2003 BUICK LESABRE battery

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

·E34:The CD changer door is open. Completely
close the door to restore normal operation.
·E35:An empty magazine is inserted in the CD
changer. Try the magazine again with a disc loaded
on one of the trays.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be
corrected, contact your dealership. If your radio displays
an error number other than the error codes listed
previously, write it down and provide it to your dealership
when reporting the problem.
Personal Choice Radio Controls
If your vehicle has this feature it will enable two drivers
to store and recall personal settings for radio presets,
last tuned station, volume, tone, and audio source
(radio, cassette, or CD).
The memory buttons 1 and 2 for this feature are located
on the driver's door panel and correspond to the
numbers 1 and 2 found on the back of each remote
keyless entry transmitter.
To recall audio sources, press the unlock button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter and turn the ignition
on. The source last listened to will be recalled for
the identi®ed driver 1 or 2.To program this feature, do the following:
1. Set all radio preferences. For more information see
ªSetting Preset Stationsº and ªSetting the Toneº
listed for your particular radio.
2. Locate the memory buttons on the driver's
door panel.
3. Press one of the memory buttons 1 or 2 until you
hear two beeps. The beeps con®rm that your
selection has been saved and can now be recalled.
Follow these steps each time you want to change the
stored settings.Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCKžis designed to discourage theft of your
radio. It works by using a secret code to disable all radio
functions whenever battery power is removed and the
radio is placed in a different vehicle. This feature
requires no user input to be activated. It is automatically
armed when it is put into the vehicle for the ®rst time.
When the ignition is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK
žis armed.
If THEFTLOCK
žis activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen. The radio will display LOCKED and a red
LED indicator light will come on above the key symbol
to indicate a locked condition. If this occurs, the radio will
need to be returned to the dealer.
3-77

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.
4-30

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under
the Hood....................................................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-47
Headlamp Horizontal Aiming...........................5-49
Headlamp Vertical Aiming..............................5-50
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-52
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-52
Headlamps..................................................5-52
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-53
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps.......................5-55
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-57
Tires..............................................................5-58
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-58
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-59
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-62
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system Ð for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you need new ones put in Ð be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If
you don't, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change Ð for the worse. The
braking performance you've come to expect can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelcožbattery. When it's time for a new battery, get
one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery's label. We recommend an
ACDelco
žbattery.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
The battery is located under the rear seat cushion. To
access the battery, see
Removing the Rear Seat
Cushion on page 5-89. You don't need to access the
battery to jump start your vehicle. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-42.
{CAUTION:
A battery that isn't properly vented can let
sulfuric acid fumes into the area under the rear
seat cushion. These fumes can damage your
rear seat safety belt systems. You may not be
able to see this damage, and the safety belts
might not provide the protection needed in a
crash. If a replacement battery is ever needed,
it must be vented in the same manner as the
original battery. Always make sure that the
vent hose is properly reattached before
reinstalling the seat cushion.
5-40

To be sure the vent hose (A) is properly attached, the
vent hose connectors (B) must be securely reattached to
the vent outlets (C) on each side of the battery, and
the vent assembly grommet (D) must be secured to the
¯oor pan (E).
Vehicle Storage
If you're not going to drive you vehicle for 25 days or
more, remove the black, negative (-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from running
down.
{CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren't careful. See ªJump Startingº next for
tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your
vehicle for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see
Theft-Deterrent
Feature on page 3-77.
5-41

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. Be sure to use the steps below to do
it safely.
{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.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
won't work, and it could damage your vehicle.
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 ®rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
5-42

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 radio 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 hood on the other vehicle and locate the
positive (+) and negative (-) terminal locations on
that vehicle.
Open the hood on your vehicle and ®nd the remote
positive (+) terminal, located in the engine
compartment on the passenger side of the vehicle.
See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more information on location.Access the remote
positive (+) terminal by
removing the cover.
You will not see the battery of your vehicle under
the hood. It is located under the rear passenger's
seat. You will not need to access the battery
for jump starting. The remote positive (+) terminal
is for that purpose.
{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.
5-43