weight BUICK RANDEZVOUS 2003 Owner's Manual

To recline the seatback on
up-level split bench seats,
push forward on the
recliner lever located on
the outboard side of
the seatback.
Move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on each section also fold forward to put
items behind the seats.
Lift up or push forward on the recliner lever and fold the
seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place
when you push it back to the upright position.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.Removing the Split Bench Seat
Each section of the split bench seat can beflipped
forward or removed individually.
1. Unlatch the shoulder belt from the lap-belt.
2. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
position.
3. Lift up or push forward on the seatback recliner
lever to fold the seatback forward. Up-Level
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To recline the seatback, lift up on the recliner lever
located on the outboard side of the seatback. Use the
recliner lever to move the seatback to the desired
position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward and take the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on the second row captain’s chairs fold
forward the same way.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.Removing the Captain’s Chairs
1. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
position.
2. Lift the seatback recliner lever to fold the seatback
forward.
3. Pull up on the lever, located at the base on the
outboard side of the seat, to release the rear
latches from thefloor pins.
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{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
and older children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
Q:What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by
the vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic
types. Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight,
height and age but also whether or not the restraint
will be compatible with the motor vehicle in
which it will be used.
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For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that’s
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You mayfind it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. Tofind out how, seeShifting Into Park (P)
on page 2-26.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)beforeyou release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You have to fullyapplyyour regular
brakesbeforeyou can shift from PARK (P), when
the ignition is in ON.
As you step on the brake pedal, while in PARK (P), you
may hear a click from the solenoid of the system.
This ensures that the system is operating properly. See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want. If you ever
hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of
PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehiclefixed as soon as you can.
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Notice:Loading cargo that weighs more than 220
lbs. (100 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage
your vehicle.
When you carry cargo on the luggage carrier of a
proper size and weight, put it on the slats and distribute
the weight evenly. Then slide the crossrail up against
the rear of the load to keep it from moving. You can then
tie it down. Cargo containers must be loaded on the
crossrails only.
Don’t exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, seeLoading Your Vehicle on
page 4-32.To prevent damage or loss of cargo as you’re driving,
check now and then to make sure the luggage
carrier and cargo are still securely fastened.
Loading things onto the luggage carrier can interfere
with the performance of your XM™Satellite Radio
System.
Your luggage carrier has release levers within the end
of each crossrail support.
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Convenience Net
Your vehicle may have a convenience net. The
convenience net is designed to help keep small loads,
like grocery bags, from falling over. Install the
convenience net at the rear of your vehicle, just inside
the liftgate/tailgate opening.
Attach both the upper and lower hooks to the loops on
either side of the liftgate opening. The label on the
net should be in the upper left corner.
The convenience net has a maximum capacity of
100 lbs. (45 kg). It is not designed to hold larger, heavier
loads. Store such loads on thefloor of your vehicle,
as far forward as you can.
When not in use, it is recommended that you take down
the rear convenience net to extend its life and retain
its elasticity, and to keep the rear exit clear. Store
the net in one of the storage compartments.
Cargo Cover
If your vehicle has a cargo cover, you can use it to
cover items in the rear of the vehicle. Pull the cover
toward the rear if the vehicle and slide the ends into the
slots to secure it. When it is not in use, take the ends
out of the slots and allow the cover to roll back up.
Rear Convenience Center
{CAUTION:
If any removable convenience item isn’t
secured properly, it can move around in a
collision or sudden stop. People in the vehicle
could be injured. Be sure to secure any such
item properly.
Your vehicle may have a rear convenience center.
The rear convenience center can be used to organize
and store items in your vehicle.
The extended rear convenience center, without the
optional third row stowable seat, has a forward bin and
rear bin. The rear convenience center, with the optional
third row stowable seat, contains one storage bin.
To use the convenience center, remove the carpeted
mat and lift the handle(s) on the top of the lid to
open the storage bin.
The extended rear convenience center has a maximum
weight capacity of 400 lbs. (181.6 kg) on top.
The shorter rear convenience center that comes with
the optional third row stowable seat has a maximum
weight capacity of 100 lbs. (45.4 kg) on top.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults—by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population—choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it’s against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive. But what if people do? How much is“too
much”if someone plans to drive? It’s a lot less
than many might think. Although it depends on each
person and situation, here is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, thismeans that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance
of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.“I’ll be careful”isn’t the right
answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
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Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-10.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’sperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’sreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts—heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking—rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
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