2007 BUICK RAINIER light

Care of Your CDs and DVDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from
direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans the
bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of a
CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken,
or scratched, the CD does not play properly or not
at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a
soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in
a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with
water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process
starts from the center to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while
handling it; this could damage the surface. Pick up
CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of
the hole and the outer edge.
Care of the CD and DVD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens
of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the
CD mechanism.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car
washes without being damaged. If the mast should
ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by
hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is
still tightened to the fender. If tightening is
required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench
one quarter turn.
279

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your
vehicle go where you want it to go. They are
the brakes, the steering, and the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or
ice, it is easy to ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 356.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 186.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds
or more with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs, and frustration. But even in
three-fourths of a second, a vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle
and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
286

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. The brakes may not have
time to cool between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the 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 356.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive
away, ABS 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 ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 187.
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.
287

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 202.
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.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF — The driver can
modify the engine speed management system by
momentarily pressing the StabiliTrak
®button
on the transmission shift handle. The StabiliTrak®
light will come on and TRACTION CONTROL
OFF will be displayed. For vehicles without a
DIC, the StabiliTrak
®indicator light will come on.
Momentarily pressing the StabiliTrak®button
again will return the system to the STABILITRAK
ON mode.
290

STABILITRAK OFF — The driver can turn off
StabiliTrak®by pressing the StabiliTrak®button for
more than ve seconds. The StabiliTrak®light will
come on and STABILITRAK OFF will be displayed.
For vehicles without a DIC, the StabiliTrak
®
indicator light will come on. Momentarily pressing
the StabiliTrak®button again will return the system
to the STABILITRAK ON mode. See StabiliTrak®
Off below for more information.
Traction Control Off
In this mode, stability control and brake-traction
control are functional. Engine speed management
will be modied and the driven wheels can spin
more freely. This can cause the brake-traction
control to activate more frequently. If the controller
detects excessive wheel spin in this mode, the
StabiliTrak
®indicator light may blink and the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message may be displayed
to warn the driver that damage may occur to the
transfer case.
StabiliTrak®Off
In this mode, both stability control and part of the
traction control system are disabled. Your vehicle
will still have brake-traction control, but will not be
able to use the engine speed management system.
You may still hear system noises as a result of the
brake-traction control coming on. If the controller
detects excessive wheel spin in this mode, the
StabiliTrak
®indicator light may blink and the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message may be displayed
to warn the driver that damage may occur to the
transfer case.
It is recommended to leave the system on for
normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, ice or snow, and you may want to “rock” your
vehicle in an attempt to free it. It may also be
necessary to turn off the system when driving in
extreme off-road conditions where high wheel spin
is required. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 329for more
information.
291

The following chart describes the StabiliTrak®system events and the corresponding messages and lights
that will be displayed on the instrument panel cluster.
Vehicles with a DIC Vehicles without a DIC Event
StabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightDIC MessageStabiliTrak
®
Indicator LightStabiliTrak
®
Service Light—
Off None Off OffStabiliTrak
®On mode
(System is fully enabled, but
is not actively controlling
vehicle stability).
Solid Traction Control Off Solid Off Traction Control Off Mode
Solid StabiliTrak
®Off Solid OffStabiliTrak
®Off Mode
(StabiliTrak®indicator light
will ash when system rst
enters this mode).
Blinking StabiliTrak
®Active Blinking OffStabiliTrak
®system
activates using engine
speed management, brake
traction control, and/or
stability control.
Solid Service StabiliTrak
®Solid SolidStabiliTrak
®system
is disabled due to a
system fault.
SolidStabiliTrak
®
Not ReadySolid OffStabiliTrak
®system is
disabled due to a failure
to initialize.
292

Notice:If the StabiliTrak®light comes on due
to heavy braking and/or because the traction
control system has been continuously active,
do not allow the wheel(s) of one axle to spin
excessively. If you do, you may be causing
damage to the transfer case. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
Notice:If you allow the wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS
and brake warning lights and the SERVICE
STABILITRAK message are displayed, you
could damage the transfer case. The repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s)
excessively while these lights and this message
are displayed.
StabiliTrak
®may activate on dry or rough roads or
under conditions such as heavy acceleration
while turning or abrupt upshifts/downshifts of the
transmission. When this happens, you may
notice a reduction in acceleration, or may hear a
noise or vibration. This is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the system
activates, the StabiliTrak
®light will blink, and
the cruise control will automatically disengage.When road conditions allow, you may re-engage
the cruise control. SeeCruise Control on
page 159.
StabiliTrak
®will turn off automatically if a problem
is detected in the system. The StabiliTrak®
light will come on and SERVICE STABILITRAK
will be displayed on the DIC. For vehicles without a
DIC, the StabiliTrak
®light and the StabiliTrak®
service light will both come on. If the SERVICE
STABILITRAK message (or StabiliTrak®service
light) does not clear itself after restarting the
vehicle, you should see your dealer for service.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 356for more information.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
Your vehicle may have this feature. There is no
lever or switch to engage or disengage the
front axle. It is fully automatic and adjusts as
needed for road conditions. Your vehicle has an
active transfer case allowing two-wheel-drive
operation on dry roads. The transfer case will shift
automatically into all-wheel drive on slippery
surfaces. You may feel an extra shift when the
all-wheel drive engages.
293

Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your right wheels have dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off
the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge
of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous
move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief
surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face with the worst of all
traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the
sides, and to crossroads for situations
that might affect your passing patterns. If you
have any doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
296