2004 BUICK LESABRE tow

Horn
Press the center area of the steering wheel to sound
the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can also raise it to the highest
level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever
toward you. Then move the
wheel to a comfortable
position and release
the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
Flash-To-Pass
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
For more information on exterior lamps, seeExterior
Lamps on page 3-14.
3-7

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the lever on the left side of the
steering wheel all the way up or down. The lever returns
automatically when the turn is complete.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), an arrow will also appear in the display
area to indicate the direction of the turn or lane
change. SeeHead-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-20for
more information.
You may also have an arrow in the outside mirror that
ashes when the turn signal is used. SeeOutside Power
Mirrors on page 2-35for more information.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to ash to
signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane
change is complete.
If the arrows ash very fast as you signal a turn or a
lane change, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers will not see your turn signal.If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows do not go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-92.
Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 0.8 miles
(1.3 km), a chime will sound at each ash of the turn
signal. To turn off the chime, move the turn signal lever
to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam
or high beam to low beam, pull the turn signal lever
toward you and release it.
While the high beams are
on, this light located on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), this symbol will also appear in the
display area to indicate the high beams are on. See
Head-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-20for more
information.
3-8

Flash-To-Pass
This feature lets you use the high-beam headlamps to
signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even if your headlamps are off.
Pull the turn signal lever toward you briey to
ash-to-pass.
If the headlamps are off or on low beam, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on. They will stay on as long as
you hold the lever toward you and the high-beam
indicator on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wipers are controlled by turning the
band marked WIPER.
If your windshield wipers are on for more than six
seconds while you are driving, the low-beam headlamps,
instrument panel cluster backlighting and taillamps will
turn on. For more information see “Wiper Activated
Headlamps” underExterior Lamps on page 3-14.
OFF:Turn the band to OFF to turn the wipers off.
MIST:For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST.
Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go. The
wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more cycles,
hold the band on MIST longer.LO (Low Speed):Turn the band to LO for steady
wiping at a slow speed.
HI (High Speed):Turn the band to HI for steady wiping
at a high speed.
The wiper speed may be set for a long or short delay
between wipes. Turn the band to choose the delay time.
The closer to LO, the shorter the delay.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Keep in mind that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you from seeing well enough to drive safely. To
avoid damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the
wiper blades before using them. If your blades do
become damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Rainsense™ II Wipers
If your vehicle has this feature, the moisture sensor is
mounted on the interior of the windshield below the
rearview mirror and is used to automatically operate the
wipers. This system operates by monitoring the
amount of moisture build-up on the windshield. Wipes
occur as needed to clear the windshield depending
on the driving conditions and the sensitivity setting. In
light rain or snow, fewer wipes will occur. In heavy
rain or snow, wipes will occur more frequently.
3-9

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation of DRL and
Twilight Sentinel
®, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make your high-beam headlamps
turn on at reduced brightness in daylight when the
following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamp button for the headlamps is off.
The transaxle is not in PARK (P).When the DRL are on, only your high-beam headlamps
will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps will not be on.
When it is dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that turn on
with your headlamps will also turn on. When it is
bright enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and
your high-beam headlamps change to the reduced
brightness of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are
parked, turn off the headlamps and move the Twilight
Sentinel
®lever all the way toward OFF. The exterior
lamps will turn back on automatically when you move
the transaxle out of PARK (P).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Cornering Lamps
If your vehicle has this feature, the cornering lamps
come on when the headlamps or parking lamps are on
and you signal a turn with the multifunction lever.
They provide more light for cornering.
3-15

Twilight Sentinel®
Twilight Sentinel®turns your headlamps on and off by
sensing how dark it is outside.
The lever for this feature is
located to the left of the
steering column.
To operate it, leave the exterior lamp button off.
If you slide the lever all the way to MAX, your
headlamps will remain on for about three minutes after
you turn off your engine. As you slide the lever
toward OFF, the headlamps will turn off more quickly.
You can change this delay time from only a few seconds
to three minutes.The exterior lamps can be completely shut off while the
vehicle is in PARK (P) by sliding the Twilight
Sentinel®lever all the way to OFF. To turn the exterior
lamps back on, slide the lever toward MAX again,
or shift out of PARK (P).
Park Lamp Override Feature
If the Twilight Sentinel®lighting is active, it can be
disabled by turning on the manual parking lamps. The
lighting will be disabled until the ignition is moved from
RUN or until the outside light level becomes daylight. The
outside light level changing to daylight will cause the
Twilight Sentinel
®feature to deactivate. The
wiper-activated headlamps will override the twilight
disable feature.
Light Sensor
Your Twilight
Sentinel®and DRL work
with the light sensor
located on top of the
instrument panel.
Do not cover it up. If you do, the sensor will read “dark”
and the Twilight Sentinel
®lighting will turn on.
3-16

Also in this mode, the RECIRC function is activated to
create the maximum cooling effect in the vehicle. If
RECIRC was activated before selecting MAX, the light
in the RECIRC button will go off. If RECIRC is
selected after MAX, the light in the RECIRC button will
not come on.
NORM (Normal Air Conditioning):This mode cools
the outside air entering your vehicle and directs it
through the instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEV (Bi-Level Air Conditioning):This mode directs
about half of the air to the instrument panel outlets,
and then directs most of the remaining air to the oor
outlets. Some air may be directed toward the windshield.
Cooler air is directed to the upper outlets and warmer
air to the oor outlets. The air conditioning compressor is
on in this mode.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air
escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps
the system to operate more efficiently.
For quick cool down on hot days, do the following:
1. Select the vent mode.
2. Select the recirculation mode.
3. Select MAX.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest fan speed.Using these settings together for long periods of time
may cause the air inside of your vehicle to become too
dry. To prevent this from happening, after the air in
your vehicle has cooled, turn the recirculation mode off.
The air conditioning system removes moisture from
the air, so you may sometimes notice a small amount of
water dripping underneath your vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is normal.
Sensors
The solar sensor on your vehicle monitors the solar
radiation and the air inside of your vehicle, then uses the
information to maintain the selected temperature by
initiating needed adjustments to the temperature, the fan
speed and the air delivery system. The system may
also supply cooler air to the side of the vehicle facing the
sun. The recirculation mode will also be activated, as
necessary. Do not cover the solar sensor located in the
center of the instrument panel, near the windshield,
or the system will not work properly.
Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of high humidity
(moisture) condensing on the cool window glass. This
can be minimized if the climate control system is
used properly. This mode allows you to clear fog or
frost from your windshield.
3-25

Sensors
The solar sensor on your vehicle monitors the solar
radiation and the air inside of your vehicle, then uses the
information to maintain the selected temperature by
initiating needed adjustments to the temperature, the fan
speed and the air delivery system. The system may
also supply cooler air to the side of the vehicle facing the
sun. The recirculation mode will also be activated, as
necessary. Do not cover the solar sensor located in the
center of the instrument panel, near the windshield,
or the system will not work properly.
Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of high humidity
(moisture) condensing on the cool window glass. This
can be minimized if the climate control system is
used properly.
1FRONT:Press the FRONT button to defrost the
windshield by directing airow toward the windshield and
outboard outlets (for the side windows). To turn off
FRONT, press the AUTO or AIR FLOW buttons.
If the AIR FLOW up button is pressed while in the
FRONT defrost mode, the system will direct the
air toward the instrument panel outlets. If the AIR FLOW
down button is pressed while in the FRONT defrost
mode, the system will direct the air toward the oor, and
the FRONT defrost mode will cancel. Do not drive the
vehicle until all the windows are clear.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog or frost from the rear window.
=REAR:Press this button to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. Be sure to clear as much snow from
the rear window as possible.
At speeds above 35 mph (55 km/h), the defogger will
operate continuously until you press the REAR
button again. After 10 minutes of driving below 35 mph
(55 km/h), the defogger will turn off automatically. If
you need additional warming time, push the button
again. The system will then operate for ve minutes
before going off by itself.
If your vehicle has heated outside rearview mirrors, the
mirrors will heat to help clear fog or frost from the
surface of the mirror when the rear window defogger
button is pressed.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear
window defogger. Repairs would not be covered by
your warranty. Do not clear the inside of the rear
window with sharp objects.
3-29

When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t
release fully. If you try to drive off with the parking brake
set, a chime will also come on until you release the
parking brake. If the light stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means you have a brake
problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-31.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system warning light on
can lead to an accident. If the light is still on
after you have pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when your engine
is started and may stay
on for several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon
as possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the light still stays
on, or comes on again while you’re driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning
light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes
and there’s a problem with your regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-37.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey when you turn the ignition key to RUN. This
is normal. If the light doesn’t come on then, have it xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
3-38