2008 BUICK LUCERNE service indicator

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
A computer system called OBD II (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission control systems. It makes
sure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of
the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment.
The check engine light
comes on to indicate that
there is an OBD II
problem and service is
required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by the system before
any problem is apparent. This can prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle. This system is also designed
to assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, the emission controls
might not work as well, your vehicle’s fuel economy
might not be as good, and the engine might not
run as smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs
that might not be covered by your warranty.Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
your vehicle or the replacement of the original tires
with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and can cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This could
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 5-3.
This light comes on, as a check to show it is working,
when the ignition is turned ON/RUN but the engine is not
running. If the light does not come on, have it repaired.
This light also comes on during a malfunction in
one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and could damage the emission control system on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service might be
required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be required.
3-44

Fuel Gage
The fuel gage shows about how much fuel is in your
tank. It works only when the ignition is on. When
the indicator moves to the edge of the low fuel warning
band, the low fuel warning light will come on and a
chime will sound. You still have a little fuel left, but you
need to get more fuel right away.Here are some things that some owners ask about.
None of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.
It takes more (or less) fuel to ll up than the gage
indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated half full, but it took more (or less) than
half the tank’s capacity to ll it.
The gage moves up a little when you turn a corner,
speed up or make a hard stop.
The gage does not go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC).
All messages will appear in the DIC display located
below the speedometer in the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC buttons are located on the instrument panel,
to the left of the instrument panel cluster.
The DIC comes on when the ignition is on. After a short
delay, the DIC will display the information that was
last displayed before the engine was turned off. United States
Canada
3-48

The DIC displays trip, fuel, and vehicle system
information, and warning messages if a system problem
is detected. The bottom line of the DIC shows the shift
lever position indicator. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-25for more information.
If your vehicle’s DIC has these features, the compass
direction and the outside air temperature may also
display on the DIC when viewing the trip and fuel
information. The compass direction appears on the top
right corner of the DIC display. The outside air
temperature automatically appears in the bottom right
corner of the DIC display. If there is a problem with the
system that controls the temperature display, the
numbers will be replaced with dashes. If this occurs,
have the vehicle serviced by your dealer/retailer.
The DIC also allows some features to be customized.
SeeDIC Vehicle Customization on page 3-66for
more information.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays which can be accessed
by pressing the DIC buttons located on the instrument
panel, to the left of the instrument panel cluster.
DIC Buttons
The buttons are the trip/fuel, vehicle information,
customization, and set/reset buttons. The button
functions are detailed in the following pages.
3(Trip/Fuel):Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometers, fuel range, average economy,
instantaneous economy, and average speed.
T(Vehicle Information):Press this button to display
the oil life, units, park assist on vehicles with this
feature, side blind zone alert on vehicles with this
feature, tire pressure readings, compass zone and
compass calibration on vehicles with this feature, and
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter programming.
U(Customization):Press this button to customize
the feature settings on your vehicle. SeeDIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-66for more information.
V(Set/Reset):Press this button to set or reset certain
functions and to turn off or acknowledge messages
on the DIC.
3-49

When this light and the SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL message are on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel
spin, especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to.
You can turn the system on or off at any time by pressing
the traction control system button located on the console
or on the end of the column shifter. The DIC will display
TRACTION CONTROL OFF when you press the button,
and part of the traction control system is 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 traction control
system and StabiliTrak
®indicator light may blink.
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. SeeIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow on page 4-18for more information.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3for more information.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may have this feature. The StabiliTrak®
system is an advanced computer controlled system that
helps the driver maintain directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions. This is
accomplished by selectively applying any one of the
vehicle’s brakes and reducing engine power. The
StabiliTrak
®system comes on automatically whenever
you start your vehicle. The system cannot be turned off.
The STABILITRAK NOT READY message may be
displayed in the DIC and the traction control system and
StabiliTrak
®warning light on the instrument panel
cluster will be on after rst driving the vehicle and
exceeding 19 mph (30 km/h) for 30 seconds. The
StabiliTrak
®system is off until the light has turned off.
This could take up to 15 minutes.
The traction control system and StabiliTrak
®warning light
on the instrument panel cluster will ash when the system
is operating. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning
Light on page 3-40,StabiliTrak
®Indicator Light on
page 3-41andDIC Warnings and Messages on
page 3-56for more information. You may also feel or
hear the system working. This is normal.
4-6

Gasoline Octane
If your vehicle has the 3.8L V6 engine (VIN Code 2),
use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane
rating of 87 or higher. If the octane rating is less than 87,
you might notice an audible knocking noise when you
drive, commonly referred to as spark knock. If this
occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking, the
engine needs service.
If your vehicle has the 4.6L V8 engine (VIN Code Y) or
the 4.6L V8 engine (VIN Code 9), use premium
unleaded gasoline with a posted octane rating of 91 or
higher. You can also use regular unleaded gasoline
rated at 87 octane or higher, but your vehicle’s
acceleration could be slightly reduced, and you might
notice a slight audible knocking noise, commonly
referred to as spark knock. If the octane is less than 87,
you might notice a heavy knocking noise when you
drive. If this occurs, use a gasoline rated at 87 octane
or higher as soon as possible. Otherwise, you could
damage the engine. If you are using gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher and you hear heavy knocking,
the engine needs service.
Gasoline Specications
At a minimum, gasoline should meet ASTM specication
D 4814 in the United States or CAN/CGSB-3.5 or
3.511 in Canada. Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines containing MMT. See
Additives on page 5-7for additional information.
California Fuel
If your vehicle is certied to meet California Emissions
Standards, it is designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specications. See the underhood
emission control label. If this fuel is not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specications, but emission control system
performance might be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and your vehicle might fail
a smog-check test. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 3-44. If this occurs, return to your authorized
dealer/retailer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
might not be covered by your warranty.
5-6

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that help prevent
engine and fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
the emission control system to work properly. In
most cases, you should not have to add anything to the
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations. To help
keep fuel injectors and intake valves clean, or if
your vehicle experiences problems due to dirty injectors
or valves, look for gasoline that is advertised as TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline. Also, your dealer/retailer has
additives that will help correct and prevent most
deposit-related problems.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines might be available in
your area. We recommend that you use these gasolines,
if they comply with the specications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and other fuels containing
more than 10% ethanol must not be used in vehicles that
were not designed for those fuels.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic and rubber parts.
That damage would not be covered under your
warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions can contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. We recommend against
the use of such gasolines. Fuels containing MMT can
reduce the life of spark plugs and the performance of the
emission control system could be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp might turn on. If this occurs,
return to your dealer/retailer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel might be hard
to nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-7

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has disc brakes. Disc brake pads have
built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched warning
sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads
are needed. The sound can come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving, except when you are
pushing on the brake pedal rmly.
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon the brakes will not work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates can cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to torque specications in
Capacities and Specifications on page 5-113.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
5-44

A
Accessories and Modications............................ 5-3
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-72
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-7
Add-On Electrical Equipment...........................5-105
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-20
Air Conditioning......................................3-21, 3-24
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-36
Readiness Light..........................................3-35
Airbag System................................................1-58
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-66
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-63
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-60
Airbag Systems
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-72
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-65
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-67
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-72
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-65
Antenna, Backglass.........................................3-97
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . 3-97
Antilock Brake System (ABS)............................. 4-4
Antilock Brake, System Warning Light................3-40Appearance Care
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels.............5-100
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-97
Chemical Paint Spotting..............................5-102
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-98
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-96
Finish Care.................................................5-99
Finish Damage..........................................5-102
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic
Surfaces.................................................5-97
Interior Cleaning..........................................5-94
Leather......................................................5-96
Sheet Metal Damage..................................5-101
Tires........................................................5-101
Underbody Maintenance.............................
5-102
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials...............5-103
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-98
Weatherstrips..............................................5-97
Windshield and Wiper Blades......................5-100
Appointments, Scheduling Service.....................7-10
Ashtray(s)......................................................3-21
Audio System.................................................3-75
Audio Steering Wheel Controls......................3-95
Backglass Antenna......................................3-97
Navigation/Radio System, see Navigation
Manual...................................................3-94
Radio Reception..........................................3-96
Setting the Time..........................................3-76
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-94
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System............3-97
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