tow BUICK LESABRE 2002 Owner's Guide

2-77
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust, intake or fuel system of your vehicle or
the replacement of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light to come on. Modifications to these systems
could lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount
of cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.

3-3
VENT: This setting directs outside air through the
instrument panel outlets. The air conditioning
compressor is not working when VENT is selected. If
you select VENT while in FRONT defrost, the VENT
light will flash three times to let you know this is not
allowed. This is to prevent fogging.
HTR (Heater): This setting directs most of the air
out of the floor ducts while some air will flow through
the windshield and side window outlets. The air
conditioning compressor is not working when
HTR is selected.
BLEND: When BLEND is selected, the airflow will be
split between the windshield outlets and the floor ducts.
The air conditioning compressor will be operating.
FRONT: This setting directs most of the airflow
toward the windshield.
OFF: The ventilation system always allows fresh air to
flow through your vehicle when it is moving. The
system will try to keep the air at a previously chosen
temperature. When the system is off, the blower fan is
also off.MAX (Maximum Air Conditioning): This setting
directs airflow through the instrument panel outlets. The
amount of outside air entering your vehicle is limited
with this setting. The air conditioning compressor is on
in this mode.
Also in this mode, the RECIRC function is activated
to create the maximum cooling effect in the vehicle. If
RECIRC was active before selecting MAX, the light in
the RECIRC button will go off. If RECIRC is selected
after MAX, the light in the RECIRC button will not
come on.
NORM (Normal): This setting cools the outside
air entering your vehicle and directs it through the
instrument panel outlets. The air conditioning
compressor is on in this mode.
BI
-LEV (Bi-Level): This setting directs warmer air
to the floor ducts and cooler air to the instrument panel
outlets. The air conditioning compressor is on in
this mode.

3-5
OFF: If the passenger comfort control is turned on, it
can be turned off by pressing the OFF button once.
Pressing the OFF button a second time will turn off the
main system. Turning off the main system causes the fan
to turn off and the airflow to be directed toward the
floor. The system will still try to keep the interior of the
vehicle at the previously chosen temperature setting.
The outside temperature will show on the display when
the system is off.
The ventilation system always allows fresh air to flow
through your vehicle when the vehicle is moving even
when the system is off.
VENT (Flow
-Through Ventilation): The VENT
button allows outside air to flow through your vehicle
without the air conditioning compressor working. To
turn off the VENT selection, push the VENT button
again. If you select VENT while in FRONT defrost, the
VENT light will flash three times to let you know this is
not allowed. This is to prevent fogging.RECIRC (Recirculation): When RECIRC is selected,
the system will 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. RECIRC and AUTO
may be selected at the same time. The system will remain
in RECIRC until the ignition is turned off or the RECIRC
button is pressed again. RECIRC can be selected in all
manual airflow modes except FRONT defrost and VENT.
If you select RECIRC while in FRONT defrost, the
RECIRC light will flash three times to let you know this is
not allowed. This is to prevent fogging. FRONT: This selection is used to defrost
the windshield by directing the airflow toward the
windshield. To turn off FRONT, press the AUTO
or AIR FLOW button.
If the AIR FLOW up button is selected while in the
FRONT defrost mode, the system will direct the air
toward the windshield and the floor. If the AIR FLOW
down button is selected while in the FRONT defrost
mode, the system will direct the air toward the floor, and
the FRONT defrost mode will cancel.
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.

3-7
Sun and temperature sensors automatically adjust the air
temperature, the airflow direction and the fan speed to
maintain your temperature setting. The system may
supply cooler air to the side of the vehicle toward the
sun. Be careful not to put anything over the sensor on
top of the dash.
The display will show fan speed, temperature level
setting and airflow direction for a few seconds whenever
AUTO is selected, and then it will display the outside
temperature. The outside temperature reading is most
accurate when the vehicle is moving. During stops, the
display shows the previous temperature for best
accuracy and system control.
To find your preferred temperature setting, start with the
system in AUTO mode and the TEMP button adjusted
to 75
F (24
C), give the vehicle about 20 minutes to
stabilize, and adjust your temperature setting if
necessary, by using the TEMP button. The display will
show the temperature setting for a few seconds and then
it will display the outside temperature. If you want to
see your current automatic fan speed, airflow direction
and temperature setting, press the AUTO button.In cold weather, the system will delay turning on the fan,
to avoid blowing cold air. During this delay the system
will be in FRONT defrost mode and the light in the button
will come on and stay on as long as the display is showing
the current mode, set TEMP and FAN speed. This light
will go off when the display returns to the outside
temperature. The length of the delay depends on the
engine coolant temperature and the outside temperature.
Pushing the FAN, AIR FLOW or FRONT buttons will
override this delay, turn off the AUTO setting and return
the system to manual operation.
Personal Choice Comfort Controls
(If Equipped)
This feature enables up to two drivers to store and recall
comfort control settings for the temperature, fan speed
and the direction of the airflow.
The memory buttons (1 or 2) for this feature are located
on the driver's door panel and correspond to the
numbers (1 or 2) found on the back of each keyless
entry transmitter.
To recall comfort settings, press the unlock button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter and put the ignition in
ACCESSORY or RUN. The climate control setting last
chosen by the identified driver (1 or 2) will be recalled.

3-9
On sunny days, when the air is moderately warm or
cool, use Bi
-Level to deliver warm air to the floor ducts
and cooler air to the 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 Recirculation 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 Automatic Operation, on very hot
days, the system will automatically enter recirculation
mode and the temperature door will be positioned at the
full cold position for maximum cooling. If the system is
not in the automatic mode, recirculation 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 as a result.Heating
If your vehicle has the electronic touch system, on cold
days, use HTR with the TEMPERATURE lever toward
WARM and the fan speed toward HIGH.
If your vehicle has the Dual Automatic ComforTemp
system, and on cold days, if the automatic mode is
selected, the system will automatically direct the air
toward the floor and the temperature door will be
positioned at the full hot position. You can choose the
extreme comfort setting of 90
F (32
C) but the
system will not warm up any faster as a result. If the
outside temperature is cold, the fan will be delayed to
avoid blowing cold air. Pushing the FAN, AIR FLOW
or FRONT buttons will override this delay, turn off
the automatic mode and return the system to
manual operation.
With each system, outside air will be brought in and sent
through the floor ducts. The heater works best if you
keep your windows closed while using it.

3-10 Defogging and Defrosting
If you have the electronic touch system, press the
FRONT button and adjust the TEMPERATURE lever
toward WARM and the FAN lever toward HIGH.
If you have the Dual Automatic ComforTemp
system,
use the FRONT button to defog or defrost the
windshield. By choosing this button, the airflow will be
directed at the windshield. Adjust your temperature
level by pressing the TEMP up or down arrow. The fan
speed will be controlled by the system. You can change
the fan speed by pressing the up FAN arrow to increase
speed, and the down arrow to decrease speed.
To reduce the chance of fogging your windows in cold
weather, using the electronic touch system, select HTR
to supply air through the floor ducts. Then move the
FAN lever to HIGH for a few moments before driving
away. This will blow moist air from the intake outlets
toward the floor, not the windshield. If you have the
Dual Automatic ComforTemp system, the AUTO setting
will do this for you. Manual operation of the automatic
ComforTemp system in the floor mode will also supply
air through the floor ducts.
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.

4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We've also
included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Traction Control System (If Equipped)
4
-11 Steering
4
-13 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-15 Loss of Control
4
-16 Driving at Night4
-18 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-21 City Driving
4
-22 Freeway Driving
4
-23 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-24 Highway Hypnosis
4
-24 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-26 Winter Driving
4
-30 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-32 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-34 Towing a Trailer

4-30
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
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.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle
-- such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly
towingº (towing your vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a device known as
a ªdollyº).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See ªDinghy
Towingº and ªDolly Towing,º following.Here are some important things to consider before
you do recreational vehicle towing:

What's the towing capacity of the towing
vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle
manufacturer's recommendations.

How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.

Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your
dealer or trailering professional for additional advice
and equipment recommendations.

Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would
prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you'll want to
make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See
ªBefore Leaving on a Long Tripº in the Index.

4-31 Dinghy Towing
NOTICE:
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground will damage drivetrain components.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See ªDolly Towingº following
for more information.
Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight
-ahead position.
5. Release the parking brake.

4-34
Towing a Trailer
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
injured. You may also damage your vehicle; the
resulting repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Pull a trailer only if you have followed
all the steps in this section. Ask your dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with the
proper trailer towing equipment. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in ªWeight of the Trailerº
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 part. 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
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.