BUICK RAINIER 2007 Owner's Manual

How to Check Power Steering Fluid
To check the power steering uid, do the following:
1. Turn the key off and let the engine
compartment cool down.
2. Wipe the cap and the top of the reservoir
clean.
3. Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a
clean rag.
4. Replace the cap and completely tighten it.
5. Remove the cap again and look at the
uid level on the dipstick.
For vehicles with the 4.2L L6 engine, the level
should be at the C (Cold) mark. For vehicles with
the 5.3L V8 engine, the level should be at the
FULL mark. If necessary, add only enough uid to
bring the level up to the mark.
What to Use
To determine what kind of uid to use, see
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 489.
Always use the proper uid. Failure to use the
proper uid can cause leaks and damage hoses
and seals.
Windshield Washer Fluid
What to Use
When you need windshield washer uid, be sure
to read the manufacturer’s instructions before
use. If you will be operating your vehicle in an area
where the temperature may fall below freezing,
use a uid that has sufficient protection against
freezing.
391

Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the
washer symbol on it.
Add washer uid
until the tank is full. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 366
for reservoir location.
Notice:
When using concentrated washer uid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Do not mix water with ready-to-use washer
uid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer uid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water does not clean as well as washer uid.
Fill your washer uid tank only
three-quarters full when it is very cold.
This allows for expansion if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Do not use engine coolant (antifreeze) in
your windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master
cylinder reservoir is
lled with DOT-3 brake
uid. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview
on page 366for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid
level in the reservoir might go down. The rst
is that the brake uid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are put in, the uid level goes back
up. The other reason is that uid is leaking out of
the brake system. If it is, you should have your
brake system xed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work well, or
will not work at all.
392

So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you
add uid when your linings are worn, then you will
have too much uid when you get new brake
linings. You should add or remove brake uid, as
necessary, only when work is done on the
brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can
spill on the engine. The uid will burn if
the engine is hot enough. You or others
could be burned, and your vehicle could
be damaged. Add brake uid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system. See “Checking Brake Fluid” in
this section.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to check your brake uid. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 479.
Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake uid without taking off
the cap.
Look at the brake uid
reservoir. The uid level
should be above
MIN. If it is not, have
your brake system
checked to see if there
is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN, but not
over the MAX mark.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3
brake uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed
container only. SeeRecommended Fluids
and Lubricants on page 489.
393

Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This
will help keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in the brake
system, the brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a few
drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in the brake system can damage brake
system parts so badly that they will have to
be replaced. Do not let someone put in the
wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint nish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake uid
on your vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately. SeeWashing Your Vehicle
on page 457.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the
brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you
are pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear
the brake wear warning sound, have your
vehicle serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause
a brake squeal when the brakes are rst applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean something is
wrong with your brakes.
394

Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and evenly tighten
wheel nuts in the proper sequence to GM torque
specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as
complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return
to normal height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake
trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. Your vehicle was designed and tested
with top-quality GM brake parts. When you replace
parts of your braking system — for example,
when your brake linings wear down and you need
new ones put in — be sure you get new
approved GM replacement parts. If you do not,
your brakes may no longer work properly.
For example, if someone puts in brake linings that
are wrong for your vehicle, the balance between
your front and rear brakes can change — for
the worse. The braking performance you have
come to expect can change in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
395

Battery
Your vehicle has a maintenance free battery.
When it is time for a new battery, get one that has
the replacement number shown on the original
battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
replacement battery. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 366for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash
hands after handling.
Vehicle Storage
If you are not going to drive your vehicle for
25 days or more, remove the black, negative (−)
cable from the battery. This will help keep
your battery from running down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. SeeJump
Starting on page 397for tips on working
around a battery without getting hurt.
396

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. Be sure to use
the following steps to do it safely.
{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 do not 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 would
not be covered by your warranty.Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it will not 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 vehicle’s system is not a
12-volt system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged. Only use
vehicles with 12-volt systems with negative
grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper
cables can reach, but be sure the vehicles are
not touching each other. If they are, it could
cause a ground connection you do not
want. You would not 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 rmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start procedure. Put
an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in NEUTRAL before
setting the parking brake. If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer
case is not in NEUTRAL.
397

Notice:If you leave your radio or other
accessories on during the jump starting
procedure, they could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.
Always turn off your radio and other
accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Unplug unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette lighter or the accessory power
outlets, if equipped. Turn off the radio and all
lamps that are not needed. This will avoid
sparks and help to save both batteries. And it
could save the radio!
4. Open both hoods and locate the batteries.
Find the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminals on each battery. Your vehicle has a
remote negative (−) jump starting terminal.
You should always use this remote terminal
instead of the terminal on the battery.
The remote negative (−) terminal is located on
the front engine lift bracket on vehicles with
the 4.2L L6 engine or the engine accessory
drive bracket for vehicles with the 5.3L V8
engine, and is marked GND (Ground).
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 366for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
Using a match near a battery can cause
battery gas to explode. People have been
hurt doing this, and some have been
blinded. Use a ashlight if you need
more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You do not need to add water to the
battery installed in your new vehicle. But
if a battery has ller caps, be sure the
right amount of uid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that rst. If you
do not, explosive gas could be present.
Battery uid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you
accidentally get it in your eyes or on your
skin, ush the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
398

{CAUTION:
Fans or other moving engine parts can
injure you badly. Keep your hands away
from moving parts once the engine is
running.
5. Check that the jumper cables do not have
loose or missing insulation. If they do, you
could get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some
basic things you should know. Positive (+)
will go to positive (+) or to a remote positive (+)
terminal if the vehicle has one. Negative (−)
will go to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part
or to a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one. Do not connect positive (+) to
negative (−) or you will get a short that
would damage the battery and maybe other
parts too. And do not connect the negative (−)
cable to the negative (−) terminal on the
dead battery because this can cause sparks.6. Connect the red
positive (+) cable to
the positive (+)
terminal of the dead
battery. Use a
remote positive (+)
terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect
it to the positive (+) terminal of the good
battery. Use a remote positive (+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
8. Now connect the black negative (−) cable to
the negative (−) terminal of the good battery.
Use a remote negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
399

Do not let the other end touch anything until
the next step. The other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead battery. It
goes to a heavy, unpainted metal engine part
or to the remote negative (−) terminal on
the vehicle with the dead battery. Your vehicle
has a remote negative (−) terminal, marked
GND, for this purpose.
The remote negative (−) terminal is located on
the front engine lift bracket for the 4.2L L6
engine, and on the accessory drive bracket for
the 5.3L V8 engine.9. Connect the other end of the negative (−)
cable to the remote negative (−) terminal
on the vehicle with the dead battery.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead
battery. If it will not start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice:If the jumper cables are connected or
removed in the wrong order, electrical
shorting may occur and damage the vehicle.
The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Always connect and remove
the jumper cables in the correct order, making
sure that the cables do not touch each other
or other metal.
4.2L L6 Engine5.3L V8 Engine
400