air condition BUICK REGAL 1996 User Guide

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Operating the engine with the air cleaner off
can cause you or others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air, it stops flame if
the engine backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the
engine backfires, you could be burned. Don’t
drive with it
off, and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner
off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine
oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous ten-ain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
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Brake Wear
Your Buick has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
A CAUTION:
I
The brake wear warning so Id means that
sooner or later your brakes won’t work well.
That could lead to an accident. When you hear the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Free movement of brake calipers and properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect brake calipers
for movement, brake pads for wear,
and evenly torque
wheel nuts
in the proper sequence to GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
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Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory
to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have your wheels
aligned again. However, if you notice unusual tire wear
or your vehicle pulling
one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset.
If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on
a smooth road, your
wheels may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel
nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel
nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
Buick dealer if
any of these conditions exist.
I
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the
same way
as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to have
the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your
Buick model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts I
or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be dangerous.
It could affect the braking and handling
of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control.
You could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured. Always use the
correct wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for
replacement.
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Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal
will corrode
quickly and may develop into
a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas
of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody.
If these are not
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on the
underbody parts such as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and
exhaust system
even though they have corrosion
protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can do
this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surhces on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this, Buick
will repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
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Capacities and Specifications
Automatic Transaxle
Pan Removal and Replacement .............................. 7 quarts (6.7 L)
When draiizilzg/replacil.Ig convertec more,fluid may be needed.
Cooling System Including Reservoir
3.1L(CodeM) ...................................... 11.6quarts(10.93L)
3.8L (Code
K) ....................................... 10.7 quarts (10.1 L)
Refrigerant (R-l34a), Air Conditioning* .................... 2.0 lbs (0.91 kg)
*See “Air Conditioning Refriger~-lnts”l~~tel- in th,is section.
Engine Crankcase
Oil and Filter Change ................................... 4.5 quarts (4.2 L)
Wheel Nut Torque .................................... 100 Ib-ft (140 N.m)
Fuel Tank ........................................... 17.1 gallons (64.7 L)
Wiper Blade Lengths
Type ............................................................. Pin
Length
.................................................. 20”(508mm)
Note: All capacities are approximate when adding. Be sure to Jill to the
approximate level, as recommended in this manual.
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Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Cleaner Filter All Engines ........... A 1208C
Battery
3.1L (Code M) ..................... 525 CCA
3.8L (Code
K) ...................... 690 CCA
Engine Oil Filter
PCV Valve
All Engines ........................... PF47
All Engines
........................ CV892C
Radiator Cap
All Engines ........................... RC27
RKE Batteries ........... Duracell Type DL 2016
(2) or equivalent
Spark Plugs
3.1L (Code M) ............... AC Type 41 -940
Gap: 0.060” (1.52 mm)
3.8L (Code K) ................ AC Type 41-921
Gap:
0.060” (1.52 mm)
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Not all air conditioning refrigerants are the same.
If the air conditioning system in your vehicle needs
refrigerant, be sure the proper refrigerant is used.
If you’re not sure, ask your Buick dealer.
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Section 7 Maintenance Schedule
I IMPORTANT:
KEEP ENGINE OIL
I ’ 1
.
Introduction
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment.
All recommended maintenance procedures
are important. Improper vehicle maintenance can even
affect the quality
of the air we breathe. Improper fluid
levels or the wrong tire inflation can increase the level
of emissions from your vehicle. To help protect our
environment, and to keep your vehicle in
good
condition, please maintain your vehicle properly.
I
This section covers the maintenance required for your
Buick. Your vehicle needs these services to retain its
safety, dependability and emission control performance.
F
I I
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan
supplements
your IWPV vehicle warrunties. See your
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet, or your Buick
dealer
for details.
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How This Section is Organized
The remainder of this section is divided into five parts:
“Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services” shows
what to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex,
so unless you are technically
qualified and have the necessary equipment, you should
let your dealer’s service department
or another qualified
service center do these jobs.
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs,
you can
be seriously injured.
Do your own maintenance
work only
if you have the required know-how
and the proper tools and equipment for the job.
If you have any doubt, have a qualified
technician do the work. “Part
B: Owner Checks and
Services’’ tells you what
should be checked whenever you stop for fuel.
It also
explains what you can easily do to help keep your
vehicle in good condition.
“Part
C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections”
explains important inspections that your Buick dealer’s service department or another qualified service center
should perform.
“Part
D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants”
lists some products
GM recommends to help keep your
vehicle properly maintained. These products, or their
equivalents, should be used whether you do the work
yourself or have it done.
“Part
E: Maintenance Record’’ provides a place
for you to record the maintenance performed on your
vehicle. Whenever any maintenance is performed, be
sure to write it down in this part. This will help you
determine when your next maintenance should be done.
In addition, it is a good idea to keep your maintenance
receipts. They may be needed to qualify your vehicle for
warranty repairs.
If you are skilled enough to do some work on your
vehicle, you will probably want to get the service
information
GM publishes. See “Service and Owner
Publications” in the Index.
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Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your vehicle
in good working condition. But we don’t know exactly
how you’ll drive
it. You may drive very short distances
only a few times a week. Or you may drive long
distances all the time in very hot, dusty weather. You
may use your vehicle
in making deliveries. Or you may
drive it to work, to do errands or
in many other ways.
Because of all the different ways people use their GM
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may even need
more frequent checks and replacements than you’ll find
in the schedules in this section.
So please read this
section and note how you drive. If you have any
questions on how to keep your vehicle
in good
condition, see your Buick dealer.
This part tells you the maintenance services
you should
have done and when you should schedule them.
If you
go
to your dealer for your service needs, you’ll know
that GM-trained and supported service people will
perform the work using genuine GM parts. The
proper fluids and lubricants to
use are listed in
Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses
these. All parts should be replaced and all necessary
repairs done before you or anyone else drives the vehicle.
These schedules are for vehicles that:
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will find these limits on your vehicle’s
Tire-Loading Information label. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
use the recommended fuel. See “Fuel” in the Index.
Selecting the Right Schedule
First you’ll need to decide which of the two schedules is
right for your vehicle. Here’s how to decide which
schedule to follow:
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Maintenance Schedule
I Short Trip/City Defition I
Follow the Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule if any
one
of these conditions is true for your vehicle:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures
are below freezing.
0 Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving
in stop-and-go traffic).
0 Most trips are through dusty areas.
0 You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
0 If the vehicle is used for delivery service, police,
taxi, or other commercial application.
One of the reasons you should follow this schedule if you
operate your vehicle under any of these conditions is that
these conditions cause erzgirze oil to break down soonex
Short Trip/City Intervals
Every 3,000 Miles (5 000 km): Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or
3 months, whichever occurs first).
Every 6,000 Miles (10 000 km): Chassis Lubrication
(or
6 months, whichever occurs first).
At 6,000 Miles (10 000 km) - Then Every
12,000 Miles (20 000 km): Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km): Air Cleaner Filter
Inspection, if driving
in dusty conditions.
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km): Air Cleaner Filter
Replacement.
Fuel Tank, Cap and Lines Inspection.
Every 50,000 Miles (83 000 km): Automatic Transaxle
Service (severe conditions only).
Every 60,000 Miles (100 000 km): Engine Accessory
Drive Belt Inspection.
Every 100,000 Miles (166 000 km): Cooling System
Service (or every
60 months, whichever occurs first).
Spark Plug Wire Inspection. Spark Plug Replacement.
These ilztervnls on.ly summarize mainteuance services.
Be sure to follow th.e complete maintenance schedule on
the following pages.
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