battery BUICK LESABRE 2000 User Guide

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2-49 Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle at a
higher RPM setting than normal to make sure the battery
charges. High electrical loads may occur when several
of the following are on: headlamps, high beams, rear
window defogger, high blower fan, heated seats
(if equipped) and engine cooling fans.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual lamp control has been left on, the exterior
lamps will turn off approximately 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned OFF/LOCK. This protects draining the
battery in case you have accidentally left the headlamps
or parking lamps on. If you need to leave the lamps on
for more than 10 minutes, use the manual control to turn
the lamps back on. To delay the lamps from turning off,
see ªTwilight Sentinel

º in the index.
Front Reading Lamps
Front seat reading lamps are turned on or off by pressing
one of the lamps buttons.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle's battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp, glove
box lamp, cigarette lighters or garage door opener. When
the ignition is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. Power will be
restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch is
turned on. To restore power back to the cigarette lighters
the ignition must be turned back to RUN.

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Auxiliary Power Outlets
Your vehicle may have one or three power outlets
depending on the type of front seat you have. If your
vehicle has front bucket seats with a center console, you
will find one outlet inside the storage compartment
and the other on the lower front edge of the console.
(An extra power outlet can be found in the ashtray.)
The power outlets can be used to plug in electrical
equipment such as a cellular telephone or CB radio.
Follow the proper installation instructions that are
included with the equipment you install.NOTICE:
When using an accessory outlet:

The maximum load of any electrical
equipment should not exceed 15 amps.

Be sure to turn off any electrical equipment
when not in use. Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended periods of time
can drain your battery.

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2-69 Battery System Warning Light
When you turn the key to
RUN, this light will turn on
briefly, to show that your
generator and battery
charging systems
are working.
If the light stays on, a chime will sound indicating you
need service and you should take your vehicle to the
dealer at once. To save your battery until you get there,
turn off all accessories and set your climate control
system to OFF.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
when you turn the key to
RUN. If it doesn't come on
then, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn you if
there's a problem.
If the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See ªTowing
Your Vehicleº in the Index.)
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.

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Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel
(see ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause
your engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You
may notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when
you put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or may
begin programs to inspect the emission control equipment
on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could
prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.

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2-82

GAGE INFO: Use this button to display oil pressure,
oil life, coolant temperature, tire pressure and
battery information.
Press the GAGE INFO button until OIL PRESSURE
appears in the display. If there are no problems
detected with the oil pressure, the display will show
OIL PRESSURE NORMAL. If a low oil pressure
condition is detected, the display will show OIL
PRESSURE LOW. If you see the OIL PRESSURE
LOW message, your vehicle could be low on oil or
the oil is not going through the engine properly.
See your dealer for service.
Press the GAGE INFO button until COOLANT
TEMP appears in the display. If there are no
problems detected with the temperature, COOLANT
TEMP NORMAL will appear in the display. If the
temperature is too high, COOLANT TEMP HOT
will appear in the display. If you see the COOLANT
TEMP HOT message, the engine is overheated. You
should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and turn
off your engine as soon as possible. This manual
explains what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.Press the GAGE INFO button until the display
shows BATTERY STATE. If the voltage is normal
the display will show BATTERY STATE NORMAL.
If the voltage drops below 10.5 volts, the display will
show BATTERY STATE LOW. If the voltage is
above 16 volts, the display will show BATTERY
STATE HIGH. If the display shows the high or low
message, you need to have your battery and charging
system checked.
Press the GAGE INFO button until OIL LIFE
INDEX appears in the display. The OIL LIFE
INDEX NORMAL display will show an estimate of
the oil's remaining useful life. When the oil life
index is less than 10%, the display will show OIL
LIFE INDEX CHANGE OIL. When you have the
oil changed according to the maintenance schedule
(see ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index), you will
have to reset the oil life monitor. To reset the Oil
Life System (Index), see ªOil Life Systemº or
ªEngine Oil, When to Changeº in the Index.

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Press the GAGE INFO button until TIRE PRESSURE
appears in the display. TIRE PRESSURE NORMAL is
displayed when the Check Tire Pressure System
believes your vehicle's tire pressures are normal. If a
potential tire pressure problem is detected, the display
will show TIRE PRESSURE LOW: CHECK TIRES.
If you see the TIRE PRESSURE LOW: CHECK
TIRES message, you should stop as soon as you can
and check all your tires for damage. (If a tire is flat, see
ªIf a Tire Goes Flatº in the Index.) Also check the
tire pressure in all four tires as soon as you can.
See ªInflation
-- Tire Pressureº and ªCheck Tire
Pressure Systemº in the Index. There are times
when you will have to reset (calibrate) the Check
Tire Pressure System. See ªCheck Tire Pressure
Systemº in the Index.

RESET: This button, used along with other buttons,
will reset system functions.

ENG/MET: Use this button to change the display
between English and metric units.
DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display. For Canadian drivers, in addition to the DIC
message your DIC will display EXP with a number after
it which reflects the following messages:EXP (Export ID) Warning Message
2 ENG COOLANT LOW
- CHECK LEVEL . . . . . .
20 TURN SIGNAL STILL ON?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24 TRUNK AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25 WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW. . . . . . .
27 BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36 ENGINE OIL LOW
- CHECK LEVEL . . . . . . . .
40 THEFT ATTEMPT DETECTED. . . . . . . . . . . . .
54 SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM. . . . . . . . . . . .
55 STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . .
61 GAS CAP LOOSE
- CHECK CAP . . . . . . . . . . .
81 CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON. . . . . . . . . . . . .
91 TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVE. . .
102 CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
139 DOOR AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
144 CHECK TIRE PRESSURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The EXP codes are used to make translation from
English to other languages easier.
Pressing any of the DIC control buttons will remove the
messages or warnings from the DIC display.

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3-35 Personal Choice Radio Controls
(If Equipped)
With this feature, your vehicle will recall the latest radio
settings as adjusted the last time your vehicle was
operated. This feature allows two different drivers to
store and recall their own radio settings for AM and FM
presets, last tuned station, volume, tone and audio
source (radio, cassette or CD). The settings recalled by
the radio are determined by which transmitter (ª1º or
ª2º) was used to enter the vehicle. The number on the
back of the transmitter corresponds to driver 1 or to
driver 2. After the button with the unlock symbol is
pressed on the transmitter and the ignition is in RUN,
the radio settings will automatically adjust to where they
were last set by the identified driver. The settings can
also be changed by pressing one of the MEMORY
buttons (1 or 2) located on the driver's door until you
hear two beeps. When changes are made, the new
settings will be saved for the driver.
Theft-Deterrent Feature (If Equipped)
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. It works by using a secret code to disable all radio
functions whenever battery power is removed and the
radio is placed in a different vehicle. This feature
requires no user unput to be activated. It is automatically
armed when it is put into the vehicle for the first time.
When the radio is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK is armed.
If THEFTLOCK is activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen. The radio will display LOC and a red LED
indicator light will come on above the THEFTLOCK
logo to indicate a locked condition. If this occurs, the
radio will have to be returned to the dealer.

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4-29

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

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5-3
Jump Starting
If your vehicle's battery has run down, you may want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps to do it safely.
Note: You will not see the battery under the hood of
your vehicle, since it is located under the rear seat on the
passenger's side.
CAUTION:
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 don't follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
The ACDelco battery in your vehicle has a
built
-in hydrometer. Do not charge, test or jump
start the battery if the hydrometer looks clear or
light yellow. Replace the battery when there is
a clear or light yellow hydrometer and a
cranking complaint.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won't work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn't a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.

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2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put your automatic
transaxle in PARK (P).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off all lamps that aren't needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition, it could save your radio!4. Open the hoods and locate the battery on the other
vehicle and the remote positive (+) terminal, located
on the passenger's side of the engine, on your
vehicle. Find the positive (+) and negative (
-)
terminals on the battery in the other vehicle.
You do not need to access your vehicle's battery
(which is under the rear seat) for jump starting.
The remote positive (+) terminal is for this purpose.
CAUTION:
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.