tires BUICK LESABRE 2003 Owner's Guide

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-47
Headlamp Horizontal Aiming...........................5-49
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................5-50
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-52
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-53
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps.......................5-55
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-57
Tires..............................................................5-58
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-58
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-59
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-62
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

·If you spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle's painted
surfaces, the paint ®nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle. If
you do, wash it off immediately. See
ªAppearance Careº in the Index.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal ®rmly).
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes won't work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are ®rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque speci®cations.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-22.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
5-39

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 ¯ash 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 ¯at
surface.
·The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface which is level all the way to the wall
or other ¯at surface.
·The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular
to the wall or other ¯at 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 in¯ated.
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.
5-48

Tires
Your new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service,
see your Buick Warranty booklet for details.
{CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
·Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as a result of too much
friction. You could have an air-out and a
serious accident. See ªLoading Your
Vehicleº in the Index.
·Underin¯ated tires pose the same danger
as overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
·
Overin¯ated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact Ð such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
·Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If
your tread is badly worn, or if your tires
have been damaged, replace them.
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the rear
edge of the driver's door, shows the correct in¯ation
pressures for your tires when they're cold. ªColdº means
your vehicle has been sitting for at least three hours
or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
5-58

Notice:Don't let anyone tell you that underin¯ation
or overin¯ation is all right. It's not. If your tires
don't have enough air (underin¯ation), you can get
the following:
·Too much ¯exing
·Too much heat
·Tire overloading
·Bad wear
·Bad handling
·Bad fuel economy
If your tires have too much air (overin¯ation), you
can get the following:
·Unusual wear
·Bad handling
·Rough ride
·Needless damage from road hazards
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Check Tire Pressure System
If your vehicle has the check tire pressure system, it
can alert you to a large change in the pressure of one
tire. The system won't alert you before you drive
that a tire is low or ¯at. You must begin driving before
the system will work properly.
The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE message will appear on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) if pressure
difference (low pressure) is detected in one tire. The
check tire pressure system may not alert you if:
·more than one tire is low,
·the vehicle is moving faster than 65 mph (105 km/h),
·the system is not yet calibrated,
·the tire treadwear is uneven,
·the compact spare tire is installed,
·tire chains are being used, or
·the vehicle is being driven on a rough or
frozen road.
5-59

If the anti-lock brake system warning light comes on,
the check tire pressure system may not be working
properly. See your dealer for service. Also, see
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 3-38.
The check tire pressure system detects differences
in tire rotation speeds that are caused by changes in tire
pressure. The system can alert you about a low tire ±
but it doesn't replace normal tire maintenance. See
Tires
on page 5-58.
When the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE message appears
on the Driver Information Center, you should stop as
soon as you can and check all your tires for damage. If
a tire is ¯at, see
If a Tire Goes Flat on page 5-66.
Also check the tire pressure in all four tires as soon as
you can. See
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure on page 5-58.
Any time you adjust a tire's pressure or have one
or more tires repaired or replaced, you'll need to reset
(calibrate) the check tire pressure system. You'll
also need to reset the system whenever you rotate
the tires, buy new tires and install or remove the
compact spare.
Don't reset the check tire pressure system without ®rst
correcting the cause of the problem and checking
and adjusting the pressure in all four tires. If you reset
the system when the tire pressures are incorrect,
the check tire pressure system will not work properly
and may not alert you when a tire is low or high.To reset (calibrate) the system:
1. Turn the ignition switch to RUN.
2. Press the GAGE INFO button on the DIC until TIRE
PRESSURE appears on the display.
3. Press and hold the DIC RESET button for about ®ve
seconds. After ®ve seconds, the display will show
TIRE PRESSURE RESET. If TIRE PRESSURE
RESET does not appear in the display after about
®ve seconds retry the process. If it does not work
after two tries, see your dealer for service. After you
release the DIC RESET button, TIRE PRESSURE
NORMAL will appear in the display.
The system completes the calibration process during
driving. Calibration time can take 45 to 90 minutes,
depending on your driving habits. After the system has
been calibrated, the system will alert the driver that
a tire is low, up to a maximum speed of 65 mph
(105 km/h).
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-62andWheel Replacement
on page 5-65for more information.
5-60

The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label.Reset the check tire pressure system, if equipped. SeeCheck Tire Pressure System on page 5-59.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See ªWheel Nut Torqueº under
Capacities and
Speci®cations on page 5-93.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to
get all the rust or dirt off. See ªChanging a Flat
Tireº in the Index.
5-61

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it's
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
·You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
·You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.
·The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
·The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
·The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To ®nd out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Speci®cation (TPC Spec)
number on each tire's sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an ªMSº (for
mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
5-62

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It's all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. See ªCompact Spare
Tireº in the index.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim ¯anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
5-63

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a speci®ed government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signi®cantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction ± AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on speci®ed government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature ± A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a speci®ed indoorlaboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
5-64