lights BUICK RAINIER 2006 User Guide

Entry Lighting
Your vehicle is equipped with entry lighting.
When any door is opened, the dome lamps will come
on as long as the dome override lamp override button
is not pressed in. When all the doors are closed,
the lamps will stay on for a short period of time and
will then turn off automatically. If you use your remote
keyless entry transmitter to unlock the vehicle, the
interior lights will come on for a short time whether
or not the dome lamp override is on.
Exit Lighting
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on when
you remove the key from the ignition. If the dome
override is on, these lights will stay on for a short period
of time and then will go out.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located in the console for front
passengers and on the headliner for rear passengers.
Press the lens on the lamps to turn the reading lamps
on and press the lens again to turn the lamps off.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This feature shuts off the dome, courtesy and vanity
if they are left on for more than 20 minutes when
the ignition is off. This will keep your battery from
running down.
If the battery run-down protection shuts off the interior
lamps, it may be necessary to do one of the following
to return to normal operation:
Shut off all lamps and close all doors.
Turn the ignition key to RUN.
This feature will also turn off the parking lamps and
headlamps under most circumstances, if they are left on.
If you would like to turn them back on, turn the exterior
lamps knob.
3-17

Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention
to your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briey when you start the engine
just to let you know they’re working. If you are familiar
with this section, you should not be alarmed when
this happens.Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays
on when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly — and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a Driver Information
Center (DIC) that works along with the warning lights
and gages. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)
on page 3-43.
3-25

{CAUTION:
Even though the passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the passenger’s frontal
airbag if the system detects a rear-facing child
restraint, no system is failsafe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under
some unusual circumstance, even though it
is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing
child restraints be secured in the rear seat,
even if the airbag is off.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front passenger’s frontal
airbag. SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-56
for more on this, including important safety information.
If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights
remain on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be
a problem with the lights or the passenger sensing
system. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag readiness
light ever come on together, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag
system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front passenger
seat may not have the protection of the
frontal airbag. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-29.
3-31

Perimeter Lights
Press the customization button until PERIMETER
LIGHTS: ON appears in the display. To select your
preference for perimeter lighting, press the select button
while PERIMETER LIGHTS: ON is displayed on the
DIC. Pressing the select button will scroll through
the following choices:
PERIMETER LIGHTS: ON (default):The headlamps
and back-up lamps will come on for 40 seconds, if
it is dark enough outside, when you unlock the vehicle
with the remote keyless entry transmitter.
PERIMETER LIGHTS: OFF:The perimeter lights will
not come on when you unlock the vehicle with the
remote keyless entry transmitter.
Choose one of the available options and press the
customization button while it is displayed on the DIC
to select it and move on to the next feature.
Easy Exit Seat
Press the customization button until EASY EXIT SEAT:
OFF appears in the display. To select your preference
for seat position exit, press the select button while EASY
EXIT SEAT: OFF is displayed on the DIC. Pressing
the select button will scroll through the following choices:
EASY EXIT SEAT: OFF (default):No seat exit recall
will occur.
EASY EXIT SEAT: ON:The driver’s seat will move
to the exit position when the key is removed from
the ignition.
Choose one of the available options and press the
customization button while it is displayed on the DIC to
select it and move on to the next feature. For more
information on seat position exit, see “Easy Exit Seat”
underMemory Seat on page 2-51.
3-55

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-34.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come
on accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer
for service.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

The following chart describes the StabiliTrak®system events and the corresponding messages and lights that will
be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
Vehicles with a DIC Vehicles without a DIC
Event
StabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightDIC MessageStabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightStabiliTrak
®
Service Light
Off None Off OffStabiliTrak
®On mode
(System is fully
enabled, but is not
actively controlling
vehicle stability).
Solid Traction Control Off Solid OffTraction Control
Off Mode
Solid StabiliTrak
®Off Solid OffStabiliTrak
®Off Mode
(StabiliTrak®indicator
light will ash when
system rst enters
this mode).
BlinkingStabiliTrak
®
ActiveBlinking OffStabiliTrak
®system
activates using engine
speed management,
brake traction control,
and/or stability
control.
4-11

Vehicles with a DIC Vehicles without a DIC
Event
StabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightDIC MessageStabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightStabiliTrak
®
Service Light
SolidService
StabiliTrak
®Solid SolidStabiliTrak
®system
is disabled due to
a system fault.
SolidStabiliTrak
®
Not ReadySolid OffStabiliTrak
®system is
disabled due to a
failure to initialize.
Notice:If the StabiliTrak
®light comes on due to
heavy braking and/or because the traction control
system has been continuously active, do not
allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin excessively.
If you do, you may be causing damage to the
transfer case. This could lead to costly repairs
not covered by
your warranty.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS and brake
warning lights and the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message are displayed, you could damage the
transfer case. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while these lights
and this message are displayed.StabiliTrak
®may activate on dry or rough roads or under
conditions such as heavy acceleration while turning or
abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the transmission. When this
happens, you may notice a reduction in acceleration, or
may hear a noise or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak
®light will blink, and the
cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow, you may re-engage the cruise
control. SeeCruise Control on page 3-11.
StabiliTrak
®will turn off automatically if a problem is
detected in the system. The StabiliTrak®light will come
on and SERVICE STABILITRAK will be displayed on
the DIC. For vehicles without a DIC, the StabiliTrak
®
light and the StabiliTrak®service light will both come on.
4-12

Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain
and its many different features. Here are some things
to consider.
Surface Conditions:Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow,
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration, and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction, and longer braking
distances.
Surface Obstacles:Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or bump can startle you
if you are not prepared for them. Often these obstacles
are hidden by grass, bushes, snow, or even the rise and
fall of the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill?
There is more discussion of these subjects later.
Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep
a rm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other
surface features can jerk the wheel out of your hands
if you are not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you cannot control the
vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it is
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits, or signal
lights. You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what is not.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reexes, perceptions, and judgment can
be affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You could have a serious — or even fatal — accident
if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. SeeDrunken Driving on page 4-3.
4-21

What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you
are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver
who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep the windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes
moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects. Just as the headlamps should be checked
regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be
examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are
not even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a
wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left,
you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go
slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are
driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
reexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-31

How to Add Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission uid to use. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
Add uid only after checking the transmission uid while
it is hot. A cold check is used only as a reference. If
the uid level is low, add only enough of the proper uid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It does not take much uid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L). Do not overll.
Notice:Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
uid may damage your vehicle, and the damages
may not be covered by your warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid,” earlier in this section.
When the correct uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at the rst maintenance
service after each 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or
24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-24