warning BUICK REGAL 2012 Owner's Manual

Black plate (87,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-87
WARNING (Continued)
aftermarket manufacturer when
using accessory locking wheel
nuts. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2 for
original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications.
Notice: Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage. To
avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications on
page 12‑2 for the wheel nut
torque specification.
17. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence, as
shown.
18. Lower the jack all the way and remove the jack from under the
vehicle.
19. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly with the wheel wrench.
When reinstalling the wheel cover
or center cap on the full-size tire,
tighten all five plastic caps hand
snug with the aid of the wheel
wrench and tighten them with
the wheel wrench an additional
one‐quarter of a turn. Notice:
Wheel covers will not fit
on the vehicle's compact spare.
If you try to put a wheel cover on
the compact spare, the cover or
the spare could be damaged.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
Store the spare or flat tire in one of
the ways shown below. Storage
instructions will vary depending on
the bolt that came with the vehicle
and how it attaches to the vehicle.
This vehicle will have a slide in
fastener or a screw in fastener.

Black plate (89,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-89
Compact Spare Tire
{WARNING
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire, it was fully inflated when the
vehicle was new; however, it can
lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should
be 420 kPa (60 psi).
Stop as soon as possible and check
that the spare tire is correctly
inflated after installing the spare on
the vehicle. The compact spare is
designed to perform well at speeds
up to 105 km/h (65 mph) for
distances up to 5 000 km (3,000 mi), so a trip can be completed and the
full-size tire repaired or replaced
when possible. However, the
compact spare tire will last longer
and be in good shape if it is
replaced as soon as possible.
Notice:
When the compact spare
is installed, do not take the
vehicle through an automatic car
wash with guide rails. The
compact spare can get caught on
the rails which can damage the
tire, wheel, and other parts of the
vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires.
They will not fit. Keep the spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice: Tire chains will not fit the
compact spare. Using them can
damage the vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Do not
use tire chains on the compact
spare.
Jump Starting
Jump Starting (On-board
with eAssist Only)
If the vehicle fails to crank, it may
be jump started by using the eAssist
battery to charge the 12-volt battery.
Use the following procedure to
activate the on‐board jump start
using the DIC controls.
DIC Buttons
A. SET/CLR
B.
w/x(Thumbwheel)
C. MENU
The vehicle may be equipped with
an ignition key or an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start.

Black plate (91,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-91
Jump Starting (with or
without eAssist)
For more information about the
vehicle battery, seeBattery on
page 10‑29.
If the battery has run down, try to
use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your vehicle.
Be sure to use the following steps to
do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you. Notice:
Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.2.0L Engine Shown, 2.4L without
eAssist, 2.4L with eAssist Similar
The jump start negative (A) is the
power steering line fitting and bolt
on the top of the power
steering pump.
2.0L Engine Shown, 2.4L without
eAssist, 2.4L with eAssist Similar
The jump start positive (B) is
located under a trim cover in the
engine compartment on the driver
side of the vehicle.

Black plate (92,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
10-92 Vehicle Care
These locations are used instead of
a direct connection to the battery.
1. Check the other vehicle. It musthave a 12-volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle does
not have a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles
can be damaged.
2. Position the two vehicles so that they are not touching.
3. 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
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking brake. Notice:
If any accessories are left
on or plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Whenever possible,
turn off or unplug all accessories
on either vehicle when jump
starting the vehicle.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF
and switch off all lights and
accessories in both vehicles,
except the hazard warning
flashers if needed.
{WARNING
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.
{WARNING
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need more
light.
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you do not, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.

Black plate (93,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-93
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.
5. Connect one end of the redpositive (+) cable to the jump
start positive (+) post (A). Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one. 6. Do not let the other end of the
red positive (+) cable touch
metal. Connect it to the
positive (+) terminal of the good
battery (B). Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle
has one.
7. Connect one end of the black negative (–) cable to the
negative (–) terminal of the
good battery (C). Use a remote
negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch
anything until the next step. The
other end of the negative (–)
cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (–) terminal
on the vehicle with the dead
battery. 8. Connect the other end of the
black negative (–) cable to an
unpainted heavy metal engine
part (D) away from the dead
battery, but not near engine
parts that move.
9. Start the engine in the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine at idle speed for at
least four minutes.
10. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.

Black plate (103,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-103
Do not use cleaners that increase
gloss, especially on the instrument
panel. Reflected glare can decrease
visibility through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Notice:Use of air fresheners may
cause permanent damage to
plastics and painted surfaces.
If an air freshener comes in
contact with any plastic or
painted surface in the vehicle,
blot immediately and clean with a
soft cloth dampened with a mild
soap solution. Damage caused by
air fresheners would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.Floor Mats
{WARNING
If a floor mat is the wrong size or
is not properly installed, it can
interfere with the pedals.
Interference with the pedals can
cause unintended acceleration
and/or increased stopping
distance which can cause a crash
and injury. Make sure the floor
mat does not interfere with the
pedals. Use the following guidelines for
proper floor mat usage:
.The original equipment floor
mats were designed for your
vehicle. If the floor mats need
replacing, it is recommended
that GM certified floor mats be
purchased. Non-GM floor mats
may not fit properly and may
interfere with the pedals. Always
check that the floor mats do not
interfere with the pedals.
.Use the floor mat with the
correct side up. Do not turn
it over.
.Do not place anything on top
of the driver side floor mat.
.Use only a single floor mat on
the driver side.
.Do not place one floor mat on
top of another.

Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-3
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services‐Severe chart.
{WARNING
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools,
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work on page 10‑4.
Maintenance
Schedule
Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.Check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑11.
Once a Month
.Check the tire inflation
pressures. See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑52.
.Inspect the tires for wear. See
Tire Inspection on page 10‑58.
.Check the windshield washer
fluid level. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑25.
Engine Oil Change
When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL
SOON message displays, have the
engine oil and filter changed within
the next 1 000 km/600 mi. If driven
under the best conditions, the
engine oil life system might not
indicate the need for vehicle service
for more than a year. The engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and the oil life system
must be reset. Your trained dealer
technician can perform this work.
If the engine oil life system is reset
accidentally, service the vehicle
within 5 000 km/3,000 mi since the
last service. Reset the oil life
system when the oil is changed.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Additional Information,
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Filter, Passenger
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-23
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-14
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Alarm System Messages . . . . . 5-33 Antilock Brake
System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Audio System Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29

Black plate (2,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29Jump Starting . . . . . . . . 10-89, 10-91
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-29
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-32
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-36, 7-38, 7-41
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35, 6-4
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-36
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Cargo Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-15
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-31
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50, 3-52
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-98
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-101
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Black plate (3,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-3
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-14
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . . . . . . . .10-67, 10-74
Connections, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . 14-4
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Engine Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4, 13-5
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-16
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1, 13-3
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-14
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-19
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Diagnostics, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . . 5-12
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Driving Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-26
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3