tires BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (27,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total gross weight of
the vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes
the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo carried in it,
and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. If there
are a lot of options, equipment, passengers or cargo
in the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight the
vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer
weight the vehicle can tow. If towing a trailer, the tongue
load must be added to the GVW because the vehicle
will be carrying that weight, too. SeeLoading the
Vehicle
on page 5‑18for more information about the
vehicle's maximum load capacity.Using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer tongue (A)
should weigh 10 to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer
weight (B).
After loading the trailer, weigh the trailer and then the
tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper.
If they are not, adjustments might be made by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on the Vehicle's Tires
Be sure the vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. These numbers can be found on
the Certification/Tire label. See Loading the Vehicle
on
page 5‑18. Make sure not to go over the GVW limit for
the vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.
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Black plate (29,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Get to know the rig before setting out for
the open road. Get acquainted with the feel of handling
and braking with the added weight of the trailer. And
always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now longer and not as responsive as the vehicle is by
itself.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connectors,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustments. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start the vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This checks the electrical
connection at the same time.
During the trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as
you would when driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations that require heavy
braking and sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed when towing a trailer.
Because the rig is longer, it is necessary to go much
farther beyond the passed vehicle before returning to
the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your hand
to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while trailering
could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do this so the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
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Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27 Engine Coolant (4.6L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Engine Coolant (3.9L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Sidemarker Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-55
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-66
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Black plate (2,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-71
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-80
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit Storage . . . . . . 6-87
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-88
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing theSpare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-90
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-99
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-100
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101 Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-104
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Power Windows and Other Power Options . . . 6-107
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Rear Underseat Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-116
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Black plate (41,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Brake Wear
This vehicle has 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 can come and go or be
heard all the time the vehicle is moving, except when
applying the brake pedal firmly.
{WARNING:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
the brakes will not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear warning sound is
heard, have the vehicle serviced.Notice:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the 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 torque specifications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 6‑116.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
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 that brake service might be
required.
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Black plate (49,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from thevehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.
5. Return the positive (+) remote terminal cover to its original position.
Headlamp Aiming
The vehicle has a visual optical headlamp aiming
system. The aim of the headlamps have been preset at
the factory and should need no further adjustment.
However, if the vehicle is damaged in a crash, the aim
of the headlamps may be affected and adjustment may
be necessary.
If oncoming vehicles flash their high beams at you, this
may mean the vertical aim of your headlamps needs to
be adjusted. It is recommended that the vehicle is taken to your
dealer for service if the headlamps need to be adjusted.
It is possible however, to re-aim the headlamps as
described.
The vehicle should:
.Be placed so the headlamps are 25 ft. (7.6 m) from
a light colored wall.
.Have all four tires on a level surface which is level
all the way to the wall.
.Be placed so it is perpendicular to the wall.
.Not have any snow, ice or mud on it.
.Be fully assembled and all other work stopped
while headlamp aiming is being performed.
.Be normally loaded with a full tank of fuel and
one person or 160 lbs (75 kg) sitting on the
driver seat.
.Have all tires properly inflated.
.Have the spare tire is in its proper location in the
vehicle.
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Black plate (57,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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 vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For additional
information refer to the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING:
.Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
.Overloading your tires can cause overheating
as a result of too much flexing. You could
have a blowout and a serious accident. See
Loading the Vehicle on page 5‑18.
.Under inflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting crash could
cause serious injury. Check all tires frequently
to maintain the recommended pressure. Tire
pressure should be checked when your tires
are cold.(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
.Over inflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured, or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a crash. If your
tread is badly worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have been damaged by
impacts with potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires can cause a crash.
Only your dealer or an authorized tire service
center should repair, replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in excess of 55 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive spinning may cause
the tires to explode.
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Black plate (58,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is molded into its
sidewall. The examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a compact spare tire
sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a combination
of letters and numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type, and service description. See
the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this section for
more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original equipment tires designed
to GM's specific tire performance criteria have a
TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department of Transportation)
:
The Department of Transportation (DOT) code
indicates that the tire is in compliance with the
U.S. Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.
(D) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides
of the tire, although only one side may have the
date of manufacture.
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Black plate (59,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
(E) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required to grade tires based
on three performance factors: treadwear, traction,
and temperature resistance. For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality Grading
on page 6‑75.
(G) Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit
:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(A) Temporary Use Only:The compact spare
tire or temporary use tire has a tread life of
approximately 3,000 miles (5 000 km) and should
not be driven at speeds over 65 mph (105 km/h).
The compact spare tire is for emergency use
when a regular road tire has lost air and gone
flat. If your vehicle has a compact spare tire, see
Compact Spare Tire
on page 6‑97and If a Tire
Goes Flat
on page 6‑78.
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Black plate (60,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
(B) Tire Ply Material:The type of cord and
number of plies in the sidewall and under the
tread.
(C) Tire Identification Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the DOT (Department of
Transportation) code is the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows the manufacturer
and plant code, tire size, and date the tire was
manufactured. The TIN is molded onto both sides
of the tire, although only one side may have the
date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Inflation Load Limit
:
Maximum load that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed to support that load.
(E) Tire Inflation
:The temporary use tire or
compact spare tire should be inflated to 60 psi
(420 kPa). For more information on tire pressure
and inflation see Inflation - Tire Pressure
on
page 6‑64
.
(F) Tire Size
:A combination of letters and
numbers define a tire's width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service description. The
letter T as the first character in the tire size means
the tire is for temporary use only. (G) TPC Spec (Tire Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original equipment tires designed
to GM's specific tire performance criteria have a
TPC specification code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet or exceed all
federal safety guidelines.
Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a
typical passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:The United
States version of a metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in the tire size means
a passenger vehicle tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit number indicates
the tire section width in millimeters from sidewall
to sidewall.
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