overheating BUICK PARK AVENUE 1994 Owners Manual

Table of Contents
How to Use this Manual ................................................................ 10
This part tells you how to use your manual and includes safety and vehicle damage \
warnings and symbols.
Seats and Restraint Systems ............................................................. 13
This part tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properl\
y. It also explains the “SRS” system.
FeaturesandControls .................................................................. 63
This part explains how to start and operate your Buick.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 131
This part tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
sound system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about
the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 195
This part tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engine
overheating, etc.
Here
the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly and \
looking good.
This part tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
This part tells you how
to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on pag\
e
305.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 161
Serviceand Appearancecare
............................................................ 227
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 283
Customer Assistance Information
........................................................ 303
Index
........................................................................\
........ 311
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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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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel
will flash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lights
will also flash, telling other drivers
you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug
trailer lights into your vehicle’s lighting system, its bulb
warning lights may not
let you know if one of your
lights goes out.
So, when you have trailer lights plugged
in, be sure to check your vehicle and trailer lights from
time to time to be sure they’re all working. Once you
disconnect the trailer lights, the bulb warning lights
again can tell you
if one of your vehicle lights is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift down,
you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to “D or 3” (Drive)
and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how
to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P”
(Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and the shift to
“P” (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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Part 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road .
Part 5 includes:
Hazard Warning Flashers .................................................. ....
Other Wa-ning Devices ........................................ ...............
“Jump”Starting ...................................................................
TowingYourBuick ................................................................
Engineoverheating ................................................................
IfaTireGoesFlat .................................................................
ChangingaFlatTire ................................................................
Compact Spare Tire .................................................................
If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow ..............................................
196
197
198
203
207
214
215
224
225
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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 the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
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.
I NOTICE:
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 fans are running.
If the engine is overheating,
both
fans should be running. If they aren’t, your vehicle
needs service.
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Engine Coolant
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when
it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
The proper coolant for your Buick will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37 “C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 262°F (128 “C).
0 Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature,
Let the warning lights work as they should.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half antifreeze that meets “GM
Specification 1825-M,” which won’t damage aluminum
parts.
You can also use a recycled coolant conforming to
GM Specification 1825-M with a complete coolant flush
and refill. If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add
anything else.
I NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mix, your engine
could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mix can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.

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Add coolant mix at the recovery tank, but be careful not
to spill
it.
Radiator Pressure Cap
Your radiator pressure cap is a 15 psi (1 05 kPa)
pressure-type cap and must be tightly installed
to prevent coolant
loss and possible engine
damage from overheating. Be sure the arrows on
the cap line up with the overflow tube on the
radiator filler neck.
Wlien you replace your radiator pressure cap, ap AC@
cap is recommended.
Thermostat
Engine coolant temperature is controlled by a thermostat
in the engine coolant system. The thermostat stops the
flow of coolant through the radiator until the coolant
reaches a preset temperature.
When you replace your thermostat, an
AC@ thermostat
is recommended.
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I
Controls. Features and ............................. 63
Convenience Net ................................ 111
Coolant Engine
...................................... 247
Engine. Warning Light/Gage
.................... 124
Heater
................................... 82. 242
Safety Warnings
.............................. 207
Courtesy Lights
................................. 104
Courtesy Transportation
........................... 306
Cruise Control
................................... 98
Customer Assistance Hearing/Speech Impaired
....................... 304
Satisfaction Procedure
......................... 303
Daytime Running Lights
......................... 105
Defensive Driving
............................... 162
Defogger. Rear Window
.......................... 139
Defrost
........................................ 138
Dimensions Chart
................................ 280
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
........................ 253
Disposal of Used Oil
............................. 243
Door Ajar Light
................................. 130
DoorLocks
...................................... 65
Downshifting
..................................... 85
Driving City
........................................ 179
Curve
...................................... 170
Defensive
................................... 162
Drunken
.................................... 162
Foreign Country
.............................. 232
Freeway
..................................... 180 Hill
and Mountain Roads
....................... 182
Long Distance
................................ 181
Night
....................................... 175
Rain
........................................ 176
Through Deep Standing Water
.................... 82
Winter
...................................... 184
Electrical Equipment. Adding
................. 144. 276
Electronic Level Control
.......................... 115
Emergency
Braking
..................................... 170
Starting
..................................... 198
Steering
..................................... 171
Towing
..................................... 205
Accessory Belt
........................... 236, 237
Block Heater (Coolant Heater)
................ 82, 242
Coolant
..................................... 247
Engine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light
.............. 124
Exhaust
....................
Identification (VIN) ..........
Oil ........................
Oil Additives ................
Oil Life Monitor .............
Oil Pressure Warning Light/Gage
Overheating
.................
Starting ....................
.................. 91
................. 276
................. 238
................. 242
................. 127
................. 125
................. 207
.................. 81
Ethanol IiGasoline
.............................. 229
Extender. Safety Belt
.............................. 61
Expectant
Mothers. Use of Safety Belts
............... 41
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Master Cylinder, Brake ........................... 252
Memory Seat and Mirrors
.......................... 15
Methanol in Gasoline
............................. 229
Mirrors
........................................ 108
Monitors, Lamp
................................. 107
Net, Convenience
............................... 111
Neutral Gear Position .............................. 84
New Vehicle Break-In
............................. 79
Night Driving
......... ; ......................... 175
Number, Vehicle Identification (VIN)
................ 276
Octane Requirements
....................... 229,230
Odometer
...................................... 119
Oi1,Engine
..................................... 238
Off-Road Recovery
.............................. 172
Change
..................................... 242
Quality
..................................... 240
WarningLight
................................ 125
Overheated Engine
............................... 207
Overdrive, Automatic
............................. 85
Paint Spotting
................................. .274
Park Position
.................................... 83
Park, Shifting Into
................................ 88
Park, Shifting Out
............................... .90 Parking
Brake
........................................ 87
Over Things That Burn
.......................... 91
With A Trailer
................................ 193
With the Engine Running
........................ 89
Passing
....................................... -172
PASS-Key, Theft Deterrent System
................... 77
Polishing and Waxing
........................... .272
Power Accessory Power, Retained
...................... 81
Antenna
..................................... 158
DoorLocks
................................... 67
Mirrors
..................................... 108
Seats
........................................ 14
Steering
..................................... 170
Steering Fluid
................................ 250
Windows ..................................... 93
Pregnancy, Safety Belts Use
........................ 41
Problems on the Road
............................ 195
Publications, Service
............................. 308
Radiator Overheating
............................ 207
Radiator Pressure Cap
........................... .249
Reading Lights
.................................. 106
Rear Passenger ComforTemp
....................... 132
Rear Window Defogger
........................... 139
Radio
......................................... 143
Rear Door Security Lock
........................... 74
Rearview Mirror
................................. 108
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