fuel BUICK LESABRE 1993 User Guide

If your Buick has this climate control system, the
following information tells you how it works.
Your Buick's flow through ventilation system supplies
outside air into
the vehicle when it is moving. When the
heater or air conditioning fan is running, outside air
will
also enter the vehicle.
Fan Speeds
The fan control is used to select the speed you want the
blower to control the air flow.
Lever Controls
The upper lever changes the fan speeds. The lower lever
changes the temperature
of the air coming through your
air outlets.
Air Conditioning
The next three selections cool the air. The air
conditioner won't work well unless all the windows are
closed. On very hot days, open the windows long
enough
to let hot inside air out. This reduces the amount
of work your air conditioner's compressor will have to
do, which should help fuel economy.
Max
This setting provides maximum cooling with the least
amount of work.
MAX recirculates much of the air
inside your vehicle
so it maximizes your air
conditioner's performance and fuel economy.
Norm
Use NORM for normal cooling on hot days. This setting
cools outside air and directs it through the instrument
panel outlets.
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Bi-Level
This 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.
The Bi-level setting directs outside air into your vehicle
in two ways. Cool air is directed toward your upper
body through the instrument panel outlets, while slightly
warmed air is directed through the heater outlet at your
feet.
The air conditioner compressor operates in all Air
Conditioning positions and the Defrost position when
the outside temperature is above
48 OF (9OC).
When you don’t need to cool the outside air, use the
VENT, HEAT, or DEFROST settings. Adjust the
temperature control for comfort. You’ll get better fuel
economy (gas mileage) if you’re
not cooling the outside
air. When
you cool the air, your engine runs a
refrigeration compressor, and it has to work harder.
Vent
For mild outside temperature, when little heating or
cooling is needed, use the
VENT setting. Air will flow
through the instrument panel outlets. Use
the air outlets to
turn on, adjust and turn
off the air flow. Adjust the
temperature lever to the desired temperature.
Heater
When outside temperatures are cold, pressing the HTR
setting and adjusting the temperature lever
will send
warm air through the floor outlets, and some through the
defroster vents.
Def
The Defrost setting directs most of the air flow toward
the windshield. Use defrost when
you want to remove
fog or ice from
the windshield. When it’s 48 OF (9 “C) or
warmer, you’ll get cooled air.
Defog
Air entering the car will be evenly split between the
floor outlets and the outlets near the windshield. You
can control the temperature of the air and the fan speed
to clear the foggy windows.
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Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways,
there are still many made on regular highways. Long-distance driving on freeways and regular
highways is the same in some ways. The trip has to be
planned and the vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns
behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and
your vehicle are in good shape. Here are some tips for a
successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained,
it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’!! find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil. Other Fluids: Have
you checked
all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
- Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip
a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:
Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea
or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.

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
I-
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
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from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
If You’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep
snow without damaging it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Towing a Trailer
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A CAUTION:
If you don’t use‘the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer Is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well - or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously iniured.
Pull a trailer only if you have followed all tt
steps in this section.
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vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty. To pull a traAer correctly,
follow I
the advice in this section.
Your car can tow a trailer. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read
the information
in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section. But trailering
is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
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trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
All
of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with
trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A
good source for this information can be state or
provincial police.
Consider using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh
2,000 pounds (900 kg) or less. You should
always use a sway control if your trailer will weigh
more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg).
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg),
unless you have the optional
3,000 pound (1 350 kg)
trailer towing package. But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And,
it can also depend on any
special equipment that
you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at Buick Motor Division, Customer Assistance Center,
902 E. Hamilton Avenue,
Flint,
MI 48550.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited,
Customer Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
Oshawa, Ontario
LlH 8P7.
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@ 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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Fuel
Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM D48 14
in
the U.S. and CGSB 3.5-92 in Canada. These fuels
should have the proper additives,
so you should not have
to add anything to the fuel.
In the
U.S. and Canada, it’s easy to be sure you get the
right kind of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
“UNLEADED’ right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane
is at least 87. If the octane is
less than
87, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough, it can damage your engine.
If you’re using
fuel rated at 87 octane or higher and you
still hear heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
But don’t worry
if you hear a little pinging noise when
you’re accelerating or driving up a
hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid
of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant knock that means
you have a problem.
What about gasoline with blending materials that
contain oxygen, such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is
no
more than 15% MTBE is fine for your vehicle. Ethanol is ethyl
or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel
that is
no more than 10% ethanol is fine for your
vehicle.
Methanol is methyl
or wood alcohol.
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for
your vehicle. Don’t use it. It can corrode I..,
parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty. And even
at 5
or less, there must be “cosolvents” and
corrosion preventers in this fuel to help
avoid
these problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel
system. That helps keep your engine in tune and your
emission control system working properly.
It’s good for
your vehicle, and you’ll
be doing your part for cleaner
air.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. General Motors recommends that you
use
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gasolines with these blending materials, such as MTBE
and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air,
especially in those parts of the country that have
high
carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing
reformulated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. General Motors
recommends that you use reformulated gasoline. By
doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those
parts of the country that have high ozone levels.
You should ask your service station operators if their
gasolines contain detergents and oxygenates, and
if they
have been reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
U.S. or Canada, unleaded fuel may be hard to find. Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even one tankful, your emission controls won’t work well or at all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get fouled, the exhaust
system can corrode, and your engine oil can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor will be damaged.
All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t
be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact
a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just
tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors of Canada Ltd.
International Export Sales
P.O. Box 828
Oshawa, Ontario L1 H 7N1, Canada
.
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Filling Your Tank
.. .-
The cap is behind a hinged door on the left side of your
vehicle.
While refueling, hang the cap inside the fuel door.
I
A CAUTION:
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don’t smoke
if you’re near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
Place the cap on the inner most edge and turn as
necessary to secure.
To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).
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