traction control BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (12,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction and
affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always drive
slower in these types of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and deep‐standing or
flowing water.
{WARNING:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or a
car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake pedal
until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
Driving through flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this happens, you
and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be very cautious about
trying to drive through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle's tires so they actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTireson page 6‑57.
.Turn off cruise control.
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Black plate (15,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow or ice between the
tires and the road, creating less traction or grip. Wet
ice can occur at about 0°C (32°F) when freezing rain
begins to fall, resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the condition. Accelerate
gently so traction is not lost. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the surface under
the tires slick, so there is even less traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.The
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑6improves the ability to accelerate on slippery roads,
but slow down and adjust your driving to the road
conditions. When driving through deep snow, turn off
the traction control system to help maintain vehicle
motion at lower speeds.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 5‑4improves vehicle stability during hard stops on a
slippery roads, but apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road
and watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can occur on
otherwise clear roads in shaded areas. The surface
of a curve or an overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while on ice.
Turn off cruise control, if equipped, on slippery surfaces.
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Black plate (3,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Service
For service and parts needs, visit your dealer. You
will receive genuine GM parts and GM-trained and
supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of these marks:
Accessories and Modifications
When non‐dealer accessories are added to the
vehicle, they can affect vehicle performance and safety,
including such things as airbags, braking, stability,
ride and handling, emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems like antilock brakes,
traction control, and stability control. Some of these
accessories could even cause malfunction or damage
not covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components resulting from the
installation or use of non‐GM certified parts, including
control module modifications, is not covered under the
terms of the vehicle warranty and may affect remaining
warranty coverage for affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to complement and
function with other systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer can accessorize the 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.
Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 2‑69.
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Black plate (72,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The rubber in tires ages over time, even if they are not
being used. This is also true for the spare tire, if your
vehicle has one. Multiple conditions affect how fast this
aging takes place, including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure maintenance. Tires
will typically need to be replaced due to wear before
they may need to be replaced due to age. Consult the
tire manufacturer for more information on when tires
should be replaced.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally mounted on a parked
vehicle. Park a vehicle that will be stored for at least
a month in a cool, dry, clean area away from direct
sunlight to slow aging. This area should be free of
grease, gasoline or other substances that can
deteriorate rubber.
Parking for an extended period can cause flat spots
on the tires that may result in vibrations while driving.
When storing a vehicle for at least a month, remove the
tires or raise the vehicle to reduce the weight from the
tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched specific 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
Specification (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 specifications 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 near the tire size. If the
tires have an all‐season tread design, the TPC
Spec number will be followed by an MS for
mud and snow. SeeTire Sidewall Labeling
on
page 6‑58
for additional information.
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Black plate (74,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Using bias-ply tires on the vehicle may
cause the wheel rim flanges to develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly and cause
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on the vehicle.
If you must replace your vehicle's tires with those
that do not have a TPC Spec number, make sure
they are the same size, load range, speed rating,
and construction type (radial and bias‐belted tires)
as your vehicle's original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire pressure monitoring
system could give an inaccurate low‐pressure
warning if non‐TPC Spec rated tires are installed
on your vehicle. Non‐TPC Spec rated tires may
give a low‐pressure warning that is higher or lower
than the proper warning level you would get with
TPC Spec rated tires. See Tire Pressure Monitor
System
on page 6‑65. Your vehicle's original equipment tires are listed
on the Tire and Loading Information Label. See
Loading the Vehicle
on page 5‑18, for more
information about the Tire and Loading
Information Label and its location on your vehicle.
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, antilock brakes, traction
control, and electronic stability control, the performance
of these systems can be affected.
{WARNING:
If different sized wheels are used, there may not
be an acceptable level of performance and safety
if tires not recommended for those wheels are
selected. This increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM specific wheel
and tire systems developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a GM certified
technician.
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Black plate (75,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
SeeBuying New Tireson page 6‑72andAccessories
and Modificationson page 6‑3for 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. 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.
All Passenger Car Tires Must Conform to Federal
Safety Requirements In Addition To These
Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half (1½) 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 significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
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Black plate (76,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
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
specified 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
specified 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 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 inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The tires and wheels on your vehicle were aligned
and balanced carefully at the factory to give you
the longest tire life and best overall performance.
Adjustments to wheel alignment and tire balancing will
not be necessary on a regular basis. However, if you
notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling to
one side or the other, the alignment might need to be
checked. If you notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, the tires and wheels might
need to be rebalanced. See your dealer for proper
diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly
rusted or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose,
the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be
replaced. If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
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Black plate (78,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Tire Chains
{WARNING:
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. 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 find traction devices that will fit, 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.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout while you are driving,
especially if you maintain your vehicle's tires properly.
If air goes out of a tire, it is much more likely to leak out
slowly. But if you should ever have a blowout, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire creates a drag that pulls
the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop, well off the road, if possible.
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Black plate (8,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
LightsAirbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Front Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Highbeam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
StabiliTrak
®Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Loading Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Locks Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11 Locks (cont.)
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Lumbar Power Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
M
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-7
Maintenance ScheduleMaintenance Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Owner Checks and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Memory Seat and Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-7
Message DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
Mirrors Automatic Dimming Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass andTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
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Black plate (13,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Theater Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16Content Theft-Deterrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Tilt Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Time, Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57 Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels,
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-104
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-88
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-105
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
Installing the Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-90
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-66
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Removing the Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-90
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-80, 6-87 Tires (cont.)
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-71
Towing
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Towing a Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Control System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Magnetic Ride Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Transmission
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Transmission Operation, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-4
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