charging BUICK LESABRE 2002 Owner's Manual

Page 113 of 398

2-50 Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle's 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, fan at high speed, heated seats (if
equipped) and engine cooling fans.
If your vehicle's battery remains in a heavy discharge
condition for a long period of time, the fan, rear
defogger, heated seats and heated mirrors will be
disabled and the DIC will display BATTERY SAVER
ACTIVE. This can happen either under long periods of
idling or low speed driving with high electrical loading,
or in the event of a charging system fault.
Mirrors
Day/Night Manual Rearview Mirror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. The day
-night adjustment allows you to adjust the
mirror to avoid glare from the headlamps behind you.
Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have an automatic electrochromic
day/night rearview mirror. Your vehicle's mirror may
also contain OnStar
 controls.
This is the on/off button for mirrors equipped with
OnStar controls.
When this feature is turned on, the mirror automatically
changes to reduce glare from headlamps behind you.
A photocell on the mirror senses when it is becoming
dark outside. Another photocell built into the mirror face
senses when headlamps are behind you.
At night, when the glare is too high, the mirror will
gradually darken to reduce glare (this change may take a
few seconds). The mirror will return to its clear daytime
state when the glare is reduced.
Mirror Operation
To turn on the automatic dimming feature, press AUTO
(or the on/off button for mirrors equipped with OnStar
controls). To turn off automatic dimming, press OFF
(or the on/off button for mirrors equipped with OnStar
controls). The indicator light will be illuminated when
this feature is active.

Page 136 of 398

2-73 Battery System Warning Light
When you turn the key to
RUN, this light will turn
on briefly to show that
the generator and battery
charging systems
are working.
If the light stays on, a chime will sound indicating that
the vehicle needs service. You should take your vehicle
to the dealer as soon as possible. To save the battery
until you get there, turn off all accessories and set the
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.
United States Canada
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.

Page 147 of 398

2-84
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 16.2 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 percent, 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.
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
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE.If you see the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE 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 (English/Metric): Use this button to change
the display between English and metric units.
DIC messages can be displayed in one of three languages:
English, French or Spanish. The language of the display
is set by holding the FUEL INFO and RESET buttons
together for five seconds. As the buttons are held, each
language will be displayed for three seconds. Release the
FUEL INFO and RESET buttons when the desired
language is displayed. All DIC messages will now be in
the selected language. Language selection can also be
done through the DIC Personal Choice Programming. See
ªDIC Personal Choice Programmingº later in this section.

Page 198 of 398

3-41
SEEK: Press the up arrow to seek to the next station
and the down arrow to seek to the previous station. The
sound will mute while seeking. When playing a cassette
tape or a compact disc, press the up arrow to hear the
next selection.
AM/FM: Press this button to choose AM, FM1 or FM2.
SCAN: Press this button to scan your radio preset
stations. The radio will scan to the first preset station
stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then
go on to the next preset station. The radio will scan
preset stations with a strong signal only. Press this
button again to stop scanning.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause interference with your
vehicle's radio. This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls, charging the phone's
battery or simply having the phone turned on. This
interference is described as an increased level of static
while listening to the radio. If you notice static while
listening to the radio, unplug the cellular phone and
turn it off.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage do the following:
1. Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
2. Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.