2002 BUICK RANDEZVOUS brake light

2-122
Head-Up Display (HUD) (Option)
CAUTION:
If the HUD image is too bright, or too high in
your field of view, it may take you more time to
see things you need to see when it's dark outside.
Be sure to keep the HUD image dim and placed
low in your field of view.
If your vehicle has this option, it can display the
speedometer reading in English or metric. The current
radio station, CD number and/or track number or tape
may also be displayed and will appear as an image
focused out toward the front of your vehicle.
The HUD is capable of displaying English or French.
See ªDriver Information Center (DIC) Messagesº
earlier in this section to change the display from English
to metric.The Head
-Up Display also displays the following lights
and messages when they appear on the instrument
panel cluster:

Turn Signal Indicators

High
-Beam Indicator

Low
-Fuel Warning Message
See each of these features in the Index for
more information.
The Head
-Up Display also displays a CHECK GAGES
icon. The following messages could appear on the
instrument panel cluster when CHECK GAGES appears:

Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Message

Low Oil Pressure Message

Charging System Indicator Message

Low Brake Fluid Warning Message
See each of these messages in the Index for
more information.

2-127
When the System Does Not Seem to Work Properly
The light will flash red when shifting into REVERSE (R)
if a trailer was attached to your vehicle, or a bicycle or an
object was on the back of, or hanging out of your liftgate
during your last drive cycle. The light will continue to
flash whenever in REVERSE (R), until your vehicle is
driven forward at least 15 mph (25 km/h) without any
obstructions behind the vehicle.It may also flash red if the ultrasonic sensors are not
kept clean. So be sure to keep your rear bumper free of
mud, dirt, snow, ice and slush or the system may not
work properly. Other conditions that may affect system
performance include things like the vibrations from a
jackhammer or the compression of air brakes on a very
large truck. If after cleaning the rear bumper and then
driving forward at least 15 mph (25 km/h), the display
continues to flash red, see your dealer.
As always, drivers should use care when backing up a
vehicle. Always look behind you, being sure to check
for other vehicles, obstructions and blind spots.
For cleaning instructions, see ªCleaning Your Vehicleº
in the Index.

4-8
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
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, or when you 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, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-10
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System
(If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine power
to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE message will come on when
the traction control system is limiting wheel spin. See
ªTRACTION ACTIVE Messageº in the Index. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in
the Index.

4-20
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.
CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you're
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn't happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops ªdimpleº the
water's surface, there could be hydroplaning.

5-4
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 starting procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL before setting the parking brake.
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn't be covered by
your warranty.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or in the accessory power outlet(s). Turn off
the radios and all lamps that aren't needed. This will
avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And it
could save your radio!4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative (
-) terminals on
each vehicle.
You will not need to access your battery for
jump starting. Your vehicle has a remote positive (+)
jump starting terminal for that purpose. The terminal
is located under a tethered cap at the front of the
underhood fuse and relay center. See ªEngine
Compartment Overviewº in the Index for more
information on location.
Flip the cap up to access the remote positive (+)
terminal. You should always use the remote
positive (+) terminal instead of the positive (+)
terminal on the battery.
CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.

6-31
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is filled with
DOT
-3 brake fluid. See ªEngine Compartment
Overviewº in the Index for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid
level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should
have your brake system fixed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes won't work well, or won't
work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to ªtop offº your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work
is done on the brake hydraulic system.CAUTION:
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned, and
your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid
only when work is done on the brake hydraulic
system. See ªChecking Brake Fluidº in
this section.
United States Canada
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See ªBrake System Warning
Lightº in the Index.

6-33 Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built
-in wear indicators that
make a high
-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound may
come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is
moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7 of this
manual under Part C ªPeriodic Maintenance Inspections.º
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.