2002 BUICK LESABRE column

2-5
There is a master key
that works in all of the
lock cylinders (driver's
door, trunk, ignition,
and glove box).
There is also a VALET
key which only operates
the driver's door and
the ignition.Your vehicle has the PASS
-Key
III vehicle theft
system. Both the master and VALET key have a
transponder in the key head that matches a decoder in
the vehicle's steering column. If a replacement key or
any additional key is needed, you must purchase this key
from your dealer. The key will have PK3 stamped on it.
Keep the bar code tag that came with the original keys.
Give this tag to your dealer if you need a new key made.
Any new PASS
-Key III key must be programmed before
it will start your vehicle. See ªPASS
-Key
IIIº in the Index
for more information on programming your new key.
If your vehicle is equipped with the OnStar

System
with an active subscription and you lock your keys
inside the vehicle, OnStar may be able to send a
command to unlock your vehicle. See ªOnStar

º in the
Index for more information.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle has a number of features that can help
prevent theft. But you can have a lot of trouble
getting into your vehicle if you ever lock your keys
inside. You may even have to damage your vehicle
to get in. So be sure you have extra keys.

2-26
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever located on the
steering column.
PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels.
It's the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can't move easily.
CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº
in the Index.

2-35
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
Press on the center area of the steering wheel to sound
the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can also raise it to the highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit and
enter the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel
is located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever
toward you. Then move
the wheel to a comfortable
position and release the
lever to lock the wheel
in place.

2-36
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:

Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals

Headlamp High/Low
-Beam Changer

Flash
-To-Pass Feature

Windshield Wipers

Windshield Washer
For more information on exterior lamps, see ªExterior
Lampsº later in this section.
Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the lever on the left side of the
steering wheel all the way up or down. The lever returns
automatically when the turn is complete.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will flash in
the direction of the turn or
lane change.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head
-Up Display
(HUD), an arrow will also appear in the display area
to indicate the direction of the turn or lane change.
See ªHead
-Up Display (HUD)º in the Index for
more information.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to flash to
signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane change
is complete. The lever will return by itself when you
release it.
If the arrows flash very fast as you signal a turn or a
lane change, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won't see your turn signal.

2-43
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Applying the brake or shifting
into a lower gear will take your vehicle out of cruise
control. If you need to apply the brake or shift to
a lower gear due to the grade of the downhill slope,
you may not want to attempt to use your cruise
control feature.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal; or

press ON/OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp control
buttons are located to the
left of the steering column.
(Parking Lamps): Pressing the button with this
symbol turns on the parking lamps, together with the
following:

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights
(Headlamps): Pressing the button with this symbol
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.

2-45
When the DRL are on, only your high-beam headlamps
will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won't be on.
When it is dark enough outside, your low
-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that turn on
with your headlamps will also turn on. When it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and your
high
-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are
parked, turn off the headlamps and move the Twilight
Sentinel lever all the way toward OFF. The exterior
lamps will turn back on automatically when you move
the transaxle out of PARK (P).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Cornering Lamps (If Equipped)
The cornering lamps come on when the headlamps
or parking lamps are on and you signal a turn with
the multifunction lever. They provide more light
for cornering.
Twilight Sentinel

Twilight Sentinel turns your headlamps on and off by
sensing how dark it is outside.
The lever for this feature is
located to the left of the
steering column.
To operate it, leave the exterior lamp button off.
If you slide the lever all the way to MAX, your
headlamps will remain on for about three minutes after
you turn off your engine. As you slide the lever toward
OFF, the headlamps will turn off more quickly when
you move your key from RUN. You can change this
delay time from only a few seconds to three minutes.

2-47
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
The lever for this feature is
located to the left of the
steering column.
The brightness of the instrument panel lights can be
adjusted by sliding the INTERIOR lever from LO to HI.
The instrument panel lights will be on only when the
parking lamps are on. The interior courtesy lamps can
be turned on by sliding the INTERIOR lever all the
way to the top, to HI.
Courtesy Lamps
If it is dark enough outside, when any door is opened,
several lamps go on. They make it easy for you to enter
and leave the vehicle. You can also turn these lamps on
by sliding the INTERIOR lever all the way to the top.
Illuminated Entry
If it is dark enough outside when you press the button
with the unlock symbol on the remote keyless entry
transmitter, the interior courtesy lamps will turn on and
stay on for approximately 40 seconds. The lamps will
turn off immediately by pressing the button with the
lock symbol on the remote keyless entry transmitter,
turning the ignition key to RUN or activating the
power door locks.
Delayed Entry Lighting
If it is dark enough outside when you open the door, the
interior lamps will turn on. When you close the door
with the ignition off, the interior lamps will stay on for
up to 25 seconds or until the ignition is turned to an on
position. When the lamps turn off as a result of the
25 second timer or the ignition switch being turned on,
the lighting will deactivate via the theater dimming
effect. Locking the doors will override the delayed entry
lighting feature and the lamps will turn off right away.

2-82
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Driver
Information Center (DIC). The DIC will display
information about how your vehicle is functioning,
as well as warning messages if a system problem is
detected. This feature also allows two different drivers
to store and recall their own personal choice settings.
See ªDIC Personal Choice Programmingº later in
this section.
DIC Displays and Controls
There are two lines in the DIC display. The DIC
displays the driver number identified when entering the
vehicle. You can have your dealer program your name to
appear on this display line. See your dealer for more
information.
When you turn the ignition on, the DIC will display
your DRIVER NUMBER. The system will then perform
a status check and display any messages if a problem
is detected.
If there are no problems detected, the display will return
to the mode selected by that driver the last time the
ignition was turned off.If a problem is detected, a diagnostic message will
appear in the display. The following pages will show
the messages you may see on the DIC display.
The message center is continuously updated with the
vehicle's performance status.
The following buttons are
on the DIC control panel
which is located to the left
of the steering column:
ODO/TRIP (Odometer/Trip): When this button is
pressed, the display will show the total mileage, and
Trip 1 or Trip 2 miles. Trip 1 and Trip 2 will display the
miles traveled since the last reset. To reset the trip
odometer, press the ODO/TRIP button until the
preferred trip number (1 or 2) is shown in the DIC
display, then press the RESET button. The trip odometer
will now accumulate miles until the next reset.