battery BUICK LESABRE 1993 User Guide

passengers safe: Turn on your hazard flashers. Tie a red
cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped
by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a
blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap
bags, rags, floor mats
-- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION: (Continued)
-
4
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b, CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
Thls can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxlda)
gas to get inslde. Cb could overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see It or smell it, 50 you might
not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away pow
from around the base of your vehicle I especially
any that is blocking your exhaugt pipe. And
cbk around again from time to time to be sum
snow doesn’t collect them
Open
a window just a little on the slde of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
CAUTION: (Continued)
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go
a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged.
You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlights. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
188

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
Buick. But please follow the steps below to
do it safely.
CAUTION:
I
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
1) They contain that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or
@ They contain enough electric& to burn
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all of these things can hurt you.
ignite.
you.
I
NOTICE:
Ignoring
these
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your Buick by pushing or
pulling i
won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
To Jump Start Your Buick:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
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1
1
NC ‘IC
If tne otner s [en sn’t a 12-vo1r sysre
negative ground, both vehicles can be a
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection
you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your Buick, and
the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.

’
A CAUTION:
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in
“P” (Park) or a manual
transaxle
in “N” (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could
save
your radio!
If you leave your radio on, It could be my
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
1
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
‘
A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing
and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
I
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each
battery.

A 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
flashlight
if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new GM vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right amount of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water to take care of that
first. If you don’t, explosive gas cduld be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your
eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and
get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t 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
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-) or
a metal engine part. Don’t connect
(+) to (-) or you’ll
get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe
other parts, too.
A CAUTION:
. ms or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly.
Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines
are running. I I I
200

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.. 1:
t
6. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
7. Don't 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.
201

8. Now connect the black negative (-) cable to the good
battery’s negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end touch anything until the next
step. The other end
of the negative cable doesn’t go
to the dead battery. It goes to
a heavy unpainted
metal part on the engine
of the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but
not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just
as good there,
but the chance of sparks getting back to the battery
is
much less.
R
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try
to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
the
engine for a while.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.

12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don't touch
each other
or any other metal.
rp+,
GOOD BATTERY
I:
Towing Your Car
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Buick. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type
(A) or a wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow
truck.
I
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
203

@ Part 6 Service & Appearance Lare
Here you will find information about the care of your Buick . This part begins with service and fuel information. and
then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant level\
s
. There is also technical information about your
vehicle. and a section devoted to its appearance care .
Part 6 includes:
ServiceTips
......................................................................
Fuel ........................................................................\
.....
HoodRelease .....................................................................
Engineoil ....................................................................... \
AirFilter ........................................................................\
.
Automatic Transaxle Fluid ............................................................
Enginecoolant ....................................................................
Power Steering Fluid ...............................................................
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................................
Brakes ........................................................................\
...
Battery ........................................................................\
..
BulbReplacement .................................................................
Tires ........................................................................\
.....
Appearancecare ..................................................................
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ..................................................
FusesandCircuitBreake ............................................................
Capacities and Specifications .........................................................
LoadingYourVehicle ...............................................................
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240
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249
250
253
255
262
269
270
275
229

What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
DOT-5 silic
your vehicle. Don’t use it.
0 Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind o
fluid. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in
your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to
Brake fluid can damage paint,
so be caref
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern 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. Vehicles
we design and test have top-quality GM brake
parts in them, as your Buick does when it is new. When
you replace parts of your braking system -- for example,
when your brake linings wear down and you have to
have new ones put in
-- be sure you get new genuine
GM replacement parts.
If you don’t, 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’ve come to
expect can change in many other ways if someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Buick has a Delco Freedoms battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedoms
battery. Get one that has the catalog number shown
on
the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, take
off the black, negative (-) cable from the
battery. This will help keep your battery from running
down.
249

A CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See
“Jump Starting” in the Index
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
I
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
Halogen Bulbs
1 6!& CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Take special careowhen
handling and disposing of halogen bulbs.
I
Headlamp Bulb Replacement
a,
--.
Each headlamp is attached by retainers with round
plastic knobs. Remove the retainers
by turning in a
counter-clockwise direction.
250