engine BUICK ROADMASTER 1993 Owner's Manual

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I
You eou be injured ! V€ !s roll
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transmission
in ‘‘P” (Park) or a
manu nsl in 9
3. Twm off the ignition .on both vehicles. Turn ofr all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks- and help save both batteries. And
it could
save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery. Your Buick has two remote positive.
(+) jump
starting terminals.
The terminals are in the red box
on the. same side’of the engine compartment BS your
battery.You should always use one, of the remote
.positive
(+) terminals instead of the positive (+)
terminal on your battery.
To open the remote positive (+) terminal box, pull
the tab and open the cover.

8. Now connect the black
negative
(-) cable to,
the good battery's
negative
(-) 'terminal.
9. Attach the cable at least 1.8 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead banery, .but not nm=engine parts that
move. The electrical connection
is just as go:od there,
but the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery'is
much less.
.e%' . a, , '. I ,
" ". . ,.. .
Don't let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other
end of the negative cable doesn't go
to the deadbattery. It goes to a heavy unpainted
metal
part on the engine of the vehicle with the dead
battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for awhile.
210

1. Turn off yom air conditioner.
If :No .Steam Is Coming From Your Engine:
If you get the 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:
If there's still no. sign of steam, push the accelerator until
the .engine speed is about twice
as fast as normal idle-
speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes.
Now see if the warning stops.
But then,
if you still have the-warning, TURN OF'F THE
ENGINE AND GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE
VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to 1ift.the hood but to get service
help right away.
217

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I
11 parts, can be very hot. Don’t 1 Ich them. I
do, you can be burned.
Don’t
run the engine if ther I leak. If yo
the engine,
it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine Pire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leaK, start tne engine again to see
if the fan runs when the engine does. If it doesn’t,, your
vehicle needs service. Turn
off the engine.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you,haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at or above
“FULL COLD,” add-a 50/50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant’’ i\
n
the Index for more information about the proper coolant
mix.)
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other I
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the, proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system
is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water
or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire.and you
or others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix of
clean
---- s-- -1 a proper antifr ze.
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219 1 i

m
m
II
L, CAUTIOP
You can be bu 3d if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene
glycc
and it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t
spill coolant on a hot engine.
When the Luolant in the coolant recovery ~~IMC is “1 or
above
“FULL COLD,” start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolantmix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before
you do it.
220

4. Then fill the coolant
recovery tank to
e “FULL COLD.”
5. Put the cap back on the
coolant recovery tank,
but leave the radiator
pressure cap off.
7. By this time the coolant ,level inside the radiator
filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper mix through the filler neck until
the level .reaches the base
of the filler neck.
6. Start the engine and let
it run until you can feel
the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine fan.
8. Then replace the
pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows on
the pressure cap
line up like this.
223

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing .a Flat Tire
I! CAUTIO1
can slip off the jack and roll over you or othe-
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your
=
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in
3. Turn off the engine. Park),
To be even
more certain the vehicle won't move.
you can put chocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side
of the
vehicle. at the otmosite end.

I A CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high eed, the I
explode and YOU or others could be injured.
And, the transmission or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment fire other damage.
When
you’re stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don’t spin the wheels above 35 I h
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedome r. c
239

What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen, such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is, no
more than 15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or .grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that
is no more than 10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or
wood alcohol. Gasolines
for Cleaner Air
Your use
of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine:and
fuel
system. That helps keep your ,engine in. tune and your
emission control system working properly. It’s good
for
your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. General Motors .recommends that you use
gasolines with these blending materials, such as MTBE
and-ethanol. By doing so, you can help clean the
ak,
especially in those parts of the country that have high
carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, som-e gasoline suppliers are now .producing
reforniulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts
of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators if their
gasolines contain detergents and oxygenates, and
if they
have been reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
.

Engine OiI
If the "LOW OIL" light on '
the instrument panel comes
on, it means .you need to
check your engine oil level
right away. You should
check your engine oil level
regularly; the light
is an
added reminder.
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground. From the front, you'll
see
your oil hpstick to the left
of 'the air cleaner. Turn off
the engine and give the oil a
fe.w minutes.
to drainget
back down-into the
oil pan.
If
you don't, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual
h%l.
To Check Engine Oil: Pull
out the dipstick slightly.
Pinch the ,end of the
dipstiek tube as you remove
the dipstick to wipe the oil
fi-om it. Then,push it' all the
way back
in. No.w, remgve
it without pinching the tube,
keeping the tip lcmer.