headlamp BUICK REGAL 2012 User Guide

Black plate (6,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, back‐up lamps, dome
lamps, and most of the interior lights
turn on briefly when
Kis pressed
on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3. When the driver door is
opened, all control lights, Driver
Information Center (DIC) lights, and
door pocket lights turn on. After
about 30 seconds the exterior lamps
turn off, and then the dome lamps
and remaining interior lights will dim
to off. Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by changing the ignition
out of the OFF position, or by
pressing
Qon the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑35.
Exit Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, parking
lamps, back‐up lamps, and license
plate lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the
key is removed from the ignition.
The dome lamps also come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The exterior lights and
dome lamps remain on after the
door is closed for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
For vehicles with keyless access,
the exterior lights and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. See Ignition Positions (Key
Access) on page 9‑15 orIgnition
Positions (Keyless Access) on
page 9‑17.
The exterior lights turn off
immediately by turning the
exterior lamps control off.
This feature can be changed.
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑35.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
To prevent battery discharge while
driving, the following systems are
reduced automatically in two stages
and then turned off:
.Heated rear window and mirrors
.Heated seats
.Fan
In the second stage, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
is displayed confirming the
activation of the battery discharge
protection. See Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages on page 5‑29.
If the exterior lamps or any interior
lights are left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery power
protection system automatically
turns the lamp off after about
10 minutes.

Black plate (10,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑65.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑95.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.

Black plate (1,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
CaliforniaProposition 65 Warning . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-22 Power Steering Fluid
(2.0L and 2.4L without
eAssist ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering Fluid (2.4L with eAssist) . . . . . . . . 10-25
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-31
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48

Black plate (33,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-33
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp aim has been preset and
should need no further adjustment.
If the vehicle is damaged in a crash,
the headlamp aim may be affected.
If adjustment to the headlamps is
necessary, see your dealer.
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 10‑37.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{WARNING
The low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could be
seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
After an HID headlamp bulb has
been replaced, the beam might be a
slightly different shade than it was
originally. This is normal.

Black plate (34,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
10-34 Vehicle Care
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps
Base Headlamp Assembly
(Passenger Side Shown, Driver
Side Similar)
A. High‐Beam Headlamp
B. Turn Signal Lamp
C. Low‐Beam Headlamp/DaytimeRunning Lamp (DRL)
D. Parking Lamp
E. Sidemarker Lamp
Uplevel Headlamp Assembly
(Passenger Side Shown, Driver
Side Similar)
A. High/Low‐Beam Headlamp ‐To
be replaced at the dealer only
B. Turn Signal Lamp
Low-Beam Headlamps/Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL),
High-Beam Headlamps (Base)
1. For the driver side bulb, remove the windshield washer bottle
filler neck by firmly pulling it
straight up and out of the bottle. 2. Remove the outside cap for the
low-beam headlamp/DRL bulb
replacement from the back of the
headlamp assembly.
3. Remove the inside cap for the high-beam headlamp bulb
replacement from the back of the
headlamp assembly.
4. Disconnect the electrical connector.
5. Remove the bulb socket from the headlamp assembly.
6. Replace the bulb in the bulb socket.
7. Install the bulb socket in the headlamp assembly.
8. Reverse Steps 1 through 4 to reinstall the outside or inside cap
on the headlamp assembly.
High/Low‐Beam Headlamps
(Uplevel)
The high/low‐beam headlamps on
the uplevel headlamp system are
High Intensity Discharge (HID) and
should be replaced at the dealer.

Black plate (35,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-35
Front Turn Signal/Parking/
Sidemarker Lamps (Base and
Uplevel)
To replace the front turn signal,
parking lamp, or sidemarker lamp:
1. For the driver side bulb, removethe windshield washer bottle
filler neck by firmly pulling it
straight up and out of the bottle.
2. Remove the bulb socket from the headlamp assembly by
turning it counterclockwise.
3. Remove the bulb from the socket.
4. Replace the bulb in the bulb socket.
5. Install the bulb socket in the headlamp assembly by turning it
clockwise. 6. For the driver side, reinstall the
windshield washer bottle filler
neck by firmly pushing it straight
into the bottle. Ensure that the
filler neck clip engages into the
underhood electrical center
retainer.
Fog Lamps
To replace the fog lamp bulb:
1. Locate the bulb assembly under
the front fascia.
2. Disconnect the electrical connector from the bulb
assembly.
3. Remove the bulb by turning it counterclockwise and pulling it
straight out of the assembly.
4. Install the new bulb by turning it clockwise into the assembly.
5. Reconnect the electrical connector to the bulb assembly.
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps
A. Taillamp/Sidemarker Lamp
B. Taillamp
C. Stop/Turn Signal Lamp
D. Back-up Lamp
To replace any one of these bulbs:
1. Open the trunk. See Trunk
Release on page 1‑6.
2. Remove the taillamp assembly access panel.

Black plate (37,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-37
6. Push the lamp assembly backinto position until the release tab
locks into place.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb
Number
Back-up Lamp 3157 K
Fog Lamp H10
Front Turn
Signal Lamp 3457 NAK
Front Sidemarker
Lamp (Base) 194NA
High‐Beam
Headlamp (Base) H7
License Plate Lamp 194 Exterior Lamp
Bulb
Number
Low‐Beam
Headlamp/Daytime
Running
Lamp (DRL) H11
Stoplamp/Turn
Signal Lamp 3157 K
Taillamp/
Sidemarker Lamp 3157 K
For replacement bulbs not listed
here, contact your dealer.
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and
Wiring
{WARNING
Exposure to high voltage can
cause shock, burns, and even
death. The high voltage
components in the vehicle can
only be serviced by technicians
with special training.
High voltage components are
identified by labels. Do not
remove, open, take apart,
or modify these components.
High voltage cable or wiring has
orange covering. Do not probe,
tamper with, cut, or modify high
voltage cable or wiring.

Black plate (38,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
10-38 Vehicle Care
Electrical System
Overload
The vehicle has fuses and circuit
breakers to protect against an
electrical system overload.
When the current electrical load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker opens
and closes, protecting the circuit
until the current load returns to
normal or the problem is fixed. This
greatly reduces the chance of circuit
overload and fire caused by
electrical problems.
Fuses and circuit breakers protect
power devices in the vehicle.
Replace a bad fuse with a new one
of the identical size and rating.
If there is a problem on the road and
a fuse needs to be replaced, the
same amperage fuse can be
borrowed. Choose some feature of
the vehicle that is not needed to use
and replace it as soon as possible.
Headlamp Wiring
An electrical overload may cause
the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. Have the
headlamp wiring checked right away
if the lamps go on and off or
remain off.
Windshield Wipers
If the wiper motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the windshield
wipers will stop until the motor cools
and will then restart.
Although the circuit is protected
from electrical overload, overload
due to heavy snow or ice may
cause wiper linkage damage.
Always clear ice and heavy snow
from the windshield before using the
windshield wipers.
If the overload is caused by an
electrical problem and not snow or
ice, be sure to get it fixed.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
The wiring circuits in the vehicle are
protected from short circuits by a
combination of fuses and circuit
breakers. This greatly reduces the
chance of damage caused by
electrical problems.
To check a fuse, look at the
silver-colored band inside the fuse.
If the band is broken or melted,
replace the fuse. Be sure to replace
a bad fuse with a new one of the
identical size and rating.
Fuses of the same amperage can
be temporarily borrowed from
another fuse location, if a fuse goes
out. Replace the fuse as soon as
possible.
To identify and check fuses, circuit
breakers, and relays, seeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on
page 10‑39 andInstrument Panel
Fuse Block on page 10‑42.

Black plate (40,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
10-40 Vehicle Care
Fuse
Number Usage
5 Ignition,
Transmission
Control Module,
Engine Control
Module
6 Windshield Wiper
7 Not Used
8 Fuel Injection,
Ignition
System Even
9 Fuel Injection,
Ignition System Odd
10 Engine Control
Module
11 Oxygen Sensor
12 Starter
13 Fuel System Control
Module
14 Secondary Air
Induction
15 Not Used Fuse
Number Usage
16 Vacuum Pump
17 Ignition, Airbag
18 Not Used
19 Not Used
20 Not Used
21 Rear Power
Windows
22 Antilock Brake
System Valve
23 Variable Effort
Steering
24 Front Power
Windows
25 Power Outlets
26 Antilock Brake
System Pump
27 Electric Parking
Brake
28 Heated Rear
Window Fuse
Number Usage
29 Left‐Hand Seat
Lumbar
30 Right‐Hand Seat
Lumbar
31 Not Used
32 Body Control
Module 6
33 Heated Front Seats
34 Sunroof
35 Infotainment System
36 Not Used
37 Right‐Hand
High‐Beam
Headlamp
38 Left‐Hand
High‐Beam
Headlamp
39 Not Used
40 Not Used
41 Vacuum Pump

Black plate (41,1)Buick Regal Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-41
Fuse
Number Usage
42 Radiator Fan 1
43 Not Used
44 Headlamp Washer
System (if equipped)
45 Radiator Fan 2
46 Terminal 87, Main
Relay
47 Oxygen Sensor
48 Fog Lamps
49 Right‐Hand Low
Beam, High Intensity
Discharge
Headlamp
50 Left‐Hand Low
Beam, High Intensity
Discharge
Headlamp
51 Horn
52 Motor
Indicator Lamp Fuse
Number Usage
53 Ignition, Inside
Rearview Mirror
54 Not Used
55 Power Windows
56 Windshield Washer
57 Not Used
58 Not Used
59 Secondary Air
Induction
60 Heated Mirrors
61 Not Used
62 Canister Vent
Solenoid
63 Not Used
64 Not Used
65 Not Used
66 Not Used
67 Fuel System Control
Module Fuse
Number Usage
68 Not Used
69 Battery Sensor
70 Not Used
71 Not Used
Relay
Number Usage
1 Not Used
2 Starter
3 Cooling Fan (LHU)
4 Front Wiper (Step 2)
5 Front Wiper
(Step 1, Interval)
6 SAI Valve
7 Main Relay
8 Not Used
9 Cooling Fan
(LAF/LHU)
10 Cooling Fan (LAF)