2003 BUICK LESABRE check engine

Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
If your vehicle has the
standard instrument panel
cluster, this light will
come on if there is a
problem with your vehicle's
engine oil pressure.
If your vehicle has the optional gage cluster, you can
read your oil pressure directly from the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
DIC Controls and
Displays on page 3-46.The oil pressure light will come on brie¯y when you turn
your key to RUN. That's just a check to be sure the
light works. This is normal and doesn't show a problem.
If it doesn't come on and then go off, be sure to have
it ®xed so it will be there to warn you if there is a
problem.
When this light
comeson andstayson, and a chime
sounds, it means oil isn't going through the engine
properly. The oil could be low, or there might be some
other oil problem. See your dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
Don't keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches ®re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
3-43

FUEL INFO (Information):Press this button to display
fuel information.
Press the FUEL INFO button until the display shows
FUEL ECONOMY AVERAGE. Average fuel economy is
viewed as a long term approximation of your overall
driving conditions. To learn the average fuel economy
from a new starting point, press the RESET button while
the average fuel economy is displayed in the DIC.
Press the FUEL INFO button until the display shows
FUEL ECONOMY INST. Instantaneous fuel economy
varies with your driving conditions, such as acceleration,
braking and the grade of the road being traveled. The
RESET button does not function in this mode.
Press the FUEL INFO button until the display shows
FUEL RANGE. The fuel range will calculate the
remaining distance you can drive without refueling. This
calculation is based on the average fuel economy for
the last 25 miles (40.25 km) driven, and the fuel
remaining in the fuel tank. The RESET button does not
function in this mode.
GAGE INFO (Information):Use this button to display
oil pressure, oil life, coolant temperature, tire pressure
and battery information.Press the GAGE INFO button until OIL PRESSURE
appears in the display. If there are no problems detected
with the oil pressure, the display will show OIL
PRESSURE NORMAL. If a low oil pressure condition is
detected, the display will show OIL PRESSURE
LOW. If you see the OIL PRESSURE LOW message,
your vehicle could be low on oil or the oil is not
going through the engine properly. See your dealer for
service.
Press the GAGE INFO button until COOLANT TEMP
appears in the display. If there are no problems detected
with the temperature, COOLANT TEMP NORMAL will
appear in the display. If the temperature is too high,
COOLANT TEMP HOT will appear in the display. If you
see the COOLANT TEMP HOT message, the engine
is overheated. You should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off your engine as soon as
possible. This manual explains what to do. See
Engine
Overheating on page 5-26.
Press the GAGE INFO button until the display shows
BATTERY STATE. If the voltage is normal the display
will show BATTERY STATE NORMAL. If the voltage
drops below 10.5 volts, the display will show BATTERY
STATE LOW. If the voltage is above 16.2 volts, the
display will show BATTERY STATE HIGH. If the display
shows the high or low message, you need to have
your battery and charging system checked.
3-47

Press the GAGE INFO button until OIL LIFE INDEX
appears in the display. The OIL LIFE INDEX NORMAL
display will show an estimate of the oil's remaining
useful life. When the oil life index is less than 10 percent,
the display will show OIL LIFE INDEX CHANGE OIL.
When you have the oil changed according to the
maintenance schedule (see
Part A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services on page 6-4), you will have to
reset the oil life monitor. To reset the Oil Life System,
see
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
Press the GAGE INFO button until TIRE PRESSURE
appears in the display. TIRE PRESSURE NORMAL
is displayed when the check tire pressure system
believes your vehicle's tire pressures are normal. If a
potential tire pressure problem is detected, the display
will show CHECK TIRE PRESSURE.
If you see the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE message, you
should stop as soon as you can and check all your
tires for damage. If a tire is ¯at, see
If a Tire Goes Flat
on page 5-66. Also check the tire pressure in all four
tires as soon as you can. SeeIn¯ation -- Tire Pressure
on page 5-58andCheck Tire Pressure System on
page 5-59. There are times when you will have to reset
(calibrate) the Check Tire Pressure System. See
Check Tire Pressure System on page 5-59.RESET:This button, used along with other buttons, will
reset system functions.
ENG/MET (English/Metric):Use this button to change
the display between English and metric units.
DIC messages can be displayed in one of three
languages: English, French or Spanish. The language
of the display is set by pressing both the FUEL
INFO and RESET buttons for ®ve seconds. As the
buttons are held, each language will be displayed for
three seconds. Release the FUEL INFO and RESET
buttons when the desired language is displayed. All DIC
messages will now be in the selected language.
Language selection can also be done through the DIC
Personal Choice Programming. See ªLanguage
Selectionº later in this section.
3-48

DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display. For Canadian drivers, in addition to the
DIC message your DIC will display EXP with a number
after it which re¯ects the following messages:
EXP
(Export ID) Warning Message
20 TURN SIGNAL STILL ON?
24 TRUNK AJAR
25 WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID LOW
27 BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
36 ENGINE OIL LOW ± CHECK LEVEL
40 THEFT ATTEMPT DETECTED
54 SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM
55 STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE
61 GAS CAP LOOSE ± CHECK CAP
81 CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
91
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVE
102 CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM
139 DOOR AJAR
144 CHECK TIRE PRESSURES
The EXP codes are used to make translation from
English to other languages easier.
Pressing any of the DIC control buttons will remove
the messages or warnings from the DIC display.SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM ± 54:If you ever see
the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM message, it
means there may be a problem with your stability
enhancement system. If you see this message, try to
reset the system (stop; turn off the engine; then start the
engine again). If the SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM
message still comes on, it means there is a problem.
You should see your dealer for service. Reduce
your speed and drive accordingly.
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE ± 55:You may see the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want
to go. The system is designed to help you in bad
weather or other difficult driving situations by making the
most of whatever road conditions will permit. If the
STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE message comes on, you'll
know that something has caused your vehicle to start
to spin, so you should consider slowing down.
3-49

Audio System(s)
Notice:Before you add any sound equipment to
your vehicle ± like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio ± be sure you can
add what you want. If you can, it's very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle's engine,
radio or other systems, and even damage them.
Your vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation of sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and to give years of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it ®rst. Figure out which radio you have in your vehicle,
®nd out what your audio system can do and how to
operate all of its controls to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your audio
system even after the ignition is turned off. See
ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º underIgnition
Positions on page 2-22.
Setting the Time
Press and hold H until the correct hour appears on the
display. AM will also appear for morning hours.
Press and hold M until the correct minute appears on
the display. The time may be set with the ignition on
or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and
hold H and M at the same time until TIME UPDATED
appears on the display. If the time is not available from
the station, NO UPDATE will appear on the display
instead.
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, 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.
If there's a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-38
.
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here's 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

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 in¯ated 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?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway
hypnosisº? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the
wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in
less than a second,and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
·Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
·Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
·If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
4-23

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in ¯at or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
·Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ¯uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
·Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
{CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
4-24