cooling BUICK LESABRE 2000 Owner's Manual

yellowblue
2-14
Trunk
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can't see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the trunk lid open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
trunk lid:

Make sure all other windows are shut.

Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on VENT. That will force outside air into
your vehicle. See ªComfort Controlsº in
the Index.

If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
Trunk Lock Release
To unlock the trunk from the outside, insert the master
key and turn it clockwise.
Remote Trunk Release and Trunk Lockout
The TRUNK PUSH OPEN
release button is on the
driver's door trim map
pocket. Push this button
to open the trunk.
The transaxle must be in
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) for
the remote trunk release
button to work.
To lock the trunk from inside your vehicle, insert the
master key and turn it clockwise to LOCK. The VALET
key will not work in this procedure.
Trunk Security Override
The remote keyless entry transmitter, will open the trunk
even if the trunk release lockout switch is in LOCK.

yellowblue
2-49 Battery Load Management
The battery load management feature is designed to
monitor the vehicle electrical load and determine when
the battery is in a heavy discharge condition. During
times of high electrical loading, the engine may idle at a
higher RPM setting than normal to make sure the battery
charges. High electrical loads may occur when several
of the following are on: headlamps, high beams, rear
window defogger, high blower fan, heated seats
(if equipped) and engine cooling fans.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual lamp control has been left on, the exterior
lamps will turn off approximately 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned OFF/LOCK. This protects draining the
battery in case you have accidentally left the headlamps
or parking lamps on. If you need to leave the lamps on
for more than 10 minutes, use the manual control to turn
the lamps back on. To delay the lamps from turning off,
see ªTwilight Sentinel

º in the index.
Front Reading Lamps
Front seat reading lamps are turned on or off by pressing
one of the lamps buttons.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle's battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp, glove
box lamp, cigarette lighters or garage door opener. When
the ignition is turned off, the power to these features will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. Power will be
restored for an additional 10 minutes if any door is
opened, the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch is
turned on. To restore power back to the cigarette lighters
the ignition must be turned back to RUN.

yellowblue
3-2
Comfort Controls
This section describes how to operate your climate
control system. Your climate control system uses
ozone
-friendly air conditioning refrigerant.
With these systems, you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation in your vehicle. Your vehicle also has a
flow
-through ventilation system described later in
this section.
Electronic Touch Climate Control
If your vehicle has this climate control system, the
following information tells you how it works.Fan Lever
The FAN control is used to select the speed of the
blower fan and the force of air you want. Moving the
lever between LOW and HIGH will decrease or increase
the fan speed. The fan will be off when the system is off.
Temperature Lever
This lever adjusts the temperature of the air coming
through the system. Move the TEMPERATURE lever to
change the temperature of the air coming through your
outlets. Move the lever between COOL and WARM to
lower or raise the temperature.
Mode Controls
The buttons on your system allow you to choose
settings to deliver air through the lower, middle or
windshield outlets.
RECIRC: Press this button to limit the amount of
outside air entering your vehicle. This is helpful when
you are trying to cool the interior of the vehicle quickly,
or limit the amount of outside air entering your vehicle.
To turn off RECIRC, press the button again. If you
select FRONT defrost or BLEND while RECIRC is
selected, the system will automatically turn off RECIRC
to prevent fogging. If you select RECIRC while in
FRONT defrost, the RECIRC light will flash three times
to let you know this is not allowed.

yellowblue
3-7
FRONT: This selection is used to defrost the windshield
by directing the airflow toward the windshield.
If FRONT is selected while in the AUTO mode, the fan
speed and the air temperature from the front defroster will
vary. If a manual fan speed setting is selected, the fan
speed will remain at that selection until another fan speed
selection is made or the AUTO mode is selected. To turn
off FRONT, press the AUTO or AIR FLOW button.
FRONT defrost will work better if any ice or snow is
cleared from the hood and the air inlet area between the
base of the windshield and the hood.
Air Conditioning
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for your
vehicle to cool down. Then keep your windows closed
for the air conditioner to work its best.
If you have the electronic touch system, for quick
cool
-down on very hot days, use MAX with the
temperature and fan speed adjusted to COOL and
HIGH. If this setting is used for long periods of time, the
air in your vehicle may become too cold and dry.For normal cooling on hot days, use NORM and adjust the
temperature and fan speed for your comfort. If RECIRC is
selected while in the NORM air conditioning mode, the
system works like MAX and recirculates the air.
On sunny days, when the air is moderately warm or
cool, use BI
-LEV to deliver warm air to the floor and
cooler air to the middle instrument panel outlets. On
days like these, the sun may adequately warm your
upper body, but your lower body may not be warm
enough. To warm or cool the air delivered, adjust the
TEMPERATURE lever.
The amount of fresh air entering the vehicle is limited
when RECIRC is selected. This is helpful when you are
trying to cool the air in your vehicle or limit the air
entering the vehicle.
If your vehicle has the Dual Automatic Comfortemp
system and it is set for AUTO, on very hot days, the
system will automatically enter the RECIRC mode and
the temperature door will be positioned at the full cold
position for maximum cooling. If the system is not in
the AUTO mode, RECIRC should be selected to provide
maximum cooling. You can choose the extreme comfort
setting of 60
F (16
C), but the system will not cool any
faster by choosing the extreme comfort setting.

yellowblue
3-9 Rear Window Defogger
The lines you see on the
rear window warm the
glass. Press this button to
start warming your rear
and side windows.
At speeds above 35 mph (55 km/h), the defogger will
operate continuously until you press the REAR button
again. After 10 minutes of driving below 35 mph
(55 km/h), the defogger will turn off automatically.
If you need additional warming time, push the button
again. The system will then operate for five minutes
before going off by itself.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license, tape or decals
across the defogger grid on the rear window.NOTICE:
Do not try to clear frost or other material from
the inside of the rear window with a razor blade
or anything else that is sharp. This may damage
the rear defogger grid. The repairs wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
Ventilation System
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use VENT (on the electronic touch
system or manual operation on the Dual Automatic
Comfortemp system) to direct outside air through your
vehicle. Air will flow through the middle instrument
panel outlets.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it's moving. When the
vehicle is not moving, you can get outside air to flow
through by selecting any air choice (except the rear
window defogger) and any fan speed.

yellowblue
4-25
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.

Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.

Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.

Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest
gear possible.

Stay in your own lane when driving on two
-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.

As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.

You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no
-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.

yellowblue
4-39 Parking on Hills
CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

Start your engine;

Shift into a gear; and

Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will
help you find them quickly. If you're trailering, it's a good
idea to review this information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.

5-
yellowblue
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-8 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-12 Cooling System
5
-19 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-20 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-29 Compact Spare Tire
5
-30 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

yellowblue
5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood 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.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down.
When the engine is
cold, the coolant level
should be at or above
the FULL COLD mark
(if the engine is hot,
the coolant level
should be at
FULL HOT).

yellowblue
5-13
If it isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added
to the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren't, your vehicle needs service.