2007 BUICK RAINIER brake

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your foot and pull up on the
parking brake lever located between the seats.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 186.To release the parking brake, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the parking brake lever up
until you can press in the button at the end of
the lever. Hold the button in as you move
the parking brake lever all the way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify
that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and you must park on a
hill, seeTowing a Trailer on page 339.
118

Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on page 339.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pressing
the button on the shift lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you
can leave your vehicle with the key, your
vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle
with the engine running. Your vehicle
could move suddenly if the shift lever is
not fully in PARK (P) with the parking
brake rmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch re. You or
others could be injured. Do not leave your
vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and
your parking brake is rmly set before you leave it.
After you have moved the shift lever into PARK (P),
hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you
can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without rst pressing the button on the console shift
lever. If you can, it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into PARK (P).
119

Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much force on the parking
pawl in the transmission. You may nd it difficult to
pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called
“torque lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly
before you leave the driver’s seat. To nd out how,
seeShifting Into Park (P) on page 119.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever
out of PARK (P) before you release the parking
brake.If torque lock does occur, you may need to
have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to
take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in
the transmission, so you can pull the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift
lock control system. You have to fully apply
the regular brakes rst and then press the shift
lever button before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition is in RUN. SeeAutomatic
Transmission Operation on page 114.
120

Running the Engine While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if
you ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust
into your vehicle. See the earlier caution
underEngine Exhaust on page 122.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let
deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into your
vehicle even if the climate control fan is at
the highest setting. One place this can
happen is a garage. Exhaust — with
CO — can come in easily. NEVER park in
a garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
SeeWinter Driving on page 325.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. Do not leave
your vehicle when the engine is running
unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground,
always set your parking brake and move
the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle
will not move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on
page 119.
If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 339.
123

Instrument Panel Overview........................ 152
Hazard Warning Flashers.......................... 154
Other Warning Devices............................. 154
Horn.......................................................... 154
Tilt Wheel.................................................. 154
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.................. 155
Turn and Lane-Change Signals................. 156
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.......... 157
Flash-to-Pass............................................ 157
Windshield Wipers..................................... 157
Windshield Washer.................................... 158
Rear Window Wiper/Washer...................... 158
Cruise Control........................................... 159
Headlamps................................................ 162
Headlamps on Reminder........................... 163
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)................. 163
Automatic Headlamp System..................... 164
Fog Lamps................................................ 165
Instrument Panel Brightness...................... 166
Dome Lamps............................................. 166
Dome Lamp Override................................ 166
Entry Lighting............................................ 167
Exit Lighting.............................................. 167
Reading Lamps......................................... 167Electric Power Management...................... 167
Battery Run-Down Protection..................... 168
Accessory Power Outlet(s)........................ 168
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter................ 169
Climate Controls......................................... 170
Dual Automatic Climate Control System....... 170
Outlet Adjustment...................................... 175
Rear Climate Control System.................... 176
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators........ 176
Instrument Panel Cluster........................... 178
Speedometer and Odometer...................... 179
Trip Odometer........................................... 179
Tachometer............................................... 179
Safety Belt Reminder Light........................ 180
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder Light....... 180
Airbag Readiness Light............................. 181
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator............. 182
Charging System Light.............................. 185
Voltmeter Gage......................................... 185
Brake System Warning Light..................... 186
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light...... 187
StabiliTrak
®Service Light........................... 188
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light......................... 188
Section 3 Instrument Panel
149

With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of
about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can
really help on long trips. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply the brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you cannot drive safely at a steady speed.
So, do not use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
excessive wheel slip, and you could lose
control. Do not use cruise control on
slippery roads.
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when
you are not using cruise, you might hit a
button and go into cruise when you do
not want to. You could be startled and
even lose control. Keep the cruise control
switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
Setting Cruise Control
1. Move the cruise control switch to on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the set button at the end of the lever
and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
The accelerator pedal will not go down.
160

Some vehicles have a
cruise light on the
instrument panel cluster
that will come on
when the cruise control
is engaged.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired
speed and then you apply the brake. This, of
course, shuts off the cruise control. But you do not
need to reset it.
Once you are going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or
more, you can move the cruise control switch
briey from on to resume/accelerate.
You will go right back up to the previously chosen
speed and stay there.
If you hold the switch at resume/accelerate, the
vehicle keeps going faster until you release
the switch or apply the brakes. So unless you
want to go faster, do not hold the switch at
resume/accelerate.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the button at the end of the
lever, then release the button and the
accelerator pedal. You will now cruise at the
higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from on to resume/
accelerate. Hold it there until you get up to the
desired speed and then release the switch.
To increase your speed in very small amounts,
move the switch briey to resume/accelerate.
Each time you do this, your vehicle will go
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
Press in the set button at the end of the lever until
you reach the desired speed, then release it.
Each time you do this, you will go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
161

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed
set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control works on hills
depends upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills. When going up steep hills, you may
want to step on the accelerator pedal to maintain
your speed. When going downhill, you may
have to brake or shift to a lower gear to keep your
speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers nd
this to be too much trouble and do not use
cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise switch to off, or
Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the
ignition, the cruise control set speed memory
is erased.
Headlamps
The exterior lamps
knob is located on your
instrument panel to
the left of the steering
wheel.
c(Off):Turn the knob to this symbol and
release it to turn off the Daytime Running Lamps
(DRL) and the Automatic Headlamps (AHS).
An indicator illuminates when the position
is selected. This position is not available for
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
162