engine BUICK REGAL 2001 Owner's Guide

2-74
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 of 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 may be 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.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are 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
ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If 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.
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2-75
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.
See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
ªFuelº in the Index. Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration
or stumbling on acceleration. (These conditions may go
away once the engine is warmed up.) This will be detected
by the system and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light is on or not
working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would
be considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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2-76 Oil Pressure 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 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.
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2-77 Low Oil Level Light
Your engine is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned on, the
LOW OIL light will
come on briefly.
If the light does not come on briefly, 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 ªEngine Oilº in the Index.)
If the light does not come on briefly, 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.
Change Oil Soon Light
The CHANGE OIL SOON
light should come on briefly
as a bulb check when you
start the engine. If the
light doesn't come on,
have it serviced.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON light comes on and stays
on after you start the engine, have the oil changed.
For additional information, see ªEngine Oil, When to
Changeº in the Index. To reset the CHANGE OIL
SOON light, see ªOil Life Systemº in the Index.
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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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2-81
3800 V6 Engine
Control Buttons
The Driver Information Center has three buttons that
control its functions.The English/Metric (E/M), RESET and MODE buttons
for the Driver Information Center are located to the
left of the steering wheel, just below the instrument
panel cluster.
E/M: Press this button to change the display from
English to metric units or metric to English.
RESET: Press this button for one second to reset the
mode displayed.
MODE: Press this button to change the mode
being displayed.
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2-82 Modes
AVG ECON: Shows your average fuel economy since
you last reset this mode. Average fuel economy is
viewed as a long term approximation of your overall
driving and driving conditions. To learn the average fuel
economy from a new starting point, press the
RESET button while the average fuel economy is
displayed in the DIC.
INSTANTANEOUS FUEL ECONOMY: Shows your
current fuel economy. Instantaneous fuel economy
varies with your driving conditions, such as
acceleration, braking and the grade of the road being
traveled. The instantaneous fuel economy display cannot
be reset, therefore the reset button has no effect while in
this mode.OIL LIFE MONITOR: Shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. When the oil life index is less than
10%, the CHANGE OIL SOON light will come on. When
you have the oil changed according to the maintenance
schedule (see ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index), you
will have to reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light.
To reset the CHANGE OIL SOON light, see ªOil Life
Systemº in the Index.
Also, see ªEngine Oil, When to Changeº and
ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index.
RANGE: Shows the approximate distance you can
drive without refueling. This is based on the amount of
fuel in the tank and on the fuel economy of the most
recent 25 miles (40 km). Pressing RESET while in this
mode will have no effect.
BOOST GAGE: If you have the supercharged engine,
this gage will show the amount of boost your engine is
receiving. Pressing RESET while in this mode will have
no effect.
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3-3
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
C). (Even when the
compressor is running, you can control the temperature.)
VENT: This setting brings in outside air and directs it
through the instrument panel outlets.
BI
-LEV: This setting brings in 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.
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 defroster and side window
vents. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40
F (4
C). (Even when the
compressor is running, you can control the temperature.)
DEF: This setting directs most of the air through
the defroster and side window vents. Some of the air
goes to the floor ducts and the side window vents.
The air conditioning compressor will run automatically
in this setting unless the outside temperature is below
40
F (4
C). (Even when the compressor is running, you
can control the temperature.)
A/C: Press this button to turn the air conditioning
on and off. The system will cool and dehumidify the
air inside the vehicle when the A/C light is on.
Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the driver and passenger
levers all the way in the red area. This system will bring
in outside air, heat it, and send it to the floor ducts.
Heating (Engine Coolant Heater)
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 ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.
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3-6
Passenger's Temperature Control
The PASSENGER CONTROL buttons with the arrows
adjust the temperature on the passenger's side so that it
is warmer or cooler than the temperature for the driver's
side. Push the DUAL button so that the indicator light is
lit. Press the right arrow button to raise the temperature.
Press the left arrow button to lower the temperature. The
display will not show the passenger's temperature, only
that of the driver. Indicators in the passenger control
section will show passenger's side temperature relative
to the driver's set temperature.

The amber light indicates the same temperature as
set for the driver.

The red lights indicate a warmer temperature than
that of the driver.

The blue lights indicate a cooler temperature than
that of the driver.
Hot Weather Example: When you start the vehicle in
hot weather, 80F (27C) or after being parked during the
day in full sun, if your driver set temperature is 75F
(24C) and you are in full automatic mode, the system
will automatically move the temperature to full cold. The fan will be at low speed momentarily and then go to
the high speed. The air intake will be recirculated for
maximum cooling performance. As the interior of the
vehicle cools down to your desired comfort point, the fan
speed will decrease and the temperature will move to a
warmer position to maintain your desired comfort. As the
interior cools down or the sun load decreases the system
could switch to air delivered to A/C vents and the floor.
Cold Weather Example: When you start the vehicle in
cold weather, (below freezing) or after being parked
overnight. If your Driver Set Temperature is 75F
(24C) and you are in Full Automatic mode, the system
will automatically move the temperature doors to full
hot. The fan will start out at a low speed and will
increase to a higher speed as the engine warms up. The
air will be delivered to the floor. As the the interior of
the vehicle warms up to your desired comfort point, the
fan speed will decrease and the temperature will move
to a cooler position to maintain your desired comfort. As
the cabin warms up or the sun load increases the system
could switch to air delivered to the windshield and the
floor (DEFOG mode).
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3-11
Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it
first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all its controls, to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Setting the Clock
Press and hold HRS until the correct hour appears.
Press and hold MIN until the correct minute appears.
You may set the clock with the ignition off if you
press RECALL first and follow the same procedure
described above.
AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
and Automatic Tone Control
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Monsoon
sound
system, which includes eight speakers and a powerful
eight channel, 200 watt amplifier.
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