tow BUICK LESABRE 2002 User Guide

2-31
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:

Pull the lever toward you.

Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).

2-32 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).
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 may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of PARK (P) before you 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).

2-35
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
Press on the center area of the steering wheel to sound
the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can also raise it to the highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit and
enter the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel
is located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever
toward you. Then move
the wheel to a comfortable
position and release the
lever to lock the wheel
in place.

2-37
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index) and for burned
-out bulbs.
Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 0.8 miles
(1.3 km), a chime will sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam
or high beam to low beam, pull the turn signal lever
toward you and release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light located on the
instrument panel cluster will
also be on.If your vehicle is equipped with the Head
-Up Display
(HUD), an arrow will also appear in the display area to
indicate the high beams are on (See ªHead
-Up Display
(HUD)º in Index for more information).
Flash-To-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use the high-beam headlamps to
signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even if your headlamps are off.
Pull the turn signal lever toward you briefly to
flash
-to-pass.
If the headlamps are off or on low beam, the high
-beam
headlamps will turn on. They'll stay on as long as you
hold the lever toward you and the high
-beam indicator
on the instrument panel cluster comes on. Release the
lever to turn the high
-beam headlamps off.

2-45
When the DRL are on, only your high-beam headlamps
will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won't be on.
When it is dark enough outside, your low
-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that turn on
with your headlamps will also turn on. When it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and your
high
-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are
parked, turn off the headlamps and move the Twilight
Sentinel lever all the way toward OFF. The exterior
lamps will turn back on automatically when you move
the transaxle out of PARK (P).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Cornering Lamps (If Equipped)
The cornering lamps come on when the headlamps
or parking lamps are on and you signal a turn with
the multifunction lever. They provide more light
for cornering.
Twilight Sentinel

Twilight Sentinel turns your headlamps on and off by
sensing how dark it is outside.
The lever for this feature is
located to the left of the
steering column.
To operate it, leave the exterior lamp button off.
If you slide the lever all the way to MAX, your
headlamps will remain on for about three minutes after
you turn off your engine. As you slide the lever toward
OFF, the headlamps will turn off more quickly when
you move your key from RUN. You can change this
delay time from only a few seconds to three minutes.

2-46
The exterior lamps can be completely shut off while
the vehicle is in PARK (P) by sliding the Twilight
Sentinel lever all the way toward OFF, and releasing it.
To turn the exterior lamps back on, slide the lever all
the way toward OFF again, and release it; or, shift out
of PARK (P).
Park Lamp Override Feature
If the Twilight Sentinel lighting is active, it can be
disabled by turning on the manual parking lamps.
The lighting will be disabled until the ignition is moved
from RUN or until the outside light level becomes
daylight. The outside light level changing to daylight
will cause the Twilight Sentinel feature to deactivate.
The wiper
-activated headlamps will override the
twilight disable feature.Light Sensor
Your Twilight Sentinel and
DRL work with the light
sensor located on top of the
instrument panel.
Don't cover it up. If you do, the sensor will read ªdarkº
and the Twilight Sentinel lighting will turn on.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the exterior lamp button has been left on, the exterior
lamps will turn off approximately 10 minutes after the
ignition is turned to LOCK and any door has been
opened. 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 after the ignition is turned to LOCK and any
door is opened. To delay the lamps from turning off,
see ªTwilight Sentinelº in the index.

2-51 Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
with Compass (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have an electrochromic inside
rearview mirror with a compass. Your vehicle's mirror
may also contain OnStar

controls.
This is the on/off button for mirrors equipped with
OnStar controls.
Pressing the MIRROR button located at the bottom of
the mirror (or the on/off button for mirrors equipped
with OnStar controls), turns the automatic dimming
feature on or off.
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.
Mirror Operation
To turn on the automatic dimming feature, press
the MIRROR button located at the bottom of the
mirror (or press and hold the on/off button for aboutthree seconds for mirrors equipped with OnStar controls).
To turn off automatic dimming, press MIRROR (or press
and hold the on/off button for about three seconds for
mirrors equipped with OnStar controls) again. The green
indicator light will be illuminated when this feature is
active. The automatic dimming feature will be active each
time the vehicle is started.
Compass Operation
Press COMPASS (or the on/off button for mirrors
equipped with OnStar controls) once to turn the
compass on or off.
When the ignition and the compass feature are on, the
compass will show two character boxes for
approximately two seconds. After two seconds, the
mirror will display the compass heading.
Compass Calibration
If, after two seconds, the display does not show a
compass heading (N for North, for example), there may
be a strong magnetic field interfering with the compass.
Such interference may be caused by a magnetic antenna
mount, magnetic note pad holder or a similar magnetic
item. If the letter C should ever appear in the compass
window, the compass may need calibration.

2-56
To use a lighter, push the center all the way in and let
it go. When it is ready, the center will pop back out by
itself. Pull out the entire unit to use it.
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
The cigarette lighter will only operate when the ignition
key is in RUN and for 10 minutes after turning the
ignition off. If you would like the lighter to operate
regardless of ignition position, and for extended periods
of time, see ªEngine Compartment Fuse Blockº in the
Index or see your dealer.
Sun Visors
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirrors
When you open the cover to either the passenger's or
driver's visor vanity mirror, the lamps will turn on. The
brightness of the lamp can be adjusted by sliding the
switch up or down.
Dual Sun Visors
Each sun visor has two parts, so that both the windshield
and door glass can be shaded at the same time. To use
the dual sun visors, flip the first visor down and turn it
toward the window. Then, flip the second visor down
toward the windshield.
Auxiliary Power Outlets
The auxiliary power outlets can be used to plug in
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
Your vehicle may have up to three power outlets
depending on the type of front seat you have. If your
vehicle has front bucket seats with a center console, you
will find two outlets inside the rear storage compartment.
(An extra power outlet can be found in the ashtray.)

2-61
Sunroof (Option)
The sunroof has both manual and express features for
opening the glass panel and sunshade.
If your vehicle has this
option, the switch for
the sunroof is located
on the headliner between
the sun visors.
The sunroof has four positions, express open, comfort
stop, closed and vent. The switch will only work when
the ignition is on or when RAP is active. See ªRetained
Accessory Power (RAP)º in the Index.Press and hold the switch rearward to the first position
to open the glass panel and sunshade. The sunshade can
also be opened manually.
Press and release the switch rearward to the second
position to express open the glass panel to the comfort
stop position. The comfort stop position is designed
to help reduce noise and make passengers more
comfortable. When the glass panel is express opening,
pressing the switch in any direction will stop it in a
partially
-opened position. The glass panel may be fully
opened by pressing the switch rearward again. If you
press and hold the switch in the express open position
for more than one and a half seconds, the express open
operation will be overridden and the sunroof will
operate manually.
To close the glass panel, press and hold the switch
forward. As the glass panel reaches the closed position,
it will open slightly toward the vent position and then
drop down to the closed position to provide a better seal.
The sunshade must be closed manually.
Once the sunroof is closed, it can be opened to the vent
position by pushing the switch upward. To close the
glass panel, pull the switch downward. The sunshade
must be opened and closed manually for vent operation.

2-74
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If you try to drive off with the parking brake set,
a chime will also come on until you release the parking
brake. If the light stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when your engine
is started and may stay
on for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN.
If the light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.