2007 BUICK TERRAZA brakes

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. See
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on page 215
andTowing Your Vehicle on page 384.
{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
Your vehicle has
an Anti-lock Brake
System (ABS)
warning light.
This light should come on for a few seconds
when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light
does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If this light stays on longer than normal after you
have started your engine, turn the ignition off.
If the light comes on and stays on when you are
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 are driving, the ABS needs service
and you do not have anti-lock brakes.
215

Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
Your vehicle may have
a traction control system
warning light.
The traction control system warning light may
come on for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the
traction control button. To turn the system
back on, press the button again. The warning
light should go off. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 353for more
information.
If there is a brake system problem that is
specically related to traction control, the
traction control system will turn off and
the warning light will come on. If your brakes
begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will
come on until your brakes cool down.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn
off and the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes
on and stays on for an extended period of
time when the system is turned on, your vehicle
needs service.
216

This message continues to display for two seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine
is turned off. It also re-displays for two seconds if
the message has been acknowledged, but the
condition still exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
LIFT GATE AJAR
This message displays when the liftgate is not
closed completely. Make sure that the liftgate is
closed completely. SeeLiftgate on page 119.
This message displays while the ignition is in RUN.
A chime sounds when the ignition is shifted out
of PARK (P). Press any of the DIC buttons
to acknowledge this message and to clear it from
the screen.
This message continues to display for two seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine
is turned off. It also re-displays for two seconds if
the message has been acknowledged, but the
condition still exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
LOW BRAKE FLUID
This message displays when the brake uid
level is low. Have the brake system serviced by
your dealer as soon as possible. SeeBrakes
on page 434for proper uid level.
The brake system warning light also appears on
the instrument panel cluster when this message
appears on the DIC. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 214.
This message displays and a chime sounds only
while the ignition is in RUN. Press any of the
DIC buttons to acknowledge this message and to
clear it from the screen.
This message continues to display for two seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine
is turned off. It also re-displays for two seconds if
the message has been acknowledged, but the
condition still exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
237

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. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 353and
StabiliTrak
®System on page 355.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 400.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 214.
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.
350

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 400.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, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is
normal.
If there is a problem
with ABS, this warning
light will stay on.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning
Light on page 215.
351

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
wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
352

Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal
or always decrease stopping distance. If you get
too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not
have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough
room up ahead to stop, even though you
have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The system operates if
it senses that one or both of the front wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, the system brakes the spinning
wheel(s) and/or reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will
come on in the Driver Information Center (DIC)
when the traction control system is limiting wheel
spin. You may feel or hear the system working,
but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the cruise control will automatically disengage.
When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control.
353

When the STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVE
message is on, you should continue to steer in the
direction you want to go. The system is designed to
help you in bad weather or other difficult driving
situations by making the most of whatever road
conditions will permit. For more information on the
stability messages, seeDriver Information Center
(DIC) on page 223.
If the StabiliTrak
®system turns off, the traction
control system warning light will illuminate, and the
STABILITY CONTROL OFF message will
appear on the DIC to warn the driver that
StabiliTrak
®is no longer available to assist you
with directional control of the vehicle. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
To realize the full benets of the stability
enhancement system, you should normally leave
StabiliTrak
®on, but it may be necessary to
turn the system off if your vehicle is stuck in sand,
mud, ice or snow, and you want to “rock” your
vehicle to attempt to free it. SeeRocking
Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 378andIf
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 377.
Traction Control Operation
The traction control system is part of the
StabiliTrak®system. Traction control limits wheel
spin by reducing engine power to the wheels
(engine speed management) and by applying
brakes.
The traction control system is enabled
automatically when you start your vehicle. It will
activate and display the TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message in the DIC if it senses that one
or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction while driving.
If the brake traction-control system activates
constantly or if the brakes have heated up due to
high-speed braking, brake traction-control will
be disabled and the TRACTION CONTROL
ACTIVE message will be displayed. In the limited
mode, the traction control system will only use
engine traction-control and is limited in its ability to
provide optimal performance since the system
will not utilize brake traction-control to control slip
on the drive wheels. The system will return to
normal operation after the brakes have cooled.
This can take up to two minutes or longer
depending on brake usage.
356