2003 BUICK LESABRE stop start

The integral CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single
discs with an adapter ring. Full-size compact discs
and the smaller discs are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced due
to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. You may experience an
increase in skipping, difficulty in ®nding tracks, and/or
difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur
try a known good CD.
Do not add paper labels to discs, they could get caught
in the CD player.
Do not play 3 inch discs without a standard adapter disc.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCompact
Disc Errorsº later in this section.
1
s(Reverse):Press and hold this pushbutton to
quickly reverse within a track. You will hear sound.
2
\(Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton
to quickly advance within a track. You will hear sound.
4 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to hear
the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
Press RDM again to turn off random play.
DISP (Display):Press this button to see which track is
playing. Press it again within ®ve seconds to see
how long it has been playing. To change the default onthe display (track or elapsed time), press this button
until you see the display you want, then hold the button
until the display ¯ashes. The selected display will
now be the default.
©SEEK¨:Press the left SEEK arrow to go to the
start of the current track if more than eight seconds have
played. If you hold the button or press it more than
once, the player will continue moving back through the
disc.
Press the right SEEK arrow to go to the next track. If
you hold the button or press it more than once, the
player will continue moving forward through the disc.
To scan CD tracks, press and hold one of the
SEEK arrows for two seconds until SCAN appears on
the display. You will hear a beep. The disc will go to the
next track, play for a few seconds, then go on to the
next track. The disc will only scan forward. Press one of
the SEEK arrows again to stop scanning.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or CD is playing.
CD TAPE:Press this button to change to playing a
cassette tape or a CD when listening to the radio.
Z(Eject):Press this button to eject a CD.
3-72

4 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to enter the
random play mode. RAND will appear on the display.
While in this mode, tracks and discs will be played
in random, rather than sequential, order. Press
this pushbutton again to turn off the random feature and
return to normal operation.
6 SIDE:Press this pushbutton to select the next disc in
the magazine. Each time you press SIDE, the disc
number on the radio display will go to that of the next
available CD.
DISP (Display):Press this button to see how long the
current track has been playing. Press this button
again to display the disc and track number. To change
what is normally shown on the display (track or
elapsed time), press this button until you see the display
you want, then hold this button until the display
¯ashes and a chime is heard. While elapsed time is
showing, CD TIME will appear on the display.
©SEEK¨:Press the left arrow while playing a CD
to go back to the start of the current track if more
than eight seconds have played. If you press it more
than once, the player will continue moving backward
through the disc.
Press the right arrow and it will go to the next track on
the disc. If you press it more than once, the player
will continue moving forward through the disc.When you press the left SEEK arrow for two seconds
you will hear a beep. The disc will play the ®rst few
seconds of each track on each disc. DISC SCAN will
appear on the display. Press the left SEEK arrow again
to stop scanning.
BAND:Press this button to return to listening to the
radio while a CD is playing.
CD or CD TAPE:Press this button to play a CD if you
have a magazine loaded in the changer when listening
to the radio. You can also press this button to switch
between a cassette tape, CD or the CD changer
if all three are loaded.
Compact Disc Errors
E (Error):If this message and a number appear on the
display, an error has occurred.
If the error occurred while trying to play a CD in the
compact disc player or changer, the following conditions
may have caused the error:
·E30:You're driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the disc should play.
·E30:The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside
down.
·E30:The air is very humid. If so, wait about an
hour and try again.
3-76

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

·Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you're awaiting an opportunity. For
one thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you're following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won't have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
·When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don't get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move
into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you
will have a ªrunning startº that more than makes
up for the distance you would lose by dropping
back. And if something happens to cause you to
cancel your pass, you need only slow down
and drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
·If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone isn't
trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder
and check the blind spot.
·Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front
in your inside mirror, activate your right lane
change signal and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside mirror is convex.
The vehicle you just passed may seem to be
farther away from you than it really is.)
·Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
·Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ¯ashing, it
may be slowing down or starting to turn.
·If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
4-14

Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have
traction control, or if the system is off, then an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
If you have Stabilitrak
ž, you may see the STABILITY
SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the Driver Information
Center. See ªStability System Active Messageº
under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-49.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-15

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean Ð inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a ®lm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and ¯ash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep
your eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness Ð the inability to see in dim light Ð and
aren't even aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can't stop, accelerate or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction isn't as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires don't have much tread left,
you'll get even less traction. It's always wise to go
slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are
driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your
re¯exes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.
4-17

At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to
the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as
you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to blend with the ¯ow. Try to merge into the gap at close
to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal,
check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as
often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic
¯ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in
your ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh Ð such as after a day's
work Ð don't plan to make too many miles that ®rst
part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll ®nd experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They'll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
4-22

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
·start your engine,
·shift into a gear, and
·release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle ¯uid (don't over®ll),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you ®nd them quickly. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
4-42