check engine BUICK REGAL 2001 User Guide

2-80 Low Fuel Light
United States Canada
If your fuel is low, a circular light on your instrument
panel cluster will come on and stay on and a chime will
sound periodically until you add fuel.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working.
If it doesn't come on then, have it fixed.
Driver Information Center (Option)
The Driver Information Center (DIC), located below the
tachometer on the instrument panel cluster, gives you
important safety and maintenance facts. When you
turn the ignition on, the entire center lights up for just
a few seconds.
3800 V6 Supercharged Engine
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3-24 Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for
FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go. If your vehicle is equipped
with the diversity antenna system, the interference may
be reduced.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.To help avoid hearing loss or damage:

Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.

Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two
-way radio -- be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle's engine, Delphi Delco Electronics
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
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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.
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4-25
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh
-- such as after a day's
work
-- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you'll find experienced and able service
experts in Buick dealerships all across North America.
They'll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:

Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?

Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?

Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?

Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?

Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?

Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?

Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
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4-26
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway hypnosisº?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it happen
to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:

Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.

Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.

If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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4-27
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.

Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.

Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.

Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better.

Stay in your own lane when driving on two
-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.

As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.

You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing
or no
-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
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4-31

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
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4-39 Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument panel
will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash,
telling other drivers you're about to turn, change lanes
or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument panel
will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned
out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you are seeing your
signal when they are not. It's important to check occasionally
to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
If you are towing a trailer, you may want to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People can
be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift
into PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
trailer's wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
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4-40 When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

Start your engine;

Shift into a gear; and

Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you're trailering, it's
a good idea to review this information before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
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5-6
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 heavy, unpainted 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.
CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running.
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.
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.
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