2003 BUICK LESABRE brake

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-10

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the hood release
handle inside the
vehicle. It is located
next to the parking
brake pedal near
the ¯oor.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and pull up on
the secondary hood release. The hood latch is
located under the hood, near the center, and at the
front edge of the grille.
3. Lift up on the latch as you lift up on the hood.
Before closing the hood, be sure all the ®ller
caps are on properly. Then just pull the hood down
and close it ®rmly.
5-11

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
C. Remote Positive Terminal
D. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
E. Radiator Pressure Cap
F. Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap
H. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick
I. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir
J. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Engine Oil
If the ENGINE OIL
LOW ÐCHECK LEVEL
DIC message appears on
the instrument cluster,
it means you need
to check your engine oil
level right away. For more
information, see
DIC
Warnings and Messages
on page 3-49
.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick is
located right behind the
engine fans and in front of
the engine oil ®ller cap.
The top of the dipstick is a
round yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
more information on
location.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13

Checking the Fluid Level
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
·Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
·With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
·With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).
·Let the engine run at idle for three to ®ve minutes.Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
The transaxle ¯uid dipstick
top is a round, red loop
and is located next to the
brake master cylinder
behind the engine block.
See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for more information
on location.
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
5-22

Notice:
·When using concentrated washer ¯uid, follow
the manufacturer's instructions for adding
water.
·Don't mix water with ready-to-use washer ¯uid.
Water can cause the solution to freeze and
damage your washer ¯uid tank and other parts
of the washer system. Also, water doesn't
clean as well as washer ¯uid.
·Fill your washer ¯uid tank only three-quarters
full when it's very cold. This allows for
expansion if freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is completely full.
·Don't use engine coolant (antifreeze) in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your master cylinder reservoir is ®lled with DOT-3 brake
¯uid. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for the location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake ¯uid level in
the reservoir might go down. The ®rst is that the
brake ¯uid goes down to an acceptable level during
normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the ¯uid level goes back up.
5-37

The other reason is that ¯uid is leaking out of the brake
system. If it is, you should have your brake system
®xed, 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 ¯uid.
Adding brake ¯uid won't correct a leak. If you add ¯uid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too
much ¯uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add (or remove) brake ¯uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake ¯uid, it can spill on
the engine. The ¯uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
¯uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake ¯uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. A chime will sound if you try
to drive with this warning light on. See
Brake System
Warning Light on page 3-37.
What to Add
When you do need brake ¯uid, use only DOT-3 brake
¯uid. Refer toPart D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-23. Use new brake ¯uid from a
sealed container only.
Always clean the brake ¯uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of ¯uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could
cause a crash. Always use the proper
brake ¯uid.
Notice:
·Using the wrong ¯uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts so badly that they'll have to be replaced.
Don't let someone put in the wrong kind of ¯uid.
5-38

·If you spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle's painted
surfaces, the paint ®nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake ¯uid on your vehicle. If
you do, wash it off immediately. See
ªAppearance Careº in the Index.
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 ®rmly).
{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 ®rst 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 speci®cations.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-22.
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.
5-39

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