2006 BUICK RANDEZVOUS check engine

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to
x any mechanical or electrical problems that may
have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle
registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the SERVICE
ENGINE SOON or check engine light is on or not
working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is
designed to evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and your vehicle
still does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD
system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare the
vehicle for inspection.
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Charging System Indicator Message
The charging system
battery symbol will come
on in the message
center when you turn on
the ignition as a check
to show you it is working.
It will remain on as long as the engine is not running.
It should go out once the engine is running. If it stays
on, or comes on while you are driving, you may have
a problem with the charging system. It could indicate
that you have problems with a generator drive belt,
or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away. Driving while this indicator appears in
the message center could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the message
on, be certain to turn off all your accessories, such as
the radio and air conditioner.
Reduced Engine Power Message
If your vehicle has this feature, this message will
appear in the message center when a noticeable
reduction in the vehicle’s engine performance is
detected. This message will also appear when your
vehicle is in overheated engine protection operating
mode. SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-23for
more information.
If this message comes on and stays on, see
your dealer.
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3-53

Low Oil Pressure Message
Your vehicle may be equipped with a low oil pressure
warning message.
Your oil pressure message lets you know when you
may have a problem with your engine oil pressure.
When the engine is running and this message appears,
the engine oil level may be too low. There may also
be another problem causing low oil pressure.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
may damage the engine. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Always follow the
maintenance schedule in this manual for changing
engine oil. United States
Canada
3-54

Check Gas Cap Message
If your vehicle is equipped
with this message, it will
come on when the ignition
is turned to ON or START
and the gas cap is open.
PASS-Key®III Security Message
If you are ever driving and this message comes on
and stays on, you will be able to restart your engine if
you turn it off.
Your PASS-Key
®III system, however, is not working
properly and must be serviced by your dealer. Your
vehicle is not protected by the PASS-Key
®III system at
this time. SeePASS-Key®III on page 2-17for more
information.
All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning
Message
Your vehicle may have this message. If it does, it will
come on when there is a spare tire on the vehicle, or
when the anti-lock brake system warning light comes on,
or when the rear differential uid is overheating. This
message will go out when the differential uid cools.
The all-wheel drive system will be disabled until the
compact spare tire is replaced by a full-size tire. If the
warning message is still on after putting on the full-size
tire, you need to reset the warning message. To
reset the warning message, turn the ignition off and
then back on again. If the message stays on, see your
dealer right away. SeeAll-Wheel Drive (AWD)
System on page 4-12for more information.
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FUEL RANGE:The fuel range is an estimated distance
that your vehicle can travel on the remaining fuel.
The fuel economy used to calculate the range is based
on your driving history since the last reset of the
average speed.
FUEL USED:The fuel used display will show you how
much fuel has been used since the last time it was
reset. To reset the fuel used to zero, press and hold the
SET button while the fuel used is displayed on the
DIC and until the display goes to zero.
AVG SPEED (Average Speed):The average speed
display will show your average speed from when
you rst started your vehicle. To reset the average
speed, press and hold the SET button while the average
speed is displayed on the DIC and until the speed
resets to your current speed.
OIL LIFE LEFT HOLD SET TO RESET:This message
displays the current percentage of the oil life by the
engine oil life system. Be careful not to reset this display
other than when the oil has been changed. See “How
to Reset the Engine Oil Life System” underEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-16for more information.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the oil
life, additional maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4andEngine Oil on page 5-13.TIRE PRESSURE:The check tire pressure system
can alert you to a large change in the pressure of
one tire. If the tire pressure is normal, TIRE PRESSURE
NORMAL will display. If the tire pressure is low,
LOW TIRE PRESSURE will display. You must begin
driving before the system will detect a low tire pressure
condition. SeeCheck Tire Pressure System on
page 5-59.
USE SET TO SELECT ENGLISH METRIC:You can
use this display to select English or metric. Press
the SET button to toggle between English or metric.
The DIC, the odometer, the trip odometer and head-up
display will change. A Canadian odometer and trip
odometer will remain in metric units only.
OFF:No driver information will be displayed in this
mode. If the DIC is left in this mode for more than
three seconds, the display will turn off. Press the
MODE button to start the DIC.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate
a lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine stops,
you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up,
it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal will be
harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on
the instrument panel will come on briey when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you 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, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.United States
Canada
4-8

When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are
going slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles
that rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you will nd experienced and able service experts in
GM dealerships all across North America. They will be
ready and willing to help if you need it.Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to
the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on
the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of
the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy.
Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in less than a second, and you
could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get some
exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in at or rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system,
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
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