixed so it willbe there to
warn you if something goes wrong.
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“Change Oil Soon” Light (Option)
CHANGE
OIL SOON
This light is activated by
the engine oil life monitor
system. The system
determines the condition
o
the engine oil and lets you
know when the oil should
be changed. (See “Engine
Oil” in the Index).
It does this using information about engine speed (revolutions per minute), coolant temperature and
vehicle speed. The system uses this data to determine
how much oil has degraded. of
the oil life has been used and each time the engine is
started after that.
If the “Change Oil Soon” light is on
continuously, there is a problem with the Oil Life
Monitor System and service is required.
After changing the engine oil, the system should be
reset.
This will cause the “Change Oil Soon” light to be
lit again for#the bulb check period
of three seconds.
When to change your oil depends on driving habits and
conditions because these directly affect engine speed,
coolant temperature and vehicle speed. Because of this,
the “Change Oil Soon” light may come on as early as
2,000 miles or less for harsh conditions.
The “Change Oil
Soon” light is lit for five seconds as a
bulb check each time the ignition key is turned to the
RUN position. It will stay on for 60 seconds once 90%
f
The reset button is in the glove box. With the ignition
key in the
RUN position push the reset button, hold it in
for at least
5 seconds but not more than 60 seconds.
After
5 seconds, the “Change Oil Soon” light will flash
4 times and then go off. This indicates that the Oil Life
Monitor System has been reset.
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Auto
AUTO is used when you
want the system to adjust
automatically to changes
in
temperature. When the
system is set for automatic,
air will come from
the floor
outlets, the instrument
panel outlets or windshield
outlets.
Fan speed
will vary as the system gets to and maintains
the temperature setting you have selected (unless a
blower
LO or HI button has been pushed). To
find your comfort zone, start with
75 AUTO, give
the car about
20 minutes to stabilize, and adjust the
temperature setting
if necessary.
In cold weather
the system will delay turning on the fan,
to avoid blowing cold air. The length
of the delay
depends on engine coolant temperature, outside
temperature and time since the engine was last started.
Pushing a
LO or HI blower button will override this
delay, and cause the fan to start.
To rid the system of stale air
in warm weather, air will
come out
of the floor outlets for a short time.
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Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Buick in good shape for winter. Be sure
your engine coolant mix is correct.
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.
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Engine Overheating
You will find a warning light about a hot engine on your
Buick instrument panel and if you have the optional
gage cluster, a coolant temperature gage. You will also
find a low coolant warning light.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 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. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N” (Neutral).
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. When you
decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
Coolant recovery tank
Radiator pressure cap
0 Electric engine fans
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