wheel BUICK RAINIER 2005 Owner's Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-5
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-7
Child Restraints
.......................................1-26
Airbag System
.........................................1-46
Restraint System Check
............................1-61
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-18
Mirrors
....................................................2-30
OnStar
®System
......................................2-40
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-42
Storage Areas
.........................................2-46
Sunroof
..................................................2-50
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-51
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-25
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-43
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-56Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-50
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-46
Rear Axle
...............................................5-46
Front Axle
...............................................5-47
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-53
Appearance Care
.....................................5-83
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-91
Electrical System
......................................5-92
Capacities and Specications
...................5-102
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Buick Rainier Owner ManualM

Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-28.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on
wheels.
1-8

{CAUTION:
Both frontal and roof-mounted airbags inate
with great force, faster than the blink of an
eye. If you are too close to an inating airbag,
as you would be if you were leaning forward, it
could seriously injure you. Safety belts
helpkeep you in position for airbag ination
before and during a crash. Always wear your
safety belt even with frontal airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle. Occupants
should not lean on or sleep against the door.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-29
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
1-48

If your vehicle has a roof-mounted airbag for the right
front passenger and the person directly behind that
passenger, it is located in the ceiling above the
side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the bag might not inate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other
airbag covering. And, if your vehicle has
roof-mounted airbags, never secure anything
to the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope
or tiedown through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an inating side
impact airbag will be blocked. The path of an
inating airbag must be kept clear.
1-50

Your vehicle may or may not have a roof-mounted
airbag. SeeAirbag System on page 1-46. These
“rollover capable” airbags are designed to inate in
moderate to severe side crashes or during a rollover.
A roof-mounted airbag will inate if the crash severity is
above the system’s designed “threshold level.” The
threshold level can vary with specic vehicle design.
Roof-mounted airbags are not designed to inate
in frontal or near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts,
because ination would not likely help the occupant.
Your vehicle has seat position sensors which enable the
sensing system to monitor the position of the driver’s
seat and the right front passenger’s seat. Seat position
sensors provide information that is used to determine
if the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full
deployment.In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle
slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts.
For roof-mounted airbags, ination is determined by the
location and severity of the impact.
The airbag system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough
terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. SeeOperating
Your All-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Off Paved Roads on
page 4-15for tips on off-road driving.
1-52

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. In the case
of a “rollover capable” roof-mounted airbag, the sensing
system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over. For
both frontal and roof-mounted airbags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the airbag. The inator, airbag, and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger. For vehicles with roof-mounted
airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of
the vehicle, near the side windows.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Roof-mounted airbags
would not help you in many types of collisions, including
frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions or rollovers for the roof-mounted airbags.
1-53

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After an airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the airbag inated.
Some components of the airbag module — the steering
wheel hub for the driver’s airbag, the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s bag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows — will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent the
driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor
does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can not get out of the vehicle after an airbag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the
airbags inate (if battery power is available). You can
lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off
by using the door lock and interior lamp controls.
1-54

In many crashes severe enough to inate an airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
your airbag system. If you do not get them,
the airbag system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts. The
service manual for your vehicle covers the need to
replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders on page 7-9.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
system. Improper service can mean that your
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s airbag, or the side
impact airbag covering on the ceiling near the side
windows, the airbag may not work properly. You
may have to replace the airbag module in the
steering wheel, both the airbag module and the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
airbag, or side impact airbag module and ceiling
covering for the roof-mounted side impact airbag.
Do not open or break the airbag coverings.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger’s position. A passenger airbag
status indicator in the rearview mirror will be visible
when you turn your ignition key to START or RUN. The
words ON and OFF or the symbol for on and off, will
be visible on the rearview mirror during the system
check. When the system check is complete, either the
word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off will be visible. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 3-30.
1-55

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-5
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Delayed Locking.............................................2-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-9
Rear Door Security Locks..............................2-12
Lockout Protection........................................2-12
Liftgate/Liftglass............................................2-13
Windows........................................................2-14
Power Windows............................................2-15
Sun Visors...................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-16
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-16
Passlock
®....................................................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-18
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-18
Ignition Positions..........................................2-19
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-19
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-20
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-21Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-21
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-22
All-Wheel Drive............................................2-25
Parking Brake..............................................2-25
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-26
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-27
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-28
Engine Exhaust............................................2-28
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked. . . .2-29
Mirrors...........................................................2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®..............2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass............2-30
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®and
Compass.................................................2-33
Manual Rearview Mirror with Compass and
Temperature.............................................2-35
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®,
Compass, and Temperature Display.............2-37
Outside Power Mirror....................................2-39
Outside Curb View Assist Mirror.....................2-39
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-40
Outside Heated Mirrors..................................2-40
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment, behind the battery.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-Volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you will be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your gear shift
lever.
PARK (P):This position locks the rear wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
2-22