Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-27
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-46
Restraint System Check
............................1-54
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-9
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
žSystem
......................................2-37
HomeLinkžTransmitter
.............................2-38
Storage Areas
.........................................2-42
Sunroof
..................................................2-43
Vehicle Personalization
.............................2-44
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-32
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-45
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-55Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-31
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-47
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-57
Tires
......................................................5-58
Appearance Care
.....................................5-77
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-85
Electrical System
......................................5-85
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-93
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-94
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-9
Index.................................................................1
2003 Buick LeSabre Owner ManualM
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the
following topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Power Seats..................................................1-2
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Power Lumbar...............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-6
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-11
Driver Position..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-18
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-19
Center Front Passenger Position.....................1-19
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-21
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults.......................................1-24
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-26
Child Restraints.............................................1-27
Older Children..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children............................1-29Child Restraint Systems.................................1-33
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-36
Top Strap....................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-38
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-38
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System....................................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position............................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position....................................1-43
Air Bag Systems............................................1-46
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-49
When Should an Air Bag In¯ate?....................1-50
What Makes an Air Bag In¯ate?.....................1-51
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-52
What Will You See After an Air
Bag In¯ates?............................................1-52
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-54
Restraint System Check..................................1-54
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-54
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-55
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
Pull up on the control bar located under the front of the
seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it
and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body
to make sure the seat is locked into place.
Power Seats
If your vehicle has this feature, the controls for the power
seats are located on the outboard side of each front seat.
To adjust the power seats, do the following:
Horizontal Control:Raise or lower the front of the seat
cushion by pressing the forward edge of the control
up or down.
Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by pressing
the rear edge of the control up or down.
Move the seat forward or rearward by pressing the
control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.
Move the seat higher or lower by holding the whole
control up or down.
1-2
If you have the independent front cushion moved down
as far as it will go, you may feel the lumbar support
higher in your back. Readjust the location of the cushion
until you are comfortable. You may also want to
adjust the seatback for maximum comfort.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this feature, press this button to turn
on the heating element in the seat.
The heated seat buttons
are located on the driver's
and front passenger's
door panel.
When the heated seat button is ®rst pressed, the high
setting is activated. Press the button again for the
low setting. The third press of the button turns the
feature off.The low setting warms the seatback and cushion until
the seat nears body temperature. The high setting heats
the seat to a slightly higher temperature.
The heated seats can only be used when the ignition is
turned on. When the ignition is turned off, the heating
element is also turned off.Reclining Seatbacks
If your vehicle has power
seats, the vertical control
described previously in this
section reclines the front
seatbacks.
If your vehicle has the manual recliner, lift the lever on
the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to
the desired position. Release the lever to lock the
seatback. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the
seatback and the seatback will go to an upright position.
1-4
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-36.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here's why:
They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
1-7
Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here's how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see ªSeatsº in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don't let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn't long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-26.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
1-12
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have this feature already. If it doesn't,
you can get it from any GM dealer.
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides provide added safety
belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions the
belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each outside passenger
position in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt
comfort for children who have outgrown child restraints
and booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort
guides may be installed on the shoulder belts. Here's
how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt:
1. Remove the guide from its storage pocket on the
side of the seatback.
1-24