R E G A L L The 1996 Buick Regal Owner's Manual 7 ............................................................. This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains "SRS" system. Features and Controls .................................................................. This section explains how to start and operate your Buick. Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... Seats and Restraint Systems This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. 1-1 2-1 3-1 4-1 YourDrivingandtheRoad ProblemsontheRoad Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. .............................................................. .................................................................. 5-1 ........................................................... Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly and looking good. Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. CustomerAssistanceInformation ........................................................ Service and Appearance Care. This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-7. 6-1 7-1 8-1 9-1 Index ................................................................................ Here's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something you want to read. i G E m R A L MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem, are BUICK, the BUICK Emblem and the name REGAL registered trademarksof General Motors Corporation. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institute for AUTOMOTIVE This manual includes the latest information at the it time SERVICE was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the EXCELLENCE product afterthat time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motorsof Canada Limited" for Buick Motor For Canadian Division wheneverit appears inthis manual. Please keep this manual in Buick, so it will be there your if you ever need it when you're on the road. you sell If the vehicle, please leave this manual in it new so the owner canuse it. Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propriktaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire de guide en franqais chez ce votre concessionaireou au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 Bonhill Rd. Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7 Litho in. U.S.A. P r No. 25632198 B First Edition at Walter Marr and Thomas Buick Buick's chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and Thomas D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick, drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit round trip in July 1904. David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899, and Man, his engineer, apparently built the first auto to be called a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally dates its beginnings to 1903. That was the year the company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product innovator. Buick engineers developed the William C. (Billy) Durant Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing trophies in 1909 and 19 10, including successes at Indianapolis two years before Tndy 500 began. the The success of Buick engines was visible not only on the race track, but in endurance tests across the country and around the world. Buick was the only car to complete a 1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in 1906. And a Buick was the first car totravel across South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina, over the Andes to Santiago, Chilein 1914. I ,.:. . Buick drew plenty of attention because it could climb hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick's endurance and reliability were world famous. During World War I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines as well as Red Cross ambulances so successfully that one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government. As a builder of premier automobiles, Buick was hard hit by the Great Depression. However, new General Manager Harlow H. Curtice createdpopular new models including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales soon flourished. 1911 Model 21 Touring Car on BuickS Test Hill V In World War 1 , Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and 1 other military hardware. Thispost-war period brought great styling and engineering changes which resulted in increased sales. Thetorque converter automatic transmission, Dynaflow, was introduced in the 1948 Roadmaster. Buick's Fdmous "portholes" came along in 1949. A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953. And Buick's famous vertical pillar "toothy" grille, (introduced in 1942), became more massive in the post-war era. ~ 1.953 Skylark 1949 Roadmaster Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special "Car of the Year." The first production V-6 engine was used in the Special. I962 Buick Special Built inside the walls of the old buildings in Buick's former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone of General Motors, Buick City is a state-of-the-art assembly facility with more than 200 robots and other high-tech equipment. It was completed in the fall of 1985. Buicks are, and will continue to be, premium American motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich detail and comfortable accommodation. Ed Mertz, General Manager; Buick Motor Division Our mission is simple: "Buick will provide Premium American Motorcars backed with services that exceed our customers' expectations, throughout the purchase, ownership, service and repurchase experience." Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL. Buicks are DISTINCTIVE. Buicks are POWERFUL. Buicks are MATURE. How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner's manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you do this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll find that pictures and words work together to explain things quickly. These mean thereis something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could be hurt. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in the back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of all that's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. I You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't," "Don't do this," or "Don't let this happen." Safety Warnings and Symbols You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt you if youwere to ignore the warning. Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: . not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the damage. When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words CAUTION or NOTICE. NOTICE: ~ These mean there something that could is damage your vehicle. In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would ix bols These are someof the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC FASTEN SEAT BELTS BURNS AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY COOLANT POWER WINDOW DAYTIME RUNNING * LAMPS . * Ve hide A These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: These symbols have to do with your lights: These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS e WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER ENGINE COOLANT TEMP BAllERY CHARGING SYSTEM -FI-1 FUSE LIGHTER t n hs BRAKE (a) HORN ,\I/, FOG LAMPS 0 #0 .. WINDOW DEFOGGER ENGINE OIL PRESSURE VENTILATING FAN a (@) SPEAKER b e , p3 FUEL 1 dJ ANTI-LOCK BRAKES NOTES NOTES xii Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Here you'll find information about the seats in your Buick and how use your safety belts to properly. You . can also learn about some things should not do with you air bags and safety belts. 2-Way Manual Seat Seats andSest Controls This section tells you how adjust the seats and to explains the reclining seatbacks head restraints. and Manual Front Seat You can lose control the vehicleif you tryto of adjust a manual driver'sseat while the vehicleis moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you,or make you push pedal when you a don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar under the frontthe seatto unlock it. Slide of the seat to where you want itand release thebar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-1 Driver's 4-Way Manual Seat (Option) The driver's seat may have two levers under the front edge of the seat. Lift the lever near the outer side of the seat to unlock it and slide it forward and back. Lift the lever near the center to tilt the seat up or down. Reclining Front Seatbacks (2-Door Models) Power Seat (Option) FRONT (A): Raise the frontof the seat by holding the switch up. Hold the switch down to lower the front of the seat. Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback in place.P l up on the lever without pushing ul on the seatback and the seatback will move forward. CENTER (B): Move the seat forward or backward by holding the control to the front or back. Raise or lower the seat by holding the control up or down. REAR (C): Raise the rear the seat by holding the switch of up. Hold the switch downto lower the rear of the seat. 1-2 1 But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. Sitting in a reclined position whenyour vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulderbelt can't do its job. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neck or otherinjuries. The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would bethere, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sitwell back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. 1-3 Reclining Front Seatbacks (4-Door Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback in place. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the seatback and the seatback will move forward. But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is mov I Sitting ina reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle CAUTION: (Continued) 1-4 Seatback Latches (2-Door Models) I up, your safety belts can't do their when job you're reclined like this. The shoulderbelt can't do its because it job won't be against your body. Instead, itwill be in front of you. In a crash you could go into it, receiving neckor other injuries. The lapbelt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones. This could cause serious internal injuries. For proper protection when the vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. The front seat folds forward to let people get into the back seat. Your seatback will move back and forth freely, unless you come to a sudden stop. Then it will lock in place. If your vehicle is parked facing down a fairly steep hill, the seatback may not fold without some help from you. Head Restraints Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash. To fold the locked seatback forward,push the seatback toward the rear and lift this latch. Then the seatback will fold forward. The latch must be down for the seat to work properly. 1-5 Safety Belts: They're for Everyone This part of the manual tells you how ...