Engine BUICK REGAL 1997 Repair Manual

6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery
and maybe other parts too.
A CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
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I
7. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
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I
8. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect
it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use
a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the
black negative
(-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything
until the
next step. The other end
of the negative cable
doesn’t go to the
dead battery.
It goes to a heavy, unpainted, metal part on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
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10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection
is just as good
there, but the chance
of sparks getting back to the
battery
is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine
for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If
it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or
any other metal.
Reinstall the red protective remote jump start cover
on the vehicle that was jump started.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B.
Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a hot
engine warning light on your instrument panel. See
“Engine Coolant Temperature Gage” and “Engine
Coolant Temperature Warning Light” in the Index.
You
also have a low coolant light on your instrument panel.
See “Low Coolant Light” in the Index.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
L
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
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1 NOTICE:
I I
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:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer. If you
get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for
a minute or so:
1. 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 (@).
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 ofthe 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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Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Electric Engine Fans
C. Radiator Pressure Cap
h!~ CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down.
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The coolant level should be at or above the COLD mark
on the overflow hose in the coolant bottle.
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. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
~ the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
~ cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
’ Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Engine damage from running your engine without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, 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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How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
~~
NOTICE:
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level I In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the I isn’t at the COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@
(silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank.
(See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information.)
/a CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant. engine,
radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant
mix.
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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.
When the coolant
in the coolant recovery tank is at the
COLD mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing you can try.
You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you do it.
Steam and scalding liquids from
a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
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How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
I NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure
to follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the
radiator pressure cap
when the cooling
system, including the
radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator
hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap
slowly counterclockwise
until it first stops. (Don’t
press down while turning
the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
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