tow BUICK REGAL 2001 Owner's Guide

5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-9 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-12 Cooling System
5
-20 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-21 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-32 Compact Spare Tire
5
-33 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
ProCarManuals.com

5-4
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or auxiliary power outlet. Turn off all lamps
that aren't needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
(Your vehicle's battery is located toward the front of
the passenger's side of the engine, under a diagonal
brace. See ªEngine Compartment Overviewº in the
Index for more information on location.)
CAUTION:
An electric fan 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.
ProCarManuals.com

5-9
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your vehicle towed. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº and ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº in
the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a hot
engine warning light on your instrument panel. See
ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and ªEngine
Coolant Temperature Warning Lightº in the Index.
You also have a LOW COOLANT warning light on
your instrument panel. See ªLow Coolant Warning
Lightº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
Should an overheated engine condition exist, an
overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups
of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant loss in power and engine
performance. The low coolant light may come on and
the temperature gage will indicate an overheat condition
exists. Towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant loss and change the
oil. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

5-11
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. See ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº in the Index.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine 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:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
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, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
ProCarManuals.com

5-20
12. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on the pressure cap line up like this.
13. Check the coolant in the recovery tank.
The level in the coolant recovery tank should be at
the HOT mark when the engine is hot or at the
COLD mark when the engine is cold.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº while you're driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it's much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a ªblowout,º here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you'd use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
ProCarManuals.com

5-27
5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack handle
clockwise. Raise the vehicle far enough off the
ground for the spare tire to fit under the vehicle.
6. Remove all wheel nuts and take off the flat tire.
7. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces and
spare wheel.
CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
ProCarManuals.com

5-28
CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
8. Install the spare tire.
Put the wheel nuts back
on with the rounded end
of the nuts toward the
wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand until the wheel
is held against the hub.
9. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
ProCarManuals.com

5-33
If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured.
And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle
can overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you're
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don't
spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see ªTire Chainsº in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has the Traction Control System, you should turn the
system off. See ªFull
-Range Traction Control Systemº
or ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear.
By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and
reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that
may free your vehicle. If that doesn't get you out after a
few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do
need to be towed out, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

6-15
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD mark, then you'll need
to add at least one quart of oil. But you must use the
right kind. This part explains what kind of oil to use. For
crankcase capacity, see ªCapacities and Specificationsº
in the Index.
NOTICE:
Don't add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross
-hatched area that shows the proper
operating range, your engine could be damaged.
ProCarManuals.com

6-16
The engine oil fill cap is located toward the front of
the engine near the yellow
-looped engine oil dipstick
handle. See ªEngine Compartment Overviewº in the
Index for more information on location.Be sure to fill it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the
way back in when you're through.
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identified by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certified by
the American Petroleum Institute (API). Do not use any
oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
If you change your own oil,
be sure you use oil that has
the starburst symbol on the
front of the oil container.
If you have your oil
changed for you, be sure
the oil put into your engine
is American Petroleum
Institute certified for
gasoline engines.
ProCarManuals.com