air condition BUICK REGAL 1996 Owners Manual

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR BAG pf 0.
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to
RUN
or START. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn
on the ignition, as
a check to show you it’s
working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have
a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have
a loose drive belt or another
electrical problem. Have
it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERV. ENGINE
SOON
Your Buick is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called
OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of
the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERV. ENGINE
SOON
light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated
by the system before any problem is apparent, which
may prevent more serious damage to your vehicle. This
system
is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
1 NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light
will also come on during a malfunction in one
or two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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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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Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section you’ll find out how to operate the comfort
control and audio systems offered with your Buick. Be
sure to read about the particular systems supplied with
your vehicle.
Comfort Controls
With this system, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. The system works best
if
you keep your windows closed while using it.
Air Conditioning with Electronic Controls
Fan Lever
The bottom lever selects the force of air you want.
Temperature Lever
The upper lever changes the temperature of the air
coming through the system. Slide the lever toward
WARM for warmer air. Slide the lever toward COOL
for cooler air. This lever controls the temperature for the
whole vehicle unless
DUAL is pressed and the indicator
is lit. When
DUAL is pressed, this lever controls the
temperature for the driver.
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The lever on the passenger's
door sets the temperature
for the front seat passenger.
Press the
DUAL button on the system face so the light on
it is lit. Slide the lever on the door toward
W to raise the
temperature. Slide it toward
C to lower the temperature.
To allow the driver to set
the temperature, push the DUAL
button again. The
panel has several settings to control the direction
of
airflow. The indicator light on the button will glow
when
the button is pressed.
OFF: The setting turns the system (including the
fan) off.
VENT This setting brings in outside air and directs it
through the instrument panel outlets.
HTR: This setting sends most of the air through the
ducts near the
floor. The rest comes out of the defroster
and side window vents.
BLEND: This setting allows half of the air to go to the
floor ducts and half to the defrost and side window vents.
FRONT This setting directs most of the air
through the defroster and side window vents. Some
of
the air goes to the floor ducts. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically
in this setting unless
the outside temperature is below
40°F (4.5"C).
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MAX: This setting recirculates much of the air inside
your vehicle and sends it through
the instrument panel
outlets. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically
in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40°F (4.5"C).
NORM: This setting brings in outside air and sends
it through the instrument panel outlets. The air
conditioning compressor will run automatically
in this
setting unless the outside temperature is below 40°F
(4.5 " C).
BI-LEV: This setting brings in the outside air and
directs
it two ways. Half of the air is directed through
the instrument panel outlets. Most
of the remaining air is
directed through the floor ducts and
a little to the defrost
and side window vents. The air conditioning compressor
will run automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature
is below 40°F (4.5"C).
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to
run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool-down on very hot days, use
MAX with
the temperature lever all the way to COOL.
If this
setting is used for long periods of time,
the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use
NORM with the
temperature lever all the way to COOL. The system will
bring
in outside air and cool it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI-LEV with the temperature knob in the
middle. The system will bring
in outside air and direct it
to your upper body, while sending slightly warmed air to
your lower body. You may notice this temperature
difference more at some times than others.
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Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the temperature lever all
the way to
WARM. The system will bring in outside air,
heat it and send it
to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it’s
cold outside
(0°F (-18°C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See “Engine Coolant
Heater” in the Index.
Ventilation System
Adjust the direction of airflow by moving the
louvered vents.
Your vehicle’s flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when
it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan
is running.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road.
For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking
by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make
a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only
the braking skid.
DrivinP at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason
is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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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.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. If you
get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
I. 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 NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
THIRD
(3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 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 ofSthe 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.
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Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher.
At a minimum, it should meet specifications ASTM
D4814
in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada.
Improved gasoline specifications have been developed by
the American Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for better vehicle performance and engine
protection. Gasolines meeting the
AAMA specification
could provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
Be sure
the posted octane is at least 87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough,
it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t
have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem. If
your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated
on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California specifications. If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle will
operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal specifications, but emission control system pexformance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp on your
instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle may
fail
a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Buick dealer for diagnosis to determine the cause of
failure. In the event
it is determined that the cause of the
condition is
the type of fuels used, repairs may not be
covered by your warranty.
In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane enhancing
additive called MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on.
If this happens, return to your
authorized Buick dealer for service.
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