weight BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (33,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. When you go in to order it, take
the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury, do
not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat
it is made to fit. The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it,
attach it to the regular safety belt. For more information,
see the instruction sheet that comes with the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle's safety belts.
The manufacturer's instructions that come with the
booster seat, state the weight and height limitations for
that booster. Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt
until the child passes the below fit test:
.Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees
bend at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
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Black plate (38,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Q: What are the different types of add-on childrestraints?
A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle's owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take into
consideration not only the child's weight, height,
and age but also whether or not the restraint will be
compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used in a
motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a label
saying that it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards.
The restraint manufacturer's instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{WARNING:
To reduce the risk of neck and head injury during
a crash, infants need complete support. This is
because an infant's neck is not fully developed
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
and its head weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash, an infant in a
rear-facing child restraint settles into the restraint,
so the crash forces can be distributed across the
strongest part of an infant's body, the back and
shoulders. Infants should always be secured in
rear-facing child restraints.
{WARNING:
A young child's hip bones are still so small that
the vehicle's regular safety belt may not remain
low on the hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may
settle up around the child's abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. To reduce
the risk of serious or fatal injuries during a crash,
young children should always be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
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Black plate (64,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position. The passenger airbag
status indicator will be visible on the overhead console
when the vehicle is started.
United StatesCanada
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
are visible during the system check. If you are using
remote start, if equipped, to start the vehicle from a
distance, you may not see the system check. When
the system check is complete, either the word ON or
OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑31. The passenger sensing system turns off the right front
passenger frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact
airbag under certain conditions. The driver airbags and
the roof-rail airbags are not affected by the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors
that are part of the right front passenger seat. The
sensors are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if the right
front passenger frontal airbag and seat‐mounted side
impact airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing child
restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child seat; an
older child riding in a booster seat; and children, who
are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
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Black plate (65,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped),
no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger airbag and seat‐mounted side
impact airbag if:.The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat.
.The system determines that a small child is
present in a child restraint.
.The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
.A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
.The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
.Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag and seat‐mounted
side impact airbag, the off indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbags are off. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑31.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on
(may inflate) the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat‐mounted side impact airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in
the right front passenger seat.
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Black plate (28,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you canleave the vehicle with the ignition key in your hand,
the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure your vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is firmly set before you leave it. See Parking
Brake
on page 3‑26for more information.
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of the vehicle puts too
much force on the parking pawl in the transmission.
This happens when parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not done properly and then
it is difficult to shift out of P (Park). To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park).
To find out how, see “Shifting Into Park”in this section.
If torque lock does occur, your vehicle may need to be
pushed uphill by another vehicle to relieve the parking
pawl pressure, so you can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
This vehicle has an electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift lever
is in P (Park)
.Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park),
unless the ignition is in ON/RUN and the regular
brake pedal is applied.
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Black plate (3,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person's
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking—driver or
passenger —is in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control the vehicle
while driving —brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road
can provide. Meaning, you can lose control of the
vehicle. See Traction Control System (TCS)
on
page 5‑6.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can affect vehicle
performance. See Accessories and Modifications
on
page 6‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on page 4‑32.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. Deciding to push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three‐fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three‐fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 feet). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between the
vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or
gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry,
or icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight
of the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.
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Black plate (18,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Loading the Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight
your vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle
show how much weight it may properly carry, the
Tire and Loading Information label and the Vehicle
Certification label.
{WARNING:
Do not load the vehicle any heavier than
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR),
or either the maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). This can cause
systems to break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could cause loss of
control and a crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information Label
Label Example
A vehicle specific Tire and Loading Information
label is attached to the vehicle's center pillar
(B-pillar). With the driver door open, you will
find the label attached below the door lock post
(striker). The Tire and Loading Information label
lists the number of occupant seating positions (A),
and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B)
in kilograms and pounds. The vehicle capacity
weight includes the weight of all occupants, cargo,
and all nonfactory‐installed options.
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Black plate (19,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The Tire and Loading Information label also lists
the tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and
the recommended cold tire inflation pressures (D).
For more information on tires and inflation, see
Tires
on page 6‑57andInflation - Tire Pressureon
page 6‑64
.
There is also important loading information on the
Certification label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle,
see “Certification Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs” on your vehicle's placard.
2.Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the“XXX”amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs (1400 −750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load
from your trailer will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity for your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, see Towing a
Trailer
on page 5‑25for important information
on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
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Black plate (20,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Example 1
Item DescriptionTotal
A Maximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 1 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 2 = 300 lbs (136 kg)
C Available Occupant
and Cargo Weight =
700 lbs (317 kg)
Example 2
Item Description
Total
A Maximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 2 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 150 lbs
(68 kg) × 5 = 750 lbs (340 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight =
250 lbs (113 kg)
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Black plate (21,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Example 3
Item DescriptionTotal
A Maximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 3 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
B Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 200 lbs
(91 kg) × 5 = 1,000 lbs
(453 kg)
C Available Cargo
Weight =
0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle's Tire and Loading
Information label for specific information about
your vehicle's maximum vehicle capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of
the driver, passengers, and cargo should never
exceed your vehicle's maximum vehicle capacity
weight.
Certification Label
A vehicle specific Certification label is found on
the rear edge of the driver door.
The label shows the gross weight capacity of your
vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the
vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo.
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