2004 BUICK LESABRE time

That is the reason for this part. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and
under greater loads, generating extra heat. Also,
the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you will be driving. A good source
for this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Do not tow a trailer at all during the rst 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the rst 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle
wear in at the heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Do not drive faster than the maximum posted
speed for trailers, or no more than 55 mph
(90 km/h), to save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
The weight of the trailer.
The weight of the trailer tongue.
The total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
4-40

Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to
the road if it becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may be provided by the
hitch manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching
safety chains and do not attach them to the bumper.
Always leave just enough slack so you can turn
with your rig. And, never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so
you will be able to install, adjust and maintain them
properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap
into your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake
systems will not work well, or at all.
Trailer Wiring Harness
All of the electrical circuits required for your trailer
lighting system can be accessed at the driver’s side rear
lamp connector. This connector is located under the
carpet on the rear corner of the trunk compartment.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you will want to
get to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connector, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer
brakes are still working.
4-43

Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle’s lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they are all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you do not shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down to THIRD (3) and
reduce your speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here is
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-45

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 Specications....................................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............5-54
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps.......................5-55
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-57
Tires..............................................................5-58
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-65
Check Tire Pressure System..........................5-66
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-67
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-68
Buying New Tires.........................................5-69
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-70
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-71
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. See “Engine
Compartment Fuse Block” underFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-92.
B. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-36.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-42.
D. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeCooling System
on page 5-28.
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-26.
F. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-13.
H. Engine Coolant Air Bleed Valve. See “How to Add
Coolant to the Radiator” underCooling System
on page 5-28.
I. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. See “Checking
the Fluid Level” underAutomatic Transaxle Fluid
on page 5-21.
J. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-37.
K. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.Engine Oil
If the ENGINE OIL LOW
CHECK LEVEL DIC
message appears on the
instrument cluster, it
means you need to check
your engine oil level
right away. For more
information, seeDIC
Warnings and Messages
on page 3-49.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is 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 handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you do not, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.
5-13

When to Change Engine Oil (Vehicles
with the GM Oil Life System)
If equipped, your vehicle has a computer system that
lets you know when to change the engine oil and lter.
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 SOON 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 and
lter must be changed at least once a year and at
this time the system must be reset. Your dealer has
GM-trained service people who will perform this
work using genuine GM parts and reset the system. 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.
How to Reset the Oil Life System
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change
your engine oil and lter based on vehicle use. Anytime
your oil is changed, reset the system so it can
calculate when the next oil change is required. If a
situation occurs where you change your oil prior to a
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message being
turned on, reset the system.
To reset the Oil Life System, do the following:
1. Display the OIL LIFE INDEX on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the RESET button on the DIC for
more than ve seconds. The oil life will change
to 100%.
3. Turn the key to OFF.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message comes
back on when you start your vehicle, the engine oil
life system has not reset. Repeat the procedure.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Do not let used oil stay on your skin for very long. Clean
your skin and nails with soap and water, or a good
hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose of clothing or
rags containing used engine oil. See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of oil products.
5-17

Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle uid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the uid and lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery
service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, change the uid and lter at 100,000 miles
(166 000 km).
SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on
page 6-4.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at the dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage the
transaxle. Too much can mean that some of the uid
could come out and fall on hot engine or exhaust
system parts, starting a re. Too little uid could
cause the transaxle to overheat. Be sure to get an
accurate reading if you check the transaxle uid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
uid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic — especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the uid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it is colder than 50°F (10°C), you may have to
drive longer.
5-21

A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they
should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which will not damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you do
not need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture,
your engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Too much water in the mixture can freeze
and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and
other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you don’t
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
5-24