cel light BUICK LESABRE 2003 Owner's Manual

Key Reminder Warning
If you leave your key in OFF, you will hear a warning
chime when you open the driver's door.
Always leave your key in LOCK while the engine is off.
If you leave it in any other position, you will drain
your battery power.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
After you turn the ignition off and remove the key, you
will still have power to such accessories as the
power windows, audio steering wheel controls (if
equipped), clock, sunroof (if equipped) and the radio for
up to 10 minutes. The instrument panel cluster lights
will stay on for a few seconds, then will go out. Once you
open a door, the power will shut off.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position ± that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice:Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about 15
seconds between each try to help avoid draining
your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start within 10 seconds, hold your key in
START for about 10 seconds at a time until your
engine starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try.
3. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be ¯ooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
¯oor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
brie¯y but then stops again, do the same thing.
This time keep the pedal down for ®ve or six
seconds to clear the extra gasoline from the engine.
After waiting about 15 seconds, repeat the normal
starting procedure.
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SECOND (2):This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy than THIRD (3). You can use
SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off and on.
Notice:Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (
X) or THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine.
FIRST (1):This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transaxle won't shift
into ®rst gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:If your front wheels won't turn, don't
try to drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don't hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
This vehicle has a PUSH
TO RELEASE parking
brake pedal. To set
the parking brake, hold the
regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your
left foot.
If the ignition is in RUN or OFF, the brake system
warning light will turn on while the parking brake is set.
The parking brake uses the brakes on the rear
wheels.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down and push the parking brake pedal with your
left foot. When you lift your left foot, the parking brake
pedal will follow it to the released position.
If you try to drive approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) with the
parking brake on, the brake light stays on and a
chime sounds until you release the parking brake.
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Resetting Defaults
To reset HomeLinkžto default settings do the following:
1. Hold down the two outside buttons for about
20 seconds until the indicator light begins to ¯ash.
2. Continue to hold both buttons until the HomeLink
ž
indicator light turns off.
3. Release both buttons.
For questions or comments, contact HomeLink
žat
1-800-355-3515, or on the internet at
www.homelink.com.
Storage Areas
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, lift the latch release on the left side of the
glove box door.
Center Console Storage Area
Your vehicle has a center console with two storage
compartments and cupholders. The cupholders have
removable liners to hold beverage containers of different
sizes. To access the cupholders and the front storage
area, push the doors covering them back into the
console. In the front storage area you will ®nd a place to
store a cellular phone, as well as a built-in writing
surface. Underneath this tray is a CD storage area and
another door which can be opened to retrieve items
which may fall into the space between the console and
the sliding door. To access the CD storage area,
place your ®nger in the oval in the top tray and lift up.
To access the rear storage area, press the lift latch
at the front edge of the armrest and pull up. Inside are
areas which can be used to store a variety of items.
The back of the console may contain either additional
cupholders or air vents for the rear seat passengers.
You will also ®nd two accessory power outlets located
inside the rear storage area. These outlets can be used
for accessories requiring power, such as a cellular
phone. See
Accessory Power Outlets on page 3-22.
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When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don't use cruise control on
slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-9. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you're
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don't want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Press the ON/OFF switch to turn cruise control on.
An indicator light will come on in the switch to show
that cruise control is on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET/COAST switch and the CRUISE light
on the instrument panel cluster will illuminate.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don't need to reset it.
3-12

Courtesy Lamps
If it is dark enough outside, when any door is opened,
several lamps go on. They make it easy for you to enter
and leave the vehicle. You can also turn these lamps
on by sliding the INTERIOR lever all the way to the top.
Entry Lighting
If it is dark enough outside when you press the unlock
button on the remote keyless entry transmitter, the
interior courtesy lamps will turn on and stay on
for approximately 40 seconds. The lamps will turn off
immediately by pressing the lock button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter, turning the ignition key to
RUN or activating the power door locks.
Delayed Entry Lighting
If it is dark enough outside when you open the door, the
interior lamps will turn on. When you close the door
with the ignition off, the interior lamps will stay on for up
to 25 seconds or until the ignition is turned to an on
position. When the lamps turn off as a result of
the 25 second timer or the ignition switch being turned
on, the lighting will deactivate via the theater dimming
effect. Locking the doors will override the delayed entry
lighting feature and the lamps will turn off right away.
Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to ®ve-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off.
Delayed Exit Lighting
If it is dark enough outside when you remove the key
from the ignition, the interior lamps will turn on and stay
on for approximately 25 seconds. This will give you
time to ®nd the door pull handle or lock switches. Once
the key is inserted into the ignition the exit lighting
will be cancelled and the lighting will fade out.
Perimeter Lighting
If it is dark enough outside when the unlock button on
the remote keyless entry transmitter is pressed, the
DRL, parking lamps and back-up lamps will come on.
Personal Choice Programming
This feature can be programmed in the on or off mode
for each transmitter.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you must use it to program this feature.
See
Driver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-45.
To turn the feature off, do the following:
1. Close all the doors and turn the ignition on. Keep
all doors closed throughout this procedure.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the power door lock
switch throughout this procedure. All the doors
will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm on the transmitter. Perimeter
lighting remains on at this time and the horn will
chirp two times.
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The HUD shows these images when they are lighted on
the instrument panel cluster.
Be sure to continue scanning your displays, controls
and driving environment just as you would in a vehicle
without HUD. If you never look at your instrument
panel cluster, you may not see something important,
such as a warning light.
Notice:Although the HUD image appears to be
near the front of the vehicle, do not use it as
a parking aid. The HUD was not designed for that
purpose. If you try to use it as such, you may
misjudge the distance and damage your vehicle.The HUD controls are located on the instrument panel
to the left of the steering wheel.
1. Start your engine and slide the HUD dimmer lever
all the way up.
The brightness of the HUD image is determined by
an internal photo-cell, and where you have the
HUD dimmer control set.
2. Adjust the seat to your driving position. Press the
image height adjuster switch to raise the image as
far as possible.
3-21

Notice:Modi®cations 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 this light to come on.
Modi®cations 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 FlashingÐ A mis®re condition has been
detected. A mis®re increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
·Light On SteadyÐ An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
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.
If the light stops ¯ashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to ¯ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still
¯ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See
Filling Your Tank on page 5-7. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, mis®ring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to ®x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON light is on or not working properly.
3-42

Off-Road Recovery
You may ®nd that your right wheels have dropped off
the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way,
steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents Ð the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
·ªDrive ahead.º Look down the road, to the sides
and to crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait
for a better time.
·Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and
lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it's all
right to pass (providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or
a double solid line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching traffic.
4-13

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean Ð inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a ®lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ¯ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness Ð the inability to see in dim light Ð and
aren't even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can't stop, accelerate or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction isn't as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires don't have much tread left,
you'll get even less traction. It's always wise to go
slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are
driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
re¯exes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-17