2006 BUICK RAINIER check engine light

Service All-Wheel Drive Light
This light should come on
briey when you turn on
the ignition, as a check to
show you it is working.
The service all-wheel drive light comes on to indicate
that there may be a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by
the system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage to the vehicle. This system
is also designed to assist your GM dealer in correctly
diagnosing a malfunction.
Check Gages Warning Light
The check gages light will
come on briey when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil pressure
gages to see if they are in the warning zones.
Gate Ajar Light
If this light comes on,
your liftgate or liftglass
is not completely shut.
Close the liftgate or liftglass. Never drive with the
liftgate or liftglass even partially open.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have remaining.
Here are four things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took
a little more or less than half the tank’s capacity
to ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner
or speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on briey when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel. To
turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFuel on page 5-5
.
Check Gas Cap Light
If equipped, this light will
come on if your gas cap is
not securely fastened.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on page 3-36for more
information. United States
Canada
3-42

DRIVER DOOR AJAR
If the driver’s door is not fully closed, this message
will appear on the display and you will hear a chime.
Stop and turn off the vehicle, check the door for
obstacles, and close the door again. Check to see
if the message still appears on the DIC. Press the
select button to acknowledge this message and clear
it from the DIC display.
ENGINE COOLANT HOT/ENGINE
OVERHEATED
Notice:If you drive your vehicle while the engine
is overheating, severe engine damage may occur.
If an overheat warning appears on the instrument
panel cluster and/or DIC, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. Do not increase the engine speed above
normal idling speed. SeeEngine Overheating
on page 5-26for more information.
If the cooling system temperature gets hot, this message
will appear in the DIC and you will hear a chime. See
Engine Overheating on page 5-26for the proper course
of action. This message will clear when the coolant
temperature drops to a safe operating temperature.
FUEL LEVEL LOW
If the fuel level is low in the vehicle’s gas tank this
message will appear on the DIC and you will hear a
chime. Refuel as soon as possible. Press the select
button to acknowledge this message and clear it from
the DIC display. SeeLow Fuel Warning Light on
page 3-42,Filling the Tank on page 5-8andFuel on
page 5-5for more information.
ICE POSSIBLE
If the outside temperature reaches a level where ice
could form on the roadway, this message may appear
on the DIC. If the temperature rises to a safe level,
the message will clear. Press the select button to
acknowledge this message and clear it from the
DIC display.
KEY FOB # BATTERY LOW
If a remote keyless entry transmitter battery is low,
this message will appear on the DIC. The battery
needs to be replaced in the transmitter. See “Battery
Replacement” underRemote Keyless Entry System
Operation on page 2-5. Press the select button to
acknowledge this message and clear it from the
DIC display.
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RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR
If the passenger’s side rear door is not fully closed
this message will appear on the display and you
will hear a chime. Stop and turn off the vehicle, check
the door for obstacles, and close the door again.
Check to see if the message still appears on the DIC.
Press the select button to acknowledge this message
and clear it from the DIC display.
SERVICE AIR BAG
If there is a problem with the airbag system this message
will be displayed on the DIC. Have your GM dealer
inspect the system for problems. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 3-29andAirbag System on page 1-48for
more information. Press the select button to acknowledge
this message and clear it from the DIC display.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
If a problem occurs with the brake system this message
will appear on the DIC. If this message appears, stop
as soon as possible and turn off the vehicle. Restart the
vehicle and check for the message on the DIC display.
If the message is still displayed, or appears again when
you begin driving, the brake system needs service.
See your GM dealer.
SERVICE STABILITRAK
If you ever see the SERVICE STABILITRAK message,
it means there may be a problem with your StabiliTrak®
system. If you see this message, try to reset the
system by performing the following: stop; turn off the
engine; then start the engine again. If the SERVICE
STABILITRAK message still comes on, it means
there is a problem. You should see your GM dealer
for service. The vehicle is safe to drive, however, you
do not have the benet of StabiliTrak
®, so reduce
your speed and drive accordingly. Press the select
button to acknowledge this message and clear it
from the DIC display.
STABILITRAK ACTIVE
The STABILITRAK ACTIVE message will be displayed
anytime the system activates to maintain vehicle
stability. Any combination of engine speed management,
brake traction control, and stability control will display
the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message on the DIC.
STABILITRAK NOT READY
The STABILITRAK NOT READY message may
be displayed if driving conditions delay system
initialization. This is normal. Once the system
initializes, the STABILITRAK NOT READY
message will no longer be displayed on the DIC.
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Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-34.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come
on accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer
for service.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle is equipped with StabiliTrak®, Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) which combines antilock
brake, traction and stability control systems and helps
the driver maintain directional control of the vehicle
in most driving conditions.
Traction control activates when the controller senses
wheel spin. StabiliTrak
®will selectively apply the brakes
and reduce engine torque to help regain traction.
Stability control activates when the controller senses
a discrepancy between your intended path and the
direction the vehicle is travelling. StabiliTrak
®selectively
applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle’s
brakes to help guide the vehicle in the direction which
you are steering.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems. You may hear or
feel the system working. This is normal and does not
mean there is a problem with your vehicle. If driving
conditions delay system initialization, the STABILITRAK
NOT READY message may be displayed. If this is
the case, your vehicle does not need servicing.
For more information on the stability messages,
seeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-47.When the StabiliTrak
®
system is both on and
actively controlling the
stability of the vehicle,
the StabiliTrak
®light
will blink for the duration
of the event.
You may also feel or hear the system working.
This is normal.
The StabiliTrak
®disable
button is located on the
transmission shift handle.
The StabiliTrak
®system has three modes of operation:
STABILITRAK ON, TRACTION CONTROL OFF,
and STABILITRAK OFF.
STABILITRAK ON -The vehicle will default to
STABILITRAK ON every time the driver starts the
vehicle. The StabiliTrak
®light will be off and no
DIC messages will be displayed.
4-9

{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get
and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To
help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so
until help comes.
4-43

How to Add Automatic
Transmission Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission uid to use. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
Add uid only after checking the transmission uid while
it is hot. A cold check is used only as a reference. If
the uid level is low, add only enough of the proper uid
to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot check.
It does not take much uid, generally less than one pint
(0.5 L). Do not overll.
Notice:Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
uid may damage your vehicle, and the damages
may not be covered by your warranty. Always
use the automatic transmission uid listed in
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-12.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid,” earlier in this section.
When the correct uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating on
page 5-26.
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 the rst maintenance
service after each 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.
5-24