Brake BUICK REGAL 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (2,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Buick Regal Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-34
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-42
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-50 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-70
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77 Service and Maintenance
. . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-6
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 11-9
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-12
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (4,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
iv Introduction
WarningorCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury or
death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9: Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (12,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
1-12 In Brief
Transmission
Automatic Transmission
P:Park
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Drive Manual Mode
Move the selector lever from
D (Drive) to the left. Press the shift
lever forward (+) to upshift or
rearward (−) to downshift.
The selector lever can only be
moved out of P (Park) when the
ignition is on and the brake pedal
is applied. To engage P (Park) or
R (Reverse), push the release
button.
See
Automatic Transmission on
page 9‑25.
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
3 O
:Press to turn the system
on and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
RADIO/BAND: Press to choose
between FM, AM, or XM™,
if equipped.
Z: Turn to select radio
stations.
s ©:Press to seek the previous
station or track.
¨ \:Press to seek the next
station or track.
Buttons 1 to 6: Press to save and
select favorite stations.
INFO: Press to show available
information about the current station
or track, or to display the time when
the ignition is off.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Operation on page 7‑4.

Black plate (19,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-19
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.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑47. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑44.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-252-1112
TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
As the owner of a new Buick, you
are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program.
See Roadside Assistance Program
on page 13‑5 for more information.
Roadside Assistance and OnStar
If you have an active OnStar
subscription, press the
Qbutton
and the current GPS location will be
sent to an OnStar Advisor who will
assess your problem, contact

Black plate (33,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-33
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps, turn on the
hazard warning flashers, and shut off the fuel system after the airbags
inflate. You can lock the doors, turn
off the interior lamps, and turn off
the hazard warning flashers by
using the controls for those
features.
{WARNING
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some
new parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for your vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑14 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑14.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-11 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Ultrasonic Parking Sensor Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-20
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-21
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-26
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-28
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-28
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-28
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-29
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Anti-theft Alarm System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-30
Window Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-31

Black plate (16,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits
need to be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
EnglishMetric
The Brake System Warning Light
should come on briefly as the
engine is started. If it does not come
on, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
If the light comes on while driving,
a chime sounds. Pull off the road
and stop. The pedal might be harder
to push or go closer to the floor.
It might also take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑74.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
EnglishMetric
The parking brake status light
comes on when the brake is
applied. If the light continues
flashing after the parking brake
is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system. A SERVICE
PARKING BRAKE message
may also display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See Brake
System Messages on page 5‑26 for
more information.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.

Black plate (17,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
The brake warning light should
come on briefly when the ignition is
placed in ON/RUN. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If this light comes on, there is a
problem with a system on the
vehicle that is causing the parking
brake system to work at a reduced
level. The vehicle can still be driven,
but should be taken to a dealer as
soon as possible. SeeParking
Brake on page 9‑31 for more
information.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. A chime may also sound when
the light comes on steady. Then
start the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. If the regular
brake system warning light is not
on, the vehicle still has brakes, but not antilock brakes. If the regular
brake system warning light is also
on, the vehicle does not have
antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑16.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22 for all brake related
DIC messages.
Ultrasonic Parking
Sensor Light
This light comes on to indicate that
there is a malfunction in the system.
See your dealer for service.
See Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑42 andDriver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑22 for more
information.

Black plate (26,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the
vehicle is trying to save the charge
in the battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.
LOW BATTERY
This message is displayed when the
battery voltage is low. SeeBattery
on page 10‑27 for more information.
SERVICE BATTERY
CHARGING SYSTEM
This message is displayed when
there is a fault in the battery
charging system. Take the vehicle
to your dealer for service.
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low. See Brake
Fluid on page 10‑26.
PRESS BRAKE PEDAL TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
This message is displayed if you
attempt to release the electric
parking brake without the brake
pedal applied. See Parking Brake
on page 9‑31 for more information.
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
SWITCH
This message is displayed if the
electric parking brake is on while the
vehicle is in motion. Release it
before you attempt to drive. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑31 for
more information.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the electric
parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 9‑31 for more information.
Take the vehicle to your dealer.
Compass Messages
CAL
This message is displayed when the
compass needs to be calibrated.
See Compass on page 5‑4.
– – –
Three dashes will be displayed if the
compass needs service. See your
dealer for service.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
on the instrument panel on the
outboard side of the steering wheel.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O(Off): Turns off the exterior
lamps. The knob returns to the
AUTO position after it is released.
Turn to
Oagain to reactivate the
AUTO mode. In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate once the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) and
manual transmission vehicles when
the parking brake is released.
AUTO (Automatic):
Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.
The current status of the AUTO
system is displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) display.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights