2003 BUICK RANDEZVOUS stop start

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 transaxleuid (don’t overll),
engine oil, belts, cooling system and brake system. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help
yound them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle may have a trailer wiring harness located
at the rear of your vehicle. To use the trailer wiring
harness you need a converter kit. Contact your dealer
for more information.
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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 Specifications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-8
Checking Things Under
the Hood......................................................5-9
Hood Release................................................5-9
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-10
Engine Oil...................................................5-11
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-15
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-17
Engine Coolant.............................................5-19
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-21
Engine Overheating.......................................5-22
Cooling System............................................5-24
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-31Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-32
Brakes........................................................5-33
Battery........................................................5-36
Jump Starting...............................................5-36
All-Wheel Drive..............................................5-41
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-42
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-43
Headlamps..................................................5-43
Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker and
Parking Lamps..........................................5-44
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-45
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps.......................5-45
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-47
Tires..............................................................5-48
Inflation -- Tire Pressure................................5-49
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-49
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-51
When It Is Time for New Tires
.......................5-52
Buying New Tires
.........................................5-53
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
..........................5-54
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
..................5-55
Wheel Replacement
......................................5-55
Section 5Service and Appearance Care
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2003 - Rendezvous OM

As in the chart shown previously, SAE 5W-30 is the
only viscosity grade recommended for your vehicle. You
should look for and use only oils which have the API
Starburst symbol and which are also identified as
SAE 5W-30. If you cannotfind such SAE 5W-30 oils,
you can use an SAE 10W-30 oil which has the API
Starburst symbol, if it’s going to be 0°F(−18°C)
or above. Do not use other viscosity grade oils, such as
SAE 10W-40 or SAE 20W-50 under any conditions.
Notice:Use only engine oil with the American
Petroleum Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
starburst symbol. Failure to use the recommended
oil can result in engine damage not covered by
your warranty.
GM Goodwrench
®oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
If you are in an area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below−20°F(−29°C),itis
recommended that you use either an SAE 5W-30
synthetic oil or an SAE 0W-30 oil. Both will provide
easier cold starting and better protection for your engine
at extremely low temperatures.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. The recommended oils
with the starburst symbol are all you will need for
good performance and engine protection.
When to Change Engine Oil (GM Oil
Life System)
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil andfilter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A change engine oil message will come on.
Change your oil as soon as possible within the next
two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
may not indicate that an oil change is necessary for over
a year. However, your engine oil andfilter must be
changed at least once a year and at this time the system
must be reset. It is also important to check your oil
regularly and keep it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
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2003 - Rendezvous OM

If the accessory inflator system does not turn on or the
light does not come on, the fuse may be blown or
installed incorrectly. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-86or see your dealer for service.
Your accessory inflator will automatically shut off after
about 10 minutes. The light in the switch will blink. After
about one minute you can use the system again. Press
the inflator switch and the indicator light will come on.
Notice:Don’t run your accessory inflator for longer
than 30 minutes at one time. If you do, you may
damage the system.
After running the accessory inflator for 30 minutes, wait
at least 10 minutes before restarting the accessory
inflator.
To turn off the inflator, do the following:
1. Press the switch and detach the hose,first from the
inflated object, then from the outlet.
2. Put the protective cap back on.
3. Place the inflator kit tools in the pouch, and store in
the glove box.
To put the cover back on, line up the tabs at the back of
the cover and put it in place. Push down the tab to
secure the cover.If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to“blowout”while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a“blowout”, here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, theflat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheelfirmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop—well off the road if possible.
If a tire goesflat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change aflat tire safely.
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Secondary Latch System
Your vehicle has an underbody mounted tire hoist
assembly equipped with a secondary latch system. It’s
designed to stop the compact spare tire from suddenly
falling off your vehicle if the cable holding the spare tire is
damaged. For the secondary latch to work, the tire must
be stowed with the valve stem pointing down. See
“Storing the Spare Tire and Tools”later in this section for
instructions on storing the spare tire correctly.
{CAUTION:
Before beginning this procedure read all the
instructions. Failure to read and follow the
instructions could damage the hoist assembly
and you and others could get hurt. Read and
follow the instructions listed below.
To release the spare tire from the secondary latch, do
the following:
{CAUTION:
Someone standing too close during the
procedure could be injured by the jack. If the
spare tire does not slide off the jack completely,
make sure no one is behind you or on either
side of you as you pull the jack out from the
spare.
1. If the cable is not visible, start this procedure
at Step 3.
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