change wheel BUICK REGAL 2011 User Guide

Black plate (31,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-31
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get tooclose to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The switch for the
EPB is on the center console.
The EPB can always be activated,
even if the ignition is off. To prevent
draining the battery, avoid repeated
cycles of the EPB system when the
engine is not running.

Black plate (39,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Drive Mode Control
Drive Mode Control (DMC) analyzes
the driving style and the active state
of the vehicle and automatically
changes the settings within the
selected driving mode. When there
is a more noticeable change in
driving style or conditions, the
driving mode is changed to Sport
until the previous driving style
returns.
If Standard mode is selected and
sport driving is detected, several
settings of the Standard mode
change to sport settings. If sport
driving increases, DMC changes to
Sport mode.
If Tour mode is selected and sudden
braking or cornering is necessary,
DMC changes the suspension
settings to Sport mode to increase
vehicle stability.
When the driving characteristic or
the active state of the vehicle
returns to the previous style, DMC
changes the settings to the
preselected driving mode.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, the vehicle can
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
On vehicles with the Traction
Control System (TCS) or the
Stabilitrak
®system may begin to
limit wheel spin while you are using
cruise control. If this happens, the
cruise control will automatically
disengage. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑34 or
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑36.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
The cruise control buttons are
located on the steering wheel.

Black plate (14,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
10-14 Vehicle Care
2. Press the DIC menu button onthe turn signal lever to enter the
Vehicle Information Menu. Use
the thumbwheel to scroll through
the menu items until you reach
REMAINING OIL LIFE.
3. Press the SET/CLR button to reset the oil life at 100%.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off and the REMAINING
OIL LIFE 100% message is
displayed.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, you should
have this done at your dealer
service department. Contact your
dealer for additional information.
The procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑11.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2, and be sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑6.
Manual Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
manual transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and
have it repaired as soon as
possible. See
Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 11‑6 for the
proper fluid to use.
Hydraulic Clutch
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is not necessary to
regularly check brake/clutch fluid
unless there is a leak suspected.
Adding fluid will not correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could
indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.

Black plate (25,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-25
Brakes
This vehicle has disc brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with
worn-out brake pads could result
in costly brake repair. Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes —for the worse. The
braking performance expected can
change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.

Black plate (43,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-43
Winter Tires
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice covered roads is
expected. All season tires provide
good overall performance on most
surfaces, but they may not offer the
traction or the same level of
performance as winter tires on snow
or ice covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction on
snow and ice covered roads. With
winter tires, there may be decreased
dry road traction, increased road
noise, and shorter tread life. After
changing to winter tires, be alert for
changes in vehicle handling and
braking.
See your dealer for details
regarding winter tire availability and
proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑57.If using snow tires:.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.

Black plate (56,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
10-56 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure on page 9‑12and
Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑12.
Reset the Tire Pressure Monitor
System. SeeTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on
page 10‑52.
Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See
“Wheel Nut Torque” under
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, a cloth or a paper
towel can be used; however, use
a scraper or wire brush later to
remove all rust or dirt.
Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change or
tire rotation to prevent corrosion
or rust build-up. Do not get
grease on the flat wheel
mounting surface or on the
wheel nuts or bolts.
When It Is Time for New
Tires
Factors such as maintenance,
temperatures, driving speeds,
vehicle loading, and road conditions
affect the wear rate of the tires.
Treadwear indicators are one way to
tell when it is time for new tires.
Treadwear indicators appear when
the tires have only 1.6 mm (1/16 in)
or less of tread remaining. See Tire
Inspection on page 10‑55 andTire
Rotation on page 10‑55 for more
information.

Black plate (63,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-63
{WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting
under it to do maintenance or
repairs is dangerous without the
appropriate safety equipment and
training. If a jack is provided with
the vehicle, it is designed only for
changing a flat tire. If it is used for
anything else, you or others could
be badly injured or killed if the
vehicle slips off the jack. If a jack
is provided with the vehicle, only
use it for changing a flat tire.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire
and wheel damage by driving slowly
to a level place, well off the road,
if possible. Turn on the hazard
warning flashers. See Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 6‑3.
{WARNING
Changing a tire can be
dangerous. The vehicle can slip
off the jack and roll over or fall
causing injury or death. Find a
level place to change the tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in
1 (First) or R (Reverse).
3. Turn off the engine and do not restart while the vehicle
is raised.
4. Do not allow passengers to remain in the vehicle.
5. Place wheel blocks on both sides of the tire at the
opposite corner of the tire
being changed. When the vehicle has a flat tire (B),
use the following example as a
guide to assist in the placement of
the wheel blocks (A).
A. Wheel Block
B. Flat Tire
The following information explains
how to repair or change a tire.
Tire Changing
Removing the Spare Tire and
Tools
To access the spare tire and tools:
1. Open the trunk.
2. Remove the spare tire cover.

Black plate (64,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
10-64 Vehicle Care
3. Turn the retainer nutcounterclockwise and remove
the spare tire. Place the spare
tire next to the tire being
changed.
4. The jack and tools are stored below the spare tire. Remove
them from their container and
place them near the tire being
changed.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
Take off the wheel cover or center
cap, if the vehicle has one, to reach
the wheel bolts.
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑62 for more
information.
2. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to loosen and
remove the wheel nut caps. Do not try to remove plastic caps
from the cover or center cap.
3. Pull the cover or center cap away from the wheel. Store the
wheel cover in the cargo area
until you have the flat tire
repaired or replaced.
4. Turn the wheel wrenchcounterclockwise to loosen all
the wheel nuts, but do not
remove them yet.
5. Place the jack near the flat tire.

Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
i-10 INDEX
SeatsAdjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . 3-5
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 3-5
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-57, 3-59
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Service Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 11-9
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 Service (cont.)
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-11
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-7
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36 Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Storage Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Interactive Drive Control . . . . . . 9-38

Black plate (11,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-11
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . 2-9 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-52
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Tires (cont.)
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-51
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-61
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-74
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . 9-34
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Fluid, Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
U
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . 9-42
Ultrasonic Parking SensorLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii