headlamp BUICK LESABRE 2000 User Guide

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Mirrors
Day/Night Manual Rearview Mirror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. The day
-night adjustment allows you to adjust the
mirror to avoid glare from the headlamps behind you.
Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have an automatic electrochromic
day/night rearview mirror.
When this feature is turned on, the mirror automatically
changes to reduce glare from headlamps behind you. A
photocell on the mirror senses when it is becoming dark
outside. Another photocell built into the mirror face
senses when headlamps are behind you.
At night, when the glare is too high, the mirror will
gradually darken to reduce glare (this change may take a
few seconds). The mirror will return to its clear daytime
state when the glare is reduced.

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Mirror Operation
To turn on the automatic dimming feature, press AUTO.
To turn off automatic dimming, press OFF. The green
indicator light will be illuminated when this feature
is active.
Time Delay
The automatic mirror has a time delay feature which
prevents unnecessary switching from the night back to
the day position. This delay prevents rapid changing of
the mirror as you drive under lights and through traffic.
Cleaning the Photocells
Use a cotton swab and glass cleaner to clean the
photocells when necessary.
Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
with Compass (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have an electrochromic inside
rearview mirror with a compass.
When set in the MIRROR position, this mirror
automatically changes to reduce glare from headlamps
behind you. A time delay feature prevents rapid
changing from the day to night positions while driving
under lights and through traffic.
The mirror also includes an eight
-point compass display in
the upper right corner of the mirror face. When on, the
compass automatically calibrates as the vehicle is driven.
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper towel or similar
material dampened with glass cleaner. Do not spray glass
cleaner directly on the mirror as that may cause the liquid
cleaner to enter the mirror housing. Use a cotton swab and
glass cleaner to clean the photocells when necessary.

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CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Automatic Dimming/Heated Outside
Rearview Mirror (If Equipped)
If you have this feature, the outside driver's mirror will
adjust for the glare of headlamps behind you. This
feature is controlled by the on and off settings on the
automatic electrochromic day/night rearview mirror.
See ªElectrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirrorº
earlier in this section.
When you operate the rear window defogger, a defogger
also warms the heated driver's and passenger's outside
rearview mirrors to help clear them of ice and snow.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To open,
lift the latch release on the left side of the glove box door.
Front Storage Armrest
You may have a fold-down armrest between the front seats
that opens into a storage area. To open it, push the button
on the front edge. Inside are cupholders that can be rotated
forward for use. There is also a removable coinholder and
a storage area for cassette tapes and compact discs.
Front Center Console (Option)
Your vehicle may have a center console that opens to
two storage compartments. The front of the console has
two cupholders that can be unfolded for use. Flip the
center of the console forward to use the built
-in writing
surface on top of the lid.
You will also find an auxiliary power outlet located inside
the storage compartment and one on the lower front edge
of the console. These outlets can be used for accessories
requiring electrical power, such as a cellular phone or fax
machine. See ªAuxiliary Power Outletsº in the Index.
The console also contains a removeable coinholder as
well as storage for cassette tapes and compact discs.

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Here are some things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:

At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads FULL (F).

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to
fill the tank.

The gage moves a little when you turn a corner,
speed up, or make a hard stop.

The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition.Head-Up Display (HUD)
(If Equipped)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up Display
(HUD), you can see some of the driver information that
appears on your instrument cluster.
The information may be displayed in English or metric
units and appears as a reflection in the windshield. The
HUD consists of the following information:

Speedometer Reading

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-Beam Headlamp Indicator

Check Gages Message

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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.Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.

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No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren't even aware of it.

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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:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
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 headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

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Bulb Replacement
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer's service department.
For the bulb types to be used in the following
procedures, see ªReplacement Bulbsº in the Index.
Halogen Bulbs
CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
This procedure is for both the driver's and passenger's
side headlamps.
1. Remove the two bolts retaining the
headlamp assembly.
2. Slide the headlamp outboard until the pins are loose.
3. Remove the headlamp assembly to access the bulbs.

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4. Rotate the bulb retainer counterclockwise to remove
the bulb assembly.
5. Pull the bulb straight out from the retainer.
6. Push the new bulb straight into the retainer.
7. Reverse these steps to replace the bulb assembly.Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming system
equipped with horizontal aim indicators. The aim has
been pre
-set at the factory and should need no further
adjustment. This is true even though your horizontal aim
indicators may not fall exactly on the ª0º (zero) marks on
their scales.

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If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment to the low beam
may be necessary if it is difficult to see lane markers
(for horizontal aim), or if oncoming drivers flash their
high beams at you (for vertical aim). If you believe your
headlamps need to be re
-aimed, we recommend that you
take your vehicle to your dealer for service. However, it
is possible for you to re
-aim your headlamps as
described in the following procedure.
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
The vehicle should be properly prepared as follows:

The vehicle should be placed so the headlamps
are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from a light colored wall or other
flat surface.

The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall or
other flat surface.

The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular to
the wall or other flat surface.

The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.

The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.

The vehicle should be normally loaded with a full
tank of fuel and one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on
the driver's seat.

Tires should be properly inflated.
Headlamp aiming is done with the vehicle low beam
lamps. The high beam lamps will be correctly aimed if
the low beam lamps are aimed properly.
The headlamp aiming devices are under the hood near
the headlamps.