2001 BUICK LESABRE light

4-21
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You'll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:

Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross
-country trip.

Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You'll save time and energy.
See the next part, ªFreeway Driving.º

Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start
to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may be running
the red light.

4-23
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh
-- such as after a day's
work
-- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America.
They'll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:

Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?

Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?

Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?

Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?

Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?

Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?

Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?

4-26
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:

Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.

You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.

4-29

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.

4-36 Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read and
follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you'll be
able to install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Because you have anti
-lock brakes, do not try to tap into
your vehicle's brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won't work well, or at all.
Trailer Wiring Harness
All of the electrical circuits required for your trailer
lighting system can be accessed at the driver's side rear
lamp connector. This connector is located under the
carpet on the rear corner of the trunk compartment.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you'll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.

4-38 Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a different
turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check with your
dealer. The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you're about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It's important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle's lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they're all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if
one of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to THIRD (3) and
reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70km/h) to reduce
the possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.

5-3
Jump Starting
If your vehicle's battery has run down, you may want to
use another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. But please use the following steps to do it safely.
You will not see the battery under the hood of your
vehicle, since it is located under the rear seat on the
passenger's side.
CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:

They contain acid that can burn you.

They contain gas that can explode or ignite.

They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you don't follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn't be covered
by your warranty.
The ACDelco battery in your vehicle has a
built
-in hydrometer. Do not charge, test or jump
start the battery if the hydrometer looks clear or
light yellow. Replace the battery when there is a
clear or light yellow hydrometer and a
cranking complaint.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling
it won't work, and it could damage your vehicle.

5-4
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn't a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren't touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don't want. You wouldn't be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) and a manual transmission in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn off all lamps that aren't needed as well
as radios. This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition, it could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the battery on the other
vehicle and the remote positive (+) terminal, located
on the passenger's side of the engine, on your
vehicle. Find the positive (+) and negative (
-)
terminals on the battery in the other vehicle.
You do not need to access your vehicle's battery
(which is under the rear seat) for jump starting.
The remote positive (+) terminal is for this purpose.