engine BUICK SKYLARK 1993 Service Manual

11 ,m CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from
it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle
until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids
in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine
if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
I
I

If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the, warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, you can idle the engine
for two.or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE AND GET
EVERYONE OUT
OF THE VEHICLE until it cools
down.
You may decide not.to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what \
you’ll see:
0 Coolant surge tank with pressure cap
Electric engine fan
198

A CAUTION:
I
An electric fan under the hood 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.
If the coolant inside the coolant surge tank is boiling,
don’t
do anything else until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above
“FULL COLD.”
If it isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
-le engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Nt any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fan is running.
If the engine is overheating, the
fan should be running.
If it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
199

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Surge
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 the proper
antifreeze at the coolant surge tank, but be sure the
cooling system, including the coolant surge tank
pressure cap, is cool before you do it. (See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
/I CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system
can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the coolant
surge tank pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can
come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap when
lhe cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the coolin-
system and coolant surge tank pressure cap
13
cool if you ever have to turn the pressure cap.
t

1
A CAUTION':
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some lother
liquid li~ke alcohol, can boil before tihe proper
coolant
mix will. Your whicl'e's CoOilant warning
You can1 be burned if you spill coolant on hot ,,
engilne ~parts. Coolaint contains ethylene glycol
and lit wil~il burn if the enlgine parts are ,hot
enough. hn't spill coolant
on a hot engine. I
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wron.g, mix, your engi'ne could8 1
get too h,ot but you wouldn't get thie overheat
warning. Your engine could catclh fire and
you or
others could
be burned. Use ;a 50/50 mix of clean
water and a proper antifreeze.
1
I
1-
1. You can remove the
coolant surge tank
pressure cap when the
cooling system,
including the coolant
surge
tank pressure cap
and upper radiator hose,
is no longer hot. Turn
the pressure cap slowly
i about one-quarter turn
1 to the left and then stop. I
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
201

4.
5. By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge tank may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mix to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches the split line formed by the
black and white part of the tank.
With the coolant surge tank pressur\e cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
6. Then replace the
pressure cap. Be sure
the pressure cap is tight.
fan.
203

.If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain yourtires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
1
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side: Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gentlv
I. - to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to
a stop, well off the road if possible.
If your tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use
your jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A “-CAUTION:
I Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured. Find
a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent
the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake K- Ay.
2. Put the shift lever in “P” (Park
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t mob
you can put chocks at the front and rear of t
tire farthest away from the one being changed,
I That would be the tire on the oP?r side of the
vehicle, the oppos’-
1 end.
CAUTION: (Continued)

Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle COL
cause injury. In a sudden stop or collision, lo ~ ~e
equipment could strike s-neone. Store all these
in the r-7per place.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck
is to spin your wheels. The method known as “rocking ”
can help you get out when you’re stuck, but you must
use caution.
If you let yow tires spin at Mgh speed, they can
expl’ode and
yo’u or ,others could be injured. And,
the tra.nsaxle
or other parts of ,the vehilcle cs--
overheat. That could cause an engine fire or
other damage. When you’re stuck, spin the
wheels as little as possible. Do:n’t spin the
wheel~s’ above 35 mph (55
speedometer.,
I
he
213

Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM D48
14 in
the U.S. and CGSB
3.5-92 in Canada. These fuels
should have the proper additives,
so you should not have
to add anything to the fuel.
In the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you get the \
right kind of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
“UNLEADED” right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least
87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive.
If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at
87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service. But don’t worry if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating
or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid\
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
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
217

I1
A CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,.
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
I could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
I
Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on
properly.
Then just pull the hood down and close it firmly. '