2003 BUICK LESABRE Owner's Manual

the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it's
about freezing (32ÉF; 0ÉC) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition ± smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow ± drive with caution.
If you have traction control, keep the system on. It will
improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction
control system you'll want to slow down and adjust your
driving to the road conditions. See
Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9.
If you don't have a traction control system, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish
the surface under the tires even more.Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Even though you have the anti-lock braking system,
you'll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. See
Braking on page 4-6.
·Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
·Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ®ne
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to brake
while you're actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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If You're Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow.Here are some things to do to summon help and keep
yourself and your passengers safe:
·Turn on your hazard ¯ashers.
·Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.
·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,
¯oor mats ± anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
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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.
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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.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you're stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don't spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
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Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-66.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system off.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9. Then
shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a
forward gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible.
Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forwardand reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion
that may free your vehicle. If that doesn't get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If
you do need to be towed out, see ªTowing Your Vehicleº
following.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº following.
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Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle ± such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as ªdinghy towingº (towing your
vehicle with all four wheels on the ground) and ªdolly
towingº (towing your vehicle with two wheels on
the ground and two wheels up on a device known
as a ªdollyº).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See ªDinghy
Towingº and ªDolly Towing,º following.
Here are some important things to consider before you
do recreational vehicle towing:
·What's the towing capacity of the towing vehicle?
Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
·How far will you tow? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and how long they can tow.
·Do you have the proper towing equipment? See
your dealer or trailering professional for additional
advice and equipment recommendations.
·Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you
would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you'll
want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be
towed. See
Before Leaving on a Long Trip on
page 4-22.
Dinghy Towing
Notice:Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground will damage drivetrain components.
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
you should use a dolly. See ªDolly Towingº that follows
for more information.
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Dolly Towing
Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your
vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on the dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position.
5. Release the parking brake.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information
label found on the rear edge of the driver's door tells
you the proper size, speed rating and recommended
in¯ation pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It also
gives you important information about the number
of people that can be in your vehicle and the total weight
that you can carry. This weight is called the Vehicle
Capacity Weight and includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-installed options.
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The other label is the Certi®cation label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it
out. Don't carry more than 176 lbs (80 kg) in your trunk.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Notice:Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
If you put things inside your vehicle ± like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else ± they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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