coolant BUICK PARK AVENUE 1996 Owner's Manual

Checking Coolant
The coolant recovery tank is located at the left of the
engine compartment.
When your engine is cold, the coolant 'level should be
at
F'ULL COLD or a little higher. When your engine
is warm, the level should be up to F'ULL HOT or a
little higher.
COOLANT
LOW
- If this light comes on, it
means you're low on
engine coolant.
-
Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper mix at the
coolant
recovery tank.
ProCarManuals.com

nrning the radiator pressure cap when the engine
and radiator are hot can allow steam and scalding
liquids to blow out and burn
you badly. With the
coolant recovery tank, you
will almost never have
to add coolant at the radiator. Never turn the
radiator pressure cap
-- even a little -- when the
engine
and radiator are hot.
Add coolant mix at the recovery tank, but be careful not
to spill it.
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.
Radiator Pressure Cap
NOTICE:
Your radiator pressure cap is a 15 psi (105 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.
When you replace your radiator pressure cap, an
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.
ProCarManuals.com

1 4
1 I*
5 6789
Position
1
2
3
4
5
1A
2A
3A
4A
5A
6A
7A 8A
9A 1B
2B 3B
Circuitry
Circuit Breaker-Power Windows,
Astroroof
Not Used
Circuit Breaker-Power Seats
Not Used
Not Used Start-up Si nal- Air Bag,
PASS-Key
8 I1
Spare
Not Used Interior Lamps
Base Cluster, Automatic
A/C,
Lamp Monitors - Low Coolant,
Oil Level
Courtesy Lamps, Power Mirrors,
Memory Seat Switch
Not Used
Perimeter Lighting
Front Ashtray Cigarette Lighter
Turn Signal, Back-up Lamps,
Cornering Lamps,
Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock
Spare
Not Used
6-60
ProCarManuals.com

Engine Accessory Belt (L36)
C
I
A. Power Steering
B. Alternator
C. Air Conditioning
D. Crank
E. Coolant Pump
E Tensioner
The
3800 (L36) engine uses an engine accessory belt.
This diagram shows the features connected by the belt
routing. See “Maintenance Schedule” in the Index for
when
to check the belt.
ProCarManuals.com

mharged Engine Accessory Belt (L67)
F
1. Front Belt
2. Back Belt A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
E
Alternator
Power Steering
Crank
Supercharger
Coolant Pump
Air Conditioning
The Supercharged
3800 engine uses two accessory drive
belts. One belt drives the generator, power steering
pump, coolant pump and air conditioning compressor.
The second belt drives the supercharger. Each belt has
its own tensioner and idler pulley. See “Maintenance
Schedule” in the Index for when
to check the accessory
drive belts and supercharger oil level. Have your dealer
check the
oil level in the supercharger.
6-68
ProCarManuals.com

Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule I
99,000 Miles (165 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
3 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service. *
I I I 1
DATE
SERVICED BY: ACTUAL MILEAGE
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
El Drain, flush and refill cooling system
(or every
60 months since last service,
whichever occurs first). See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test cooling
system and pressure cap.
An Emission Control Service.
0 Inspect spark plug wires.
An Emission Control Service.
0 Replace spark plugs.
An Emission Control Service.
(Continued)
ProCarManuals.com

Long Trip/Highway Maintenance Schedule I
97,500 Miles (102 500 kml
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
12 months, whichever occurs first).
An Emission Control Service. *
0 Lubricate the suspension, steering linkage,
transaxle
shift linkage, parking brake cable guides
and the underbody contact points and linkage (or
every
12 ‘months, whichever occurs first).
Rotate tires. See “Tire Inspection and Rotation”
in the Index for proper- rotation pattern
and
additional ‘information. During tire rotation,
check brake calipers for fteedom of movement.
Refer to the appropriate
GM service manual for
proper caliper service procedures.
. 1) .. ..
Go1 c
100,000 Miles (166 000 km)
0 Drain, flush and refill cooling system
(or every
60 months since last service,
whichever occurs first). See “Engine
Coolant’’
in the Index for what to use.
Inspect hoses. Clean radiator, condenser,
pressure cap and neck. Pressure test the
cooling system and pressure cap.
An Emission Control Service. 3-
0 Inspect spark plug wires.
An Emission Control Service.
0 Replace spark plugs.
An Emission Control Service.
7-36
-
ProCarManuals.com

Part B: Owner Checks and Services
Listed below are owner checks and services which
should be performed at the intervals specified to help
ensure the safety, dependability and emission control
performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make sure they are the proper ones,
as shown
in
Part D.
At Each Fuel Fill
It is important for you or a service station attendant to
perform these underhood checks at each
fuel fill.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary. See “Engine Oil” in the Index for
further details.
Engine Coolant Level Check
Check the engine coolant level and add the proper
coolant mix if necessary. See “Engine Coolant” in the
Index for further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the
windshield washer tank and add the proper fluid if
necessary. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in the Index
for further details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inflation Check
Make sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures. See
“Tires” in the Index for further details.
Cassette Deck Service
Clean cassette deck. Cleaning should be done every
50 hours of tape play. See “Audio Systems” in the Index
for further details.
ProCarManuals.com

and
wicants
NOTE: Fluids and lubricants identified below by name,
part number or spe
GM dealer.
USAGE
Engine Oil
Engine Coolant ification may be
obtained from your
1
FLUID/LUBRICANT
Engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For
Gasoline Engines
“S tarburst”
symbol
of the proper viscosity. To
determine the preferred viscosity
for your vehicle’s engine, see
“Engine Oil” in the Index.
50/50 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and GM
Goodwrench’ DEX-COOL
TM or
Havoline@ DEX-COOL
TM
(orange-colored, silicate-free)
antifreeze conforming to GM
Specification 6277M. See “Engine
Coolant’’ in the Index.
USAGE
Coolant
Supplement
Sealer
Parking Brake Cable Guides
Power Steering System
Automatic
Transaxle
Key Lock
Cylinders
FLUID/LUBRICANT
GM Part No. 3634621 or
equivalent with a complete flush
and refill.
Chassis lubricant (GM Part
No. 1052497 or equivalent) or
lubricant meeting requirements
of NLGI Grade 2, Category LB
or GC-LB.
GM Power Steering Fluid
(GM Part No. 1052884
- 1 pt.,
10500 17
- 1 qt., or equivalent).
DEXRON@-111 Automatic
Transmission Fluid.
Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube@ (GM
Part No. 12346241
or equivalent).
ProCarManuals.com

Wheels ..................................... 6-53
Windshield and Wiper Blades
................... 6-51
Climate Control. Steering Wheel Touch Control
....... 3- 11
Climate Control System ........................... 3- 1
Clock. Setting the ............................... 3-12
Coinholder
.................................... 2-59
Comfort Controls
................................ 3 - 1
Compact Disc Care
............................. 3-3 1
Compact Disc Player
....................... 3- 18. 3.22
Compact Disc Player Errors
.................. 3.20. 3.25
Comfort Controls. Steering Wheel
Touch Control
..... 3- 11
Compact Spare Tire
............................. 5-34
Compass. Rearview Mirror with
................... 2-52
Control of a Vehicle
.............................. 4-5
Convenience Net
............................... 2-60
Convex Outside Mirror
.......................... 2-55
Coolant
....................................... 6-23
Heater, Engine
............................... 2-22
Recovery Tank
.......................... 5-14. 5-16
Cooling System
................................ 5- 14
Cornering Lamps
............................... 2-45
Courtesy Lamps
................................. 2-47
Courtesy Transportation
........................... 8-5
Cruise Control
................................. 2-39
Cupholders
.................................... 2-59
Customer Assistance Information
................... 8- 1
Customer Satisfaction Procedure .................... 8- 1
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone Users ......... 8-3
Damage. Finish
............................... 6-54
Damage. Sheet Metal
............................ 6-53 Daytime Running
Lamps
......................... 2-44
Dead Battery
................................... 5-2
Defensive Driving
............................... 4-1
Defogger. Rear Window
......................... 3 . 10
Defogging ..................................... 3-9
Defrosting
..................................... 3-9
Dimensions. Vehicle
............................ 6-66
Dolby
B Noise Reduction .............. 3-14.3-17. 3-25
Door Ajar Reminder
............................... 2-81
Central Unlocking System
....................... 2-4
Locks
....................................... 2-3
Driver Position
................................. 1 . 11
Driving
City
........................................ 4-19
Defensive
.................................... 4-1
Drunken ..................................... 4-2
Freeway
.................................... 4-20
InaBlizzard
................................. 4-26
In Foreign Countries ........................... 6-4
In
the Rain .................................. 4-16
Night
...................................... 4-14
On Curves
................................... 4-9
On Hill and Mountain Roads .................... 4-22
OnSnowandIce
............................. 4-25
Throughwater
............................... 4-18
WetRoads
.................................. 4-16
Winter
...................................... 4-24
With a Trailer
................................ 4-34
Drunken Driving
................................ 4-2
Defects. Reporting
Safety
..................... 8-7 . 8-8
On Grades While Towing a Trailer ............... 4-36
9-3
ProCarManuals.com