instrument panel BUICK RAINIER 2006 Owner's Guide

The system may also turn on your lights when driving
through a parking garage, heavy overcast weather
or a tunnel. This is normal.
There is a delay in the transition between the daytime
and nighttime operation of the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) and the automatic headlamp systems,
so that driving under bridges or bright overhead street
lights does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected when
the light sensor sees a change in lighting lasting
longer than the delay.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take about one minute for
the automatic headlamp system to change to DRL if it is
light outside. During that delay, your instrument panel
cluster may not be as bright as usual. Make sure
your instrument panel brightness control is in the full
bright position.
Only vehicles rst sold in the United States can idle with
the automatic headlamp system off. To idle with the
automatic headlamp system off, set the parking brake
while the ignition is off. Then start your vehicle. The
automatic headlamp system will stay off until you release
the parking brake, shift out of park or turn the exterior
lamp control to the off position (US vehicles only)
as described previously.Fog Lamps
Your vehicle may have this feature. Use your fog lamps
for better vision in foggy or misty conditions. Your
ignition must be in RUN for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is
located on the instrument
panel to the right of
the exterior lamps knob.
Press the button to turn the fog lamps on. Press the
button again to turn them off. A light will glow near the
button while the fog lamps are on. Fog lamps will
turn off whenever your high-beam headlamps are on.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
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Instrument Panel Brightness
Press the knob located
next to the exterior lamps
knob to extend it.
Turn the knob to adjust the instrument panel lights. Turn
the knob all the way up to turn on the interior lamps.
Press the knob back into its stored position when you’re
not using it.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps will come on when you open a door
unless the dome lamp override is pressed in.
Dome Lamp Override
The dome override
button is located below
the exterior lamps knob.
To turn the dome lamps off, press the button. The dome
lamps will remain off when a door is open. This will
override the illuminated entry feature unless you
use your keyless entry transmitter to unlock the vehicle.
To return the lamps to automatic operation, press
the button again. The dome lamps will come on when
you open a door.
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Accessory Power Outlet(s)
With the accessory power outlets, you can plug in
auxiliary electrical equipment such as a cellular
telephone or CB radio.
The rst outlet is located to the right of the cigarette
lighter on the instrument panel. The second outlet
is located on the rear of the center console.
Remove the cover from the outlet to use the outlet.
Be sure to put the cover back on when not using
the accessory power outlet.
Certain electrical accessories may not be compatible
with the accessory power outlet and could result
in blown vehicle or adaptor fuses. If you experience
a problem, see your dealer for additional information
on the accessory power outlets.
Notice:Adding any electrical equipment to your
vehicle may damage it or keep other components
from working as they should. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Do not use equipment
exceeding maximum amperage rating. Check
with your dealer before adding electrical equipment.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow
the proper installation instructions included with
the equipment.Notice:Improper use of the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by your warranty. Do not
hang any type of accessory or accessory bracket
from the plug because the power outlets are
designed for accessory power plugs only.
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter
Your vehicle may have this feature. The ashtray is
removable and ts into the front cupholder.
Notice:If you put papers, pins, or other ammable
items in the ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite them and possibly
damage your vehicle. Never put ammable items in
the ashtray.
To remove the ashtray, pull the covered bin out of the
cupholder.
To use the lighter, press it in all the way, and let go.
When it’s ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice:Holding a cigarette lighter in while it is
heating will not allow the lighter to back away from
the heating element when it is hot. Damage from
overheating may occur to the lighter or heating
element, or a fuse could be blown. Do not hold a
cigarette lighter in while it is heating.
3-18

Climate Controls
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System
With this system you can control the heating, cooling
and ventilation for your vehicle. When your vehicle
is rst started and the climate control system is on,
or if the climate control system has been turned on, the
display will show the driver’s temperature setting for
ve seconds. Then it will show the outside temperature.
Outside Air Temperature Display
A new outside temperature reading will be displayed
if the vehicle has been off for more than three hours.
If the vehicle has been off for less than three hours, the
old temperature reading may be displayed because
underhood heat is affecting the true outside temperature.
Since underhood heat can also affect the outside
temperature while the engine is running, it may take
several minutes of driving before the display updates
to the actual outside temperature.
9(Off):Press this button to turn off the entire climate
control system. Outside air will still enter the vehicle,
and will be directed to the oor. Press the AUTO button,
the mode button, the fan arrows, or either temperature
knob to turn the system on.
C(Mode):Press this button to manually select the
air delivery mode to the oor, instrument panel, or
windshield outlets. The system will stay in the selected
mode until the mode button is pressed again or the
AUTO button is pressed.
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Manual Operation
To change the current setting, select one of the
following:
w9x(Fan):This button allows you to manually
adjust the fan speed. Press the up arrow to increase
fan speed and the down arrow to decrease fan speed.
The display will change to show you the selected
fan speed and the driver’s side temperature setting for
ve seconds.
C(Mode):Press this button to manually change the
direction of the airow in your vehicle. Keep pressing the
button until the desired mode appears on the display.
The display will change to show you the selected
air delivery mode and the driver’s temperature setting
for ve seconds.
H(Vent):This mode directs air to the instrument
panel outlets.
)(Bi-Level):This mode directs approximately half
of the air to the instrument panel outlets, then directs the
remaining air to the oor outlets. A little air is directed
toward the windshield and the side window outlets.
Cooler air is directed to the upper outlets and warmer
air to the oor outlets.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to the
oor outlets. Some air also comes out of the defroster
and side window outlets. The recirculation button cannot
be selected in oor mode.
@(Recirculation):Press this button to turn
recirculation mode on or off. When this button is
pressed, an indicator light in the button will also come
on to let you know that it is activated. Recirculation
mode is used to recirculate the air inside of your vehicle.
Use this mode to help prevent outside odors and/or
dust from entering your vehicle or to help cool the air
inside of your vehicle more quickly. Recirculation
mode can be used with vent and bi-level modes, but it
cannot be used with oor, defog or defrost modes.
You may also notice that the air conditioning compressor
will run while in recirculation mode. This is normal
and will help to prevent fogging.
If the weather is cold and damp, the system may
cause the windows to fog while using recirculation
mode. If the windows do start to fog, select defog or
defrost mode.
Recirculation mode, if selected, will be cleared when
the engine is turned off.
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Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
<(Rear):Press this button to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
An indicator light in the button will come on to let you
know that the rear window defogger is activated.
The rear window defogger will turn off approximately
10 minutes after the button is pressed. If you need
additional warming time, press the button again.
If equipped, your heated mirrors will also come on when
you press this button.
Notice:Do not use a razor blade or sharp object
to clear the inside rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid lines in the rear glass.
These actions may damage the rear defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the air outlets located in the center and on the
sides of your instrument panel to direct the airow.
Operation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlets free of ice, snow,
or any other obstruction, such as leaves. The
heater and defroster will work far better, reducing
the chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
When you enter a vehicle in cold weather,
select maximum blower speed for a few moments
before driving. This helps clear the intake ducts
of snow and moisture, and reduces the chance
of fogging the inside of your window.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Adding outside equipment to the front of your
vehicle, such as hood-air deectors, may affect the
performance of the heating and air conditioning
system. Check with your dealer before adding
equipment to the outside of your vehicle.
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Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You will know
how fast you are going, about how much fuel you have used, and many other things you will need to know to
drive safely and economically.
United States version shown, Canada similar
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Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both
miles per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h).
Your odometer shows how far your vehicle has
been driven, in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers (used in Canada).
The odometer mileage can be checked without the
vehicle running. Simply press the trip stem located on
the instrument panel cluster.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs
a new odometer installed. The new one will be set to
the correct mileage total of the old odometer.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle
has been driven since you last set the trip odometer
to zero.
Your vehicle’s odometer works together with the Driver
Information Center (DIC). You can set a Trip A and
Trip B odometer. See “Trip Information” underDIC
Operation and Displays on page 3-44.
Tachometer
The tachometer
displays the engine
speed in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
3-27

Airbag Readiness Light
There is an airbag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the airbag symbol. The system
checks the airbag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem.
The system check includes the airbag sensors, the
airbag modules, the wiring and the crash sensing and
diagnostic module. For more information on the
airbag system, seeAirbag System on page 1-48.
This light will come on
when you start your
vehicle, and it will ash
for a few seconds.
Then the light should
go out. This means the
system is ready.
If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start the vehicle or comes on when you are driving,
your airbag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on after
you start your vehicle, it means the airbag
system may not be working properly.
The airbags in your vehicle may not inate
in a crash, or they could even inate without
a crash. To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced right away
if the airbag readiness light stays on after
you start your vehicle.
The airbag readiness light should ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it xed so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Driver Information Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC) display is located
on the instrument panel cluster, below the speedometer.
If your vehicle has DIC buttons, they are located on
the steering wheel. The DIC can display information
such as the trip odometer, fuel economy, customization
features, and warning/status messages.
If your vehicle does not have DIC steering wheel
buttons, you will not have all of the features listed.
Scroll through the odometer and trip odometer by
pressing the trip odometer reset stem located on the
instrument panel cluster. Turn off, or acknowledge,
DIC messages by pressing the trip odometer reset
stem. SeeSpeedometer and Odometer on page 3-27
for information on features for vehicles without
DIC buttons.
3(Trip Information):Press this button to display
the odometer, trip odometers, and timer.
t(Fuel Information):Press this button to display
the current range, fuel used, average fuel economy,
and engine oil life.
4(Customization):Press this button to access the
vehicle settings menu and customize the personal
settings on your vehicle.
r(Select):Press this button to reset certain DIC
functions and set your customization settings.
Pressing any of the DIC buttons will acknowledge
DIC messages and clear them from the DIC display.
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