headlamp BUICK LUCERNE 2007 User Guide

The exterior lamps control has four positions:
O(Off):Turn the control to this position to turn
off the exterior lamps.
AUTO (Automatic):Turn the control to this
position to automatically turn on the headlamps at
normal brightness, together with the following:
Parking Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps):Turn the control to this
position to turn on the parking lamps together with
the following:
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps):Turn the control to this position
to turn on the headlamps together with the following
lamps listed below. A warning chime will sound if
you open the driver’s door when the ignition switch
is off and the headlamps are on.
Parking Lamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
-(Fog Lamps):Push the exterior lamps control
in to turn on the fog lamps.
SeeFog Lamps on page 173.
Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking
lamps after the windshield wipers are turned
on and have completed eight wipe cycles within
four minutes.
When the ignition is turned to OFF, the
wiper-activated headlamps immediately turn off.
The wiper-activated headlamps also turn off if the
windshield wipers are turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
If you leave the exterior lamp buttons for the
headlamps or parking lamps on, remove the key
from the ignition and open the driver’s door,
you will hear a continuous warning chime. The
chime will turn off when the lamps are turned off.
171

Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during
the day. DRL can be helpful in many different
driving conditions, but they can be especially
helpful in the short periods after dawn and before
sunset. Fully functional daytime running lamps
are required on all vehicles rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel
monitors the exterior light level for the operation
of DRL, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam
headlamps turn on at reduced brightness in
daylight when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp button for the headlamps
is off.
The automatic transaxle is not in PARK (P).When the DRL are on, only your low-beam
headlamps will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps,
sidemarker and other lamps will not 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 low-beam headlamps change
to the reduced brightness of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you
are parked, turn the exterior lamp control to the
off position. The exterior lamps will turn back
on automatically when you move the transaxle out
of PARK (P). SeeExterior Lamps on page 170
for more information.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when you need it.
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Fog Lamps
-(Fog Lamps):If your vehicle has fog lamps,
the button is located on the exterior lamps control.
The exterior lamps control is located on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering column.
Your ignition must be in RUN for the fog lamps to
illuminate.
To turn the fog lamps on, press the exterior lamps
button. A light will come on in the instrument
panel cluster to let you know that the fog lamps
are on. SeeInstrument Panel Cluster on page 194.
Press the exterior lamps button again to turn the
fog lamps off.
The ignition must be in RUN and the parking
lamps must be on for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamps will go off while you change
to high-beam headlamps.
Some localities have laws that require the
headlamps to be on along with the fog lamps.
Cornering Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, the cornering lamps
come on when: the headlamps or parking lamps are
on, the vehicle is not in PARK (P), and you signal a
turn with the turn signal/multifunction lever. They
provide more light for cornering.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the exterior lamp button has been left on, the
exterior lamps will turn off about 10 minutes after
the ignition is turned to OFF and a door has been
opened. This protects against 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
OFF and any door is opened.
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Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM) that estimates the battery’s temperature and
state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for
best performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the
voltage is raised slightly to quickly put the charge
back in. When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging.
If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage or voltage
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down. This
is normal. If there is a problem, an alert will
be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for all
vehicles. This is because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at idle to produce
all the power that is needed for very high electrical
loads.A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at
high speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into accessory
power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s
output and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can
increase engine idle speed to generate more
power, whenever needed. It can temporarily
reduce the power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels,
without being noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action, this action
may be noticeable to the driver. If so, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as Battery Saver Active or Service
Battery Charging System. If this message is
displayed, it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 221.
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Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle’s
battery against drainage from the interior lamps, or
garage door opener. When the ignition is turned
off, the power to these features will automatically
turn off after 10 minutes. Power will be restored
for an additional 10 minutes if any door is opened,
the trunk is opened or the courtesy lamp switch
is turned on.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This vehicle has a feature to help prevent the
battery from being drained, if the interior courtesy
lamps, reading/map lamps, visor vanity lamps
or trunk lamp are accidentally left on. If any
of these lamps are left on, they will automatically
turn off after 10 minutes, if the ignition is off.
The lamps will not come back on again until one
of the following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The exterior lamps control is turned off, then
on again.
The headlamps will timeout after 10 minutes, if they
are manually turned on before the ignition is off.
177

Security Light
For information
regarding this
light, see
PASS-Key
®III+
Operation on page 112.
Fog Lamp Light
The fog lamp light will
come on when the fog
lamps are in use.
The light will go out when the fog lamps are
turned off. SeeFog Lamps on page 173for
more information.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is
turned off. SeeCruise Control on page 167for
more information.
Highbeam On Light
This light comes on
when the high-beam
headlamps are in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam Changer on
page 163.
210

DIC Warnings and Messages
Messages are displayed on the DIC to notify the
driver that the status of the vehicle has changed
and that some action may be needed by the driver
to correct the condition. Multiple messages may
appear one after another. Some messages may not
require immediate action, but you can press the
set/reset button to acknowledge that you received
the message and clear it from the DIC display.
Pressing any of the DIC buttons also acknowledges
and clears any messages. Some messages cannot
be cleared from the DIC display because they are
more urgent. These messages require action
before they can be cleared. You should take any
messages that appear on the display seriously and
remember that clearing the messages will only
make the messages disappear, not correct the
problem. The following are the possible messages
that can be displayed and some information
about them.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL OFF
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned off. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 170for more information.
AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL ON
This message displays when the automatic
headlamps are turned on. SeeExterior Lamps
on page 170for more information.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects
that the battery voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable level. The battery saver system starts
reducing certain features of the vehicle that you
may be able to notice. At the point that the features
are disabled, this message is displayed. It means
that the vehicle is trying to save the charge in the
battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow the
battery to recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts.
221

Entering the Feature Settings Menu
1. Turn the ignition on and place the vehicle in
PARK (P).
To avoid excessive drain on the battery,
it is recommended that the headlamps are
turned off.
2. Press the customization button to enter the
feature settings menu.
If the menu is not available, FEATURE
SETTINGS AVAILABLE IN PARK will display.
Before entering the menu, make sure the
vehicle is in PARK (P).
Feature Settings Menu Items
The following are customization features that allow
you to program settings to the vehicle:
DISPLAY IN ENGLISH
This feature will only display if a language other
than English has been set. This feature allows you
to change the language in which the DIC messages
appear to English.
Press the customization button until the PRESS
V
TO DISPLAY IN ENGLISH screen appears on
the DIC display. Press the set/reset button
to display all DIC messages in English.
DISPLAY LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the language in
which the DIC messages will appear.
Press the customization button until the DISPLAY
LANGUAGE screen appears on the DIC display.
Press the set/reset button to access the settings
for this feature. Then press the customization
button to scroll through the following choices:
ENGLISH (default):All messages will appear in
English.
FRANCAIS (French):All messages will appear in
French.
ESPANOL (Spanish):All messages will appear
in Spanish.
NO CHANGE:No change will be made to this
feature. The current setting will remain.
Select one of the available choices and press
the set/reset button while it is displayed on the DIC
to select it.
232

Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking, including reducing vehicle speed by
shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the
surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to
be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need
to slow down and keep more space between
you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
291

No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust
to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare,
as from a driver who does not lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps,
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching headlamps.Keep the windshield and all the glass on your
vehicle clean — 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 the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your
eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
292