air condition BUICK RANDEZVOUS 2002 User Guide

3-7
Mode Buttons
VENT: This button turns the air conditioning
compressor on and off and changes the mode to
upper. The words A/C OFF are shown in the display.
Recirculation is not permitted when the compressor
is off. The system will try to control the temperature
automatically, but without the compressor.
(Recirculation): Press this button
(the recirculation symbol in the display will be lit) to
recirculate the air inside of your vehicle and to limit the
amount of outside air and/or odors entering the vehicle.
Press this button again (the recirculation symbol will
go off) to send outside air into your vehicle. Using this
setting while trying to defrost or defog the windows will
help clear the vents of moisture. When the defog, defrost
or lower setting is selected, the system will
automatically go to outside air mode.
Operating the Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning
(HVAC) system in the recirculation mode may cause
fogging of the vehicle's windows when the weather
is cold and damp. To clear the fog, switch the HVAC
system to either the defog or defrost mode and increase
the fan speed. To avoid refogging of the windows,
operate the HVAC system in the outside air mode.Air Conditioning
On very hot days, your vehicle will cool down more
quickly and economically if you open the windows long
enough to let hot, inside air escape. For all settings,
adjust the temperature knob and fan speed as desired.
To get maximum cooling or a quick cool
-down on very
hot days, press the recirculation button (the recirculation
symbol in the display will be lit) and turn the
temperature knob to the desired interior temperature.
Then, select the mode to direct the air to the desired
location. This setting should not be used for long
periods of time because the air may become too cold
and dry.
Push the recirculation button again (the recirculation
symbol will go off) to turn off recirculation.
When the air conditioner compressor is on, you may
sometimes notice slight changes in your vehicle's engine
performance and power. This is normal. The system is
designed to help fuel economy while it maintains the
desired cooling level.
The air conditioner removes moisture from the air, so
you may sometimes notice water dripping from under
your vehicle's engine compartment when it is idling or
after it has been turned off. This is normal.

3-8
Heating
Turn the temperature knob to the desired interior
temperature to warm the air.
In the lower mode, outside air will be brought in and
sent through the floor outlets. The heater works best if
you keep your windows closed while using it.
The bi
-level setting is designed for use on sunny days
when the air is only moderately warm or cool. On days
like these, the sun may adequately warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
For the best results, move the temperature knob to the
middle position, and then adjust it for comfort.
Your vehicle has a computer controlled transaxle
designed to warm up the engine faster when the outside
temperature is 35
F (2
C) or colder. You may notice
that the transaxle will shift at a higher vehicle speed
until the engine is warmed up. This is a normal
condition designed to provide heat to the passenger
compartment and defrost the windows more quickly.If your vehicle is equipped with an engine coolant heater
and you use it during cold weather, 0
F (
-18
C) or
lower, your heating system will provide heat more
quickly because the engine coolant is already warmed.
See ªEngine Coolant Heaterº in the Index.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows.
To defrost the windows quickly, press the defrost button
and set the temperature to 90
F (32
C) and select a high
fan speed.
To warm passengers while keeping the window clear,
select the defog mode with the mode button (the defog
symbol will be lit). Select the fan speed for comfort and
windshield clearing performance.

3-10 Ventilation System
Your vehicle's flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
is running.
Your vehicle has air outlets that allow you to adjust
the direction and amount of airflow inside the vehicle.
Push the outlet up or down to direct the airflow.
Opening and closing the louvers will also direct airflow
from side to side.Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow
or any other obstruction (such as leaves). This will
allow the heater and defroster to work much better,
reducing the chance of fogging the inside of
your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, select the
lower mode and set the fan to the highest setting for
a few moments before driving off. This helps clear
the intake ducts of snow and moisture, and reduces
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats and around
the base of the center console clear of objects.
This helps air to circulate throughout your vehicle.

If the airflow seems very low when the fan is
adjusted to the highest setting, your passenger
compartment air filter may need replacement.
See ªPassenger Compartment Air Filterº in the
Index for more information.

3-18
If an error appears on the display, see ªCompact Disc
Messagesº later in this section.
1
(Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to
quickly reverse within a track. Release is it to play
the passage. You will hear sound at a reduced level.
2
(Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to
quickly advance within a track. Release is it to play
the passage. You will hear sound at a reduced level.
4 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear
the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
Press RDM again to turn off random play.
DISP (Display): Press this button to see which track is
playing. Press it again within five seconds to see how
long it has been playing. To change what is normally
shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press this
button until you see the display you want, then hold the
button until the display flashes.
SEEK : Press the left arrow to go to the start of
the current track if more than eight seconds have played.
If you hold the button or press it more than once, the
player will continue moving back through the disc.
Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you hold
the button or press it more than once, the player will
continue moving forward through the disc. The sound
will mute while seeking.AM FM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing.
CD: Press this button to change to playing a CD when
listening to the radio.
(Eject): Press this button to eject a CD.
Compact Disc Errors
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the
radio display, it could be due to one of the
following conditions:

The road is too rough. The disc should play when the
road is smoother.

The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error number, write it down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.

3-27
DISP (Display): Press this button to see which track is
playing. Press it again within five seconds to see how
long it has been playing. To change what is normally
shown on the display (track or elapsed time), press this
button until you see the display you want, then hold the
button until the display flashes.
SEEK : Press the left SEEK button to go to the
start of the current track if more than eight seconds have
played. If you hold the button or press it more than once,
the player will continue moving back through the disc.
Press the right SEEK button to go to the next track.
If you hold the button or press it more than once, the
player will continue moving forward through the disc.
The sound will mute while seeking.
AM FM: Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or CD is playing.
CD TAPE: Press this button to change to playing a
cassette tape or a CD when listening to the radio.
(Eject): Press this button to eject a CD.Compact Disc Errors
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the
radio display, it could be due to one of the
following conditions:

The road is too rough. The disc should play when the
road is smoother.

The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error number, write it down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.

3-38
Compact Disc Messages
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the
radio display, it could be due to one of the
following conditions:

The road is too rough. The disc should play when the
road is smoother.

The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.Rear Seat Audio (RSA) (If Equipped)
This feature allows rear seat passengers to listen to and
control any of the music sources: AM
-FM, cassette tapes
and CDs. However, the rear seat passengers can only
control the music sources that the front seat passengers
are not listening to. For example, rear seat passengers
may listen to a cassette tape or CD through the two sets
of headphones, (provided in the glove box), while the
driver listens to the radio through the front speakers. The
rear seat passengers have control of the volume for each
set of headphones. Be aware that the front seat audio
controls always have priority over the RSA controls. If
the front seat passengers switch the source for the main
radio to a remote source, the RSA will play the same
remote source. The rear speakers will be muted when the
RSA power is turned on. You may operate the RSA
functions even when the main radio is off.
Primary Radio Controls
The following function is controlled by the knob on the
main radio:
PWR (Power): Push this knob twice to turn RSA off.

4-17
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.

5-9
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
ªRoadside Assistanceº in the Index. If you want to
tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational
purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see
ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on
your vehicle's instrument panel. See ªEngine Coolant
Temperature Gageº in the Index. You also have an
engine coolant temperature warning message on your
instrument panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature
Warning Messageº in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode allows your vehicle to
be driven to a safe place in an emergency situation.
If an overheated engine condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates firing groups of
cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode,
you will notice a significant loss in power and engine
performance. The temperature gage will indicate an
overheat condition exists. Driving extended miles (km)
and/or towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode
should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life system. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.

5-11
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº in the Index
for information on driving to a safe place in
an emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:

Climb a long hill on a hot day.

Stop after high
-speed driving.

Idle for long periods in traffic.

Tow a trailer.If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If your air conditioner is on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the
warning doesn't come back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam, idle the engine for
three minutes while you're parked. If you still have the
warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of
the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see ªOverheated
Engine Protection Operating Modeº listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.

6-
6-1
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6
-6 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-11 Engine Oil
6
-16 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-17 Passenger Compartment Air Filter
(If Equipped)
6
-19 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6
-23 All-Wheel Drive (Option)
6
-25 Engine Coolant
6
-28 Radiator Pressure Cap
6
-28 Power Steering Fluid
6
-29 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-30 Brakes
6
-34 Battery
6
-35 Bulb Replacement6
-40 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
6
-42 Tires
6
-53 Appearance Care
6
-54 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-56 Care of Safety Belts
6
-56 Cleaning Glass Surfaces
6
-57 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-59 Cleaning Aluminum or Chrome-Plated
Wheels (If Equipped)
6
-60 Underbody Maintenance
6
-60 Chemical Paint Spotting
6
-61 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-62 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-62 Service Parts Identification Label
6
-63 Electrical System
6
-70 Replacement Bulbs
6
-71 Capacities and Specifications
6
-72 Air Conditioning Refrigerant Capacity
6
-72 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts