checking oil BUICK LESABRE 2005 Owner's Manual

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-17
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-34
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-34
Brakes........................................................5-35Battery........................................................5-38
Jump Starting...............................................5-40
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-45
Headlamp Horizontal Aiming...........................5-46
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-48
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-48
Headlamps..................................................5-49
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-50
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-50
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps.......................5-51
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-53
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-53
Tires..............................................................5-54
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-55
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-57
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-60
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-62
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-63
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-64
Buying New Tires.........................................5-65
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-66
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-67
Wheel Replacement......................................5-67
Tire Chains..................................................5-68
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
Bring the ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the lling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{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 re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer and
other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeEngine
Compartment Fuse Block on page 5-89.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-34.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-40.
D. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeCooling System
on page 5-28.
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-26.
F. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
H. Engine Coolant Air Bleed Valve. See “How to Add
Coolant to the Radiator” underCooling System
on page 5-28.
I. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking
the Fluid Level” underAutomatic Transaxle Fluid
on page 5-21.
J. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-35.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.Engine Oil
If the ENGINE OIL LOW
CHECK LEVEL DIC
message appears on the
instrument cluster, it
means you need to check
your engine oil level
right away. For more
information, seeDIC
Warnings and Messages
on page 3-50.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is 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.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant
recovery tank is located in
the engine compartment
on the passenger’s side of
the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-12for more
information on location.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at FULL
COLD or a little higher. When your engine is warm, the
level should be up to FULL HOT or a little higher.
5-25