traction control BUICK LUCERNE 2007 Owner's Guide

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you will go
to your dealer for all your service needs. You will
get genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
We hope you will want to keep your GM
vehicle all GM. Genuine GM parts have
one of these marks:
Accessories and Modications
When you add non-GM accessories to your vehicle
they can affect your vehicle’s performance and
safety, including such things as, airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and electronic systems
like anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability
control. Some of these accessories may even
cause malfunction or damage not covered by
warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on your vehicle.
Your GM dealer can accessorize your vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories. When you go to
your GM dealer and ask for GM Accessories,
you will know that GM-trained and supported
service technicians will perform the work using
genuine GM Accessories.
325

When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it
is 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 cannot be repaired well because of the
size or location of the damage.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specic tires for
your vehicle. The original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle, when it was new, were
designed to meet General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria Specication (TPC spec)
system rating. If you need replacement tires, GM
strongly recommends that you get tires with
the same TPC Spec rating. This way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to
give the same performance and vehicle safety,
during normal use, as the original tires.
GM’s exclusive TPC Spec system considers over
a dozen critical specications that impact the
overall performance of your vehicle, including
brake system performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire pressure monitoring
performance. GM’s TPC Spec number is molded
onto the tire’s sidewall by the tire manufacturer.
400

Different Size Tires and Wheels
If you add wheels or tires that are a different size
than your original equipment wheels and tires,
this may affect the way your vehicle performs,
including its braking, ride and handling
characteristics, stability, and resistance to rollover.
Additionally, if your vehicle has electronic
systems such as, anti-lock brakes, traction control,
and electronic stability control, the performance
of these systems can be affected.
{CAUTION:
If you add different sized wheels, your
vehicle may not provide an acceptable
level of performance and safety if tires not
recommended for those wheels are
selected. You may increase the chance
that you will crash and suffer serious
injury. Only use GM specic wheel and
tire systems developed for your vehicle,
and have them properly installed by a GM
certied technician.SeeBuying New Tires on page 400and
Accessories and Modications on page 325for
additional information.
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 (NHTSA), 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 (UTQG)
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.
402

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.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied
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 signicantly 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 specied 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
specied indoor laboratory 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 inated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
under-ination, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
403

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P235/55R17, or
P245/50R18 size tires, do not use tire
chains. There is not enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension, or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
Follow that manufacturer’s instructions.
To help avoid damage to your vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and
do not spin your vehicle’s wheels.
If you do nd traction devices that will t,
install them on the front tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has P225/60R16 size
tires, use tire chains only where legal and only
when you must. Use only SAE Class S-type
chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the front tires and tighten
them as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer’s instructions. If you
can hear the chains contacting your vehicle,
stop and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it stops. Driving
too fast or spinning the wheels with chains on
will damage your vehicle.
406

Light (cont.)
Cruise Control.......................................... 210
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning....... 204
Fog Lamp................................................ 210
Highbeam On.......................................... 210
Malfunction Indicator................................ 206
Oil Pressure............................................. 209
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator............ 198
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder.............. 197
Safety Belt Reminder............................... 196
Security................................................... 210
StabiliTrak
®Indicator................................ 203
TCS Warning Light.................................. 202
Tire Pressure........................................... 205
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..... 202
Lighting
Delayed Entry.......................................... 174
Delayed Exit............................................ 175
Entry........................................................ 174
Perimeter................................................. 175
Theater Dimming..................................... 175
Loading Your Vehicle................................... 307
Locks
Delayed Locking...................................... 103
Door........................................................ 102
Lockout Protection................................... 105
Power Door............................................. 103Locks (cont.)
Programmable Automatic Door Locks....... 104
Rear Door Security Locks........................ 104
Loss of Control........................................... 290
Lumbar
Power Controls.......................................... 10
M
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services.................... 444
At Each Fuel Fill...................................... 448
At Least Once a Month............................ 449
At Least Once a Year .............................. 449
Introduction.............................................. 440
Maintenance Footnotes............................ 446
Maintenance Record................................ 455
Maintenance Requirements...................... 440
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts.... 453
Owner Checks and Services.................... 448
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants....... 452
Scheduled Maintenance........................... 442
Using....................................................... 440
Your Vehicle and the Environment............ 440
Malfunction Indicator Light........................... 206
Manual Passenger Seat.................................. 9
Memory Seat and Mirrors.............................. 13
489

Tires (cont.)
Different Size........................................... 402
If a Tire Goes Flat................................... 407
Ination - Tire Pressure............................ 392
Inspection and Rotation............................ 398
Installing the Spare Tire........................... 410
Pressure Monitor System......................... 393
Removing the Flat Tire............................. 410
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools......... 409
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools..... 416
Tire Sidewall Labeling.............................. 386
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 389
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.................... 402
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance........... 404
Wheel Replacement................................. 404
When It Is Time for New Tires................. 400
Towing
Recreational Vehicle................................. 313
Towing a Trailer....................................... 315
Your Vehicle............................................. 313Traction
Control System (TCS) .............................. 283
Control System Warning Light.................. 202
StabiliTrak
®System................................. 284
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic....................................... 343
Transaxle Operation, Automatic................... 119
Trip Odometer............................................. 196
Trunk.......................................................... 106
Turn and Lane-Change Signals................... 162
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.................... 162
U
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)........ 178
Understanding Radio Reception................... 272
Uniform Tire Quality Grading....................... 402
Universal Home Remote System........139, 140
Operation........................................141, 147
495