2009 BUICK ENCLAVE brakes

Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer. Cross
the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer to help prevent the
tongue from contacting the road if it
becomes separated from the
hitch. Instructions about safety
chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains and do
not attach them to the bumper.
Always leave just enough slack so
the rig can turn. Never allow
safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
A loaded trailer that weighs more
than 1,000 lbs (450 kg) needs
to have its own brake system that is
adequate for the weight of the
trailer. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so they are installed, adjusted
and maintained properly.Because the vehicle has antilock
brakes, do not try to tap into
the vehicle’s hydraulic brake system.
If you do, both brake systems will
not work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Get to
know the rig before setting out for
the open road. Get acquainted
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now
longer and not as responsive as the
vehicle is by itself.
Before starting, check all trailer hitch
parts and attachments, safety
chains, electrical connectors, lamps,
tires and mirror adjustments. If the
trailer has electric brakes, start the
vehicle and trailer moving and then
apply the trailer brake controller by
hand to be sure the brakes are
working. This checks the electrical
connection at the same time.During the trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. Because the
rig is longer, it is necessary to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before returning to the lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
4-30 Driving Your Vehicle

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause
the trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
ash whenever signaling a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also ash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel ash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. For this reason
you may think other drivers
are seeing the signal when they are
not. It is important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Because of the added load of the
trailer, the vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days, when going up
a long or steep grade with a trailer. If
the engine coolant temperature gage
indicates overheating, turn off the air
conditioning to reduce engine load,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
spot. Let the engine run while
parked, preferably on level ground,
with the transmission in P (Park) for
a few minutes before turning the
engine off.Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gearbeforestarting down a long
or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce the vehicle speed
to around 55 mph (88 km/h) to
reduce the possibility of the engine
and the transmission overheating.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-31

Service and
Appearance Care
Service
Service...............................5-3
Accessories and
Modications.....................5-3
California Proposition 65
Warning............................5-3
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements.....5-4
Doing Your Own
Service Work....................5-4
Adding Equipment to the
Outside of the Vehicle......5-4
Fuel
Fuel....................................5-5
Gasoline Octane.................5-5
Gasoline Specications.......5-5
California Fuel....................5-5
Additives.............................5-5
Fuels in Foreign
Countries..........................5-6
Filling the Tank...................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container..........................5-8
Checking Things Under
the Hood
Checking Things Under
the Hood..........................5-9
Hood Release.....................5-9
Engine Compartment
Overview.........................5-10
Engine Oil.........................5-11
Engine Oil Life System.....5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. . . .5-14
Automatic Transmission
Fluid................................5-15
Cooling System.................5-16
Engine Coolant.................5-17
Engine Overheating...........5-20
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
..............5-22
Power Steering Fluid.........5-22
Windshield Washer
Fluid................................5-23
Brakes..............................5-24
Battery..............................5-27
Jump Starting...................5-28
All-Wheel Drive
All-Wheel Drive.................5-32
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming..............5-33
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement.............5-33
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting..................5-33
Halogen Bulbs..................5-34
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps
..........5-34
License Plate Lamp..........5-35
Replacement Bulbs...........5-35
Windshield Replacement
Windshield
Replacement...................5-35
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement...................5-36
Tires
Tires.................................5-36
Tire Sidewall Labeling.......5-37
Service and Appearance Care 5-1

Service
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer/retailer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
Accessories and
Modications
When non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories are added to the
vehicle, they can affect vehicle
performance and safety, including
such things as airbags, braking,
stability, ride and handling,
emissions systems, aerodynamics,
durability, and electronic systems
like antilock brakes, traction control,
and stability control. Some of
these accessories could even cause
malfunction or damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. Your GM
dealer/retailer can accessorize
the vehicle using genuine GM
Accessories. When you go to your
GM dealer/retailer and ask for GM
Accessories, you will know that
GM-trained and supported service
technicians will perform the work
using genuine GM Accessories.Also, seeAdding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-57.
California Proposition 65
Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems
(including some inside the vehicle),
many uids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
Service and Appearance Care 5-3

A. Radiator Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System on page 5-16.
B. Engine Coolant Recovery Cap.
SeeCooling System on
page 5-16.
C. Remote Negative (−) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-28.
D.Underhood Fuse Block on
page 5-94.
E. Remote Positive (+) Terminal.
SeeJump Starting on page 5-28.
F.Power Steering Fluid on
page 5-22.
G. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” underEngine
Oil on page 5-11.
H. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
“Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 5-11.
I. Automatic Transmission Fluid
Dipstick. See “Checking the
Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-15.
J. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir.
See “Brake Fluid” underBrakes
on page 5-24.K.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 5-14.
L. Windshield Washer Fluid
Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” underWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-23.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the
engine oil every time you get fuel. In
order to get an accurate reading,
the oil must be warm and the vehicle
must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a
yellow loop. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the
oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If you do not
do this, the oil dipstick might not
show the actual level.2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it
with a paper towel or cloth, then
push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick,
add at least one quart/liter of the
recommended oil. This section
explains what kind of oil to use. For
engine oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications on
page 5-98.
Notice:Do not add too much oil.
If the engine has so much oil
that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows
the proper operating range,
the engine could be damaged.
Service and Appearance Care 5-11

Adding Washer Fluid
When the windshield washer uid
reservoir is low, a WASHER FLUID
LOW ADD FLUID message will be
displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-48for more
information.
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer uid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for reservoir location.Notice:When using concentrated
washer uid, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions
for adding water.
Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer uid.
Water can cause the solution to
freeze and damage your washer
uid tank and other parts of the
washer system. Also, water
does not clean as well as
washer uid.
Fill the washer uid tank only
three-quarters full when it is
very cold. This allows for uid
expansion if freezing occurs,
which could damage the tank if
it is completely full.
Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in your windshield
washer. It can damage the
vehicle’s windshield washer
system and paint.
Brakes
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is lled with DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-10for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake uid level in the reservoir
might go down:
The brake uid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the uid level goes
back up.
5-24 Service and Appearance Care

A uid leak in the brake hydraulic
system can also cause a low uid
level. Have the brake hydraulic
system xed, since a leak means
that sooner or later the brakes will
not work well.
Do not top off the brake uid. Adding
uid does not correct a leak. If uid is
added when the linings are worn,
there will be too much uid when new
brake linings are installed. Add or
remove brake uid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{CAUTION
If too much brake uid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn, if
the engine is hot enough. You or
others could be burned, and the
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake uid only when work is done
on the brake hydraulic system.When the brake uid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-33.
What to Add
Use only new DOT-3 brake uid
from a sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-12.
Always clean the brake uid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it. This
helps keep dirt from entering
the reservoir.{CAUTION
With the wrong kind of uid in the
brake hydraulic system, the
brakes might not work well. This
could cause a crash. Always use
the proper brake uid.Notice:
Using the wrong uid
can badly damage brake
hydraulic system parts. For
example, just a few drops
of mineral-based oil, such
as engine oil, in the brake
hydraulic system can damage
brake hydraulic system
parts so badly that they will
have to be replaced. Do not let
someone put in the wrong
kind of uid.
If brake uid is spilled on the
vehicle’s painted surfaces, the
paint nish can be damaged. Be
careful not to spill brake uid
on the vehicle. If you do, wash it
off immediately. SeeWashing
Your Vehicle on page 5-86.
Service and Appearance Care 5-25

Brake Wear
This 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 the
vehicle is moving, except when
applying 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 the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
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 inCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-98.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer/retailer if the brake
pedal does not return to normal
height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a
sign that brake service might
be required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle
moving, the brakes adjust for wear.
5-26 Service and Appearance Care