key BUICK REGAL 1996 Owner's Manual

E
Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
-
TEMP
This light tells you that your
engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan
is not working.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for
a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure,
The anti-lock brake system active light
also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active. 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.
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reduce vehicle speed.
0 Avoid hard accelerations.
0 Avoid steep uphill grades.
0 If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine.
If
the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following. If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle
of water?
Tf so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run
as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire.
The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install
the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips
to turn the light off.
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Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and off. This is normal.
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Low Oil Level Light
LOW OIL
LEVEL
Your engine is equipped
with
an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned on, the LOW
OIL LEVEL light will
briefly flash. If the light
does not flash, have
it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you
if there’s a problem.
If
the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn
the engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See “Engine Oil” in the Index.)
If the light does
not flash, have the low oil level sensor
system repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed
if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period
of time, allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
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Security Light
SECURITY
This light will come on
when you turn the key to
START and stay on until the
vehicle starts. It will also
come on and stay on if your
key is too dirty or wet for
the PASS-Key
IT system to
read the resistor pellet.
If the resistor pellet is damaged or missing, the light
will flash.
If you’re driving and the SECURITY light comes on
and remains
on, your PASS-Key TI system is not
working properly. Your vehicle is not protected by
PASS-Key
11, and you should see your dealer.
Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
CRUISE
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, some
18,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated
with the use
of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it’s
against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The
obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much”
if the
driver plans to drive? It’s
a lot less than many might
think. Although
it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who
is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
0 The drinker’s body weight
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume
the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association,
a
180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1 - 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur
on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press the switch to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and
off. Your hazard warning
flashers work no matter
what position your key is
in,
and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, press the switch again. When
the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals
won’t work.
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A V
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transaxle
should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking
brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels,
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
3
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Cassette Deck Service Automatic Transaxle Check
Clean
cassette deck. Cleaning should be done every
50 hours of tape play. See “Audio Systems’’ in the Index
for further details.
Power Antenna Service
Clean power antenna mast. See “Audio Systems” in the
Index for further details.
At Least Twice a Year
Restraint System Check
Make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your
belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are
working properly. Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it
repaired. Have any torn or frayed safety belts replaced.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does
not need regular maintenance.) Check the transaxle fluid level; add if needed.
See
“Automatic Transaxle”
in the Index. A fluid loss may
indicate a problem. Check the system and repair if needed.
At Least Once a Year
Key Lock Cylinders Service
Lubricate the key lock cylinders with the lubricant
specified
in Part D.
Body Lubrication Service
Lubricate all hinges and latches including those for the
body doors, hood, rear compartment, glove box door,
console door and any folding seat hardware. Part
D tells
you what to use. More frequent lubrication may be
required when exposed
to a corrosive environment.
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Starter Switch Check Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock
(BTSI) Check
A CAUTION:
IF
When you are doing this check, the vehicle could
When you are doing this check, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If it does, you or others could be
move suddenly. If it does, you or others could be
injured. Follow the steps below. injured. Follow the steps below.
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake (see “Parking
Brake”
in the Index if necessary) and the
regular brake.
NOTE:
Do not use the accelerator pedal, and be
ready to
turn off the engine immediately if it starts.
3. Try to start the engine in each gear. The starter
should work only
in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
If the starter works in any other position, your
vehicle needs service.
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room
around
the vehicle. It should be parked on a
level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake (see “Parking Brake’’
in the Index if necessary).
NOTE: Be ready to apply the regular brake
immediately
if the vehicle begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the key to the RUN
position, but don’t start the engine. Without applying
the regular brake, try to move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) with normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out
of PARK (P), your vehicle’s. BTSI
needs service.
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Steering Column Lock Check While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the key to
LOCK in each shift lever position.
0 The key should turn to LOCK only when the shift
lever is
in PARK (P).
0 The key should come out only in LOCK.
Parking Brake
and Automatic Transaxle PARK (P)
Mechanism Check
When you are doing this check, your vehicle
could begin to move.
You or others could be
injured and property could be damaged. Make
sure there is room in front
of your vehicle in case
it begins to roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle begin to move. Park
on a
fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake,
set the parking brake.
0 To check the parking brake: With the engine running
and transaxle
in NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake pedal.
Do this until
the vehicle
is held by the parking brake only.
0 To check the PARK (P) mechanism's holding ability:
With the engine running, shift to PARK (P). Then
release all brakes.
Underbody
Flushing Service
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from
the underbody. Take care to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
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