warning light BUICK LESABRE 2003 User Guide

The air bag readiness light should ¯ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Battery Warning Light
When you turn the key to
RUN, this light will turn on
brie¯y to show that the
generator and battery
charging systems
are working.
If the light stays on, a chime will sound indicating that
the vehicle needs service. You should take your vehicle
to the dealer as soon as possible. To save the battery
until you get there, turn off all accessories and set
the climate control system to OFF.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on when you turn the key to
RUN. If it doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
United StatesCanada
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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.
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
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-31.
{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.
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
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-37.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to RUN. This
is normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
For vehicles equipped with
the traction control system,
this warning light should
come on brie¯y when
the engine is started.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
·If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the end of the gearshift lever, the
warning light will come on and stay on. To turn the
system back on, press the button again. The
warning light should go off. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9for more information.
·If there's a brake system problem that is speci®cally
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on. If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction
control system will turn off and the warning light will
come on until your brakes cool down.
·If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your
tank. It works only when the ignition is on. When
the indicator moves to the edge of the low fuel warning
band, the low fuel warning light will come on and a
chime will sound. You still have a little fuel left, but you
need to get more fuel right away.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.
·It takes more (or less) fuel to ®ll up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated half full, but it took more (or less) than
half the tank's capacity to ®ll it.
·The gage moves up a little when you turn a corner,
speed up or make a hard stop.
·The gage doesn't go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Driver Information
Center (DIC). The DIC will display information about
how your vehicle is functioning, as well as warning
messages if a system problem is detected. This feature
also allows two different drivers to store and recall
their own personal choice settings. See ªDIC Controls
and Displaysº following for more information. United States
Canada
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Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-38
.
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here's what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.This light should come on
brie¯y when you start the
engine. If it stays on or
comes on while you
are driving, there's a
problem with your traction
control system.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-39. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Outº
under
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-30.
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To turn the system off, press the TRACTION OFF
button located at the end of the shift lever on the right
side of the steering wheel.
The traction control system warning light will come on
and stay on. If the system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button, the warning light will come
on ± but the system won't turn off right away. It will
wait until there's no longer a current need to limit wheel
spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The traction control system
warning light should go off.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you've ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll
understand this.
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Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
·Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
·Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You'll save time and energy.
See the next part, ªFreeway Driving.º
·Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is:
Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ¯ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer ¯uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ¯ashlight, a red
cloth and a couple of re¯ective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a
small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of
burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You'll have a lot less traction or ªgripº and will need to
be very careful.
What's the worst time for this? ªWet ice.º Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
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Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle's lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they're all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to THIRD (3) and
reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
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.
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