warning light BUICK REGAL 2000 User Guide

2-65 Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
The light will come on briefly when your ignition is
turned on to show you that it is working.
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.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
You have a gage that
shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. 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.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

2-66 Low Coolant Warning Light
If the LOW COOLANT light comes on, your system is
low on coolant and the engine may overheat. See
ªEngine Coolantº in the Index and have your vehicle
serviced as soon as you can.
The light will come on
briefly when your ignition
is turned on to show you
that it is working properly.
Low Tire Light
The low tire inflation
monitor system can
alert you to a large
change in the pressure
in one tire.
After the system has ªlearnedº tire pressures with
properly inflated tires, the LOW TIRE light will come
on if the pressure in one tire becomes 12 psi (83 kPa)
lower than the other three tires. The low tire inflation
monitor system won't alert you if the pressure in more
than one tire is low, if the system is not yet calibrated, or
if the vehicle is moving faster than 70 mph (110 km/h).
When the LOW TIRE light comes on, you should stop
as soon as you can and check all your tires for damage.
(If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire Goes Flatº in the Index.)
Also check the tire pressure in all four tires as soon as
you can. See ªInflation
- Tire Pressureº in the Index.
The light will stay on until you turn off the ignition or
reset the system. See ªLow Tire Inflation Monitor
Systemº in the Index.

2-70 Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine, or come on when
you are driving.
This indicates that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The engine could
be low on oil or could have some other oil problem.
Have it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in the
following situations:

The light will come on briefly when you turn on
the ignition to show you that is is working properly.
(If it doesn't come on with the ignition on, you may
have a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it fixed
right away.)

Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and off. This is normal.CAUTION:
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 you 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.

2-73 Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
The LOW WASHER light
will come on when your
windshield washers are
working and the fluid
container is low.
The light will also come on briefly when your ignition is
turned on to show that it is working properly.
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning Light
The DOOR/TRUNK light
will come on if your
trunk or any door is not
completely closed.
Fuel Gage
United States Canada
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left when the ignition is on. When the indicator nears
empty, you still have a little fuel left, but you should get
more soon.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front
of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room
up ahead to stop, even though you have anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Full-Range Traction Control System
(With 3800 Supercharged V6 Engine)
Your vehicle has a Full Range Traction Control System
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See ªTraction Control
System Active Lightº in
the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control
system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road conditions allow you
to safely use it again, you may reengage the cruise control.
(See ªCruise Controlº in the Index.)
This light should come
on briefly when you start
the engine. If it stays on
or comes on while you
are driving, there's a
problem with your
traction control system.
See ªTraction Control System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.

4-10
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See ªRocking Your Vehicleº
in the Index.)
To turn the system off,
press the TRACTION
button on the black panel
located directly behind
your automatic transaxle
shift lever.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The traction control system warning
light should go off.
Traction Control System
(3800 V6 Engine)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Traction Control System
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system reduces engine power and may also upshift the
transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your Traction Control
System is limiting wheel
spin. See ªTraction Control
System Active Lightº in
the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See ªCruise Controlº in
the Index.)

4-11
The Traction Control System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you've
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See ªAutomatic Transaxleº in the Index.
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you know
if there's a problem.
See ªTraction Control System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Traction
Control System on. But you can turn the system off
if you ever need to. (You should turn the system off if
your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow.
See ªRocking Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
To turn the system on or
off, press the traction
button on the black panel
located directly behind
your automatic transaxle
shift lever.
When you turn the system off, the Traction Control
System warning light will come on and stay on. If the
Traction Control System is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button to turn the system off, the
warning light will come on and the system will turn
off right away.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Traction Control System warning
light should go off.

4-21 Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine's air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you
can't avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through flowing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be
carried away. As little as six inches of flowing
water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants could
drown. Don't ignore police warning signs, and
otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips

Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.

Have good tires with proper tread depth.
(See ªTiresº in the Index.)

4-22
City DrivingOne of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:

Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross
-country trip.

Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You'll save time and energy. (See the
next part, ªFreeway Driving.º)

Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start
to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running the
red light.