R The 2003 Le Sabre Owner Manual Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... Front Seats ............................................... Safety Belts .............................................. Child Restraints ....................................... ...................................... Air Systems Bag Restraint System Check ............................ Features and Contro[s ..................................... Keys ........................................................ Doors Locks and ....................................... Windows ................................................. Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ Starting and Operating Your Vehicle .................................... Mirrors .................................................... ...................................... Onstar@System ............................. HomeLink@Transmitter Storage Areas ......................................... . 3 U I I I UUI .................................................. Vehicle Personalization ............................. Instrument Panel ............................................. Instrument Panel Overview .......................... ...................................... Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. Audio System(s) ....................................... c \ -1 . 1-1 1-2 1-8 1-31 1-52 1-62 2-1 2-2 2-9 2-16 2-18 2-22 2-35 2-40 2-42 2-47 2-48 2-49 3-1 3-2 3-23 3-32 3-47 3-57 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 Your Driving, the Road. and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2 Towing ................................................... 4-32 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 5-3 Service ..................................................... Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Checking Things Under the Hood ............................................. 5-10 Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-51 .................................... 5-55 Bulb Replacement Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-60 ...................................................... 5-61 Tires ..................................... 5-81 Appearance Care Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-89 5-90 Electrical System ...................................... 5-98 Capacities and Specifications ..................... Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-99 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2 Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1 Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2 ............................ 7-9 Reporting Safety Defects index ............................................................. -1 G7 GM Canadian Owners You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 - GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK, the BUICK Emblem and the name LE SABRE are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manual includes the latest information at the time it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new owner can use it. How to Use This Manual Many people read their owner's manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If youdo this, it will help you learn about the features and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll find that pictures and words worktogether to explain things. Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 25735901 A First Edition @Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/19/02 All Rights Reserved You will find a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. You will also find a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't,'' "Don't do this'' or "Don't let this happen." These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don't, you or others could be hurt. ... Ill Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. A notice will tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Manytimes, this damage would not be covered by yourwarranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell you whatto do to help avoid the damage. Vehicle Symbols Your vehicle may be equipped with components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle, are shown along with the text describing the operation or information relating to a specific component, control, message, gage or indicator. If you need help figuring out a specific name of a component, gage or indicator reference the following topics in the Index: "Engine Compartment Overview" "Instrument Panel Overview" "Climate Controls" 0 When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. "Audio Systems" Also see Warning Lights, Gages and lndicafors on page 3-32. iv These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY p\ LATCH BOTH LAP AND PROTECTBELTS SHOULDEROCCUPANT TO DO TWIST NOT SAFETY BELT WHEN ATTACHING FASTEN SEAT BELTS MOVE SEAT FULLY REARWARD' SECURE CHILD SEAT PULL BELT COMPLETELY THEN SECURE CHILD SEAT f 4:@ 8 I LIGHTING MASTER / SWITCH TURN SIGNALS - B- , \ ENGINE COOLANT TEMP ~ PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BATERY 4CID COULD CAUSE BURNS \$ $ / = I DO NOT INSTALL A REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING POSITION PARKING LAMPS 0 n- BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM I-1 (@) ENGINE COOLANT FAN BRAKE HAZARD WARNING FLASHER COOLANT AVO ID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATERY DO NOT INSTALLA d OWNER'S MANUAL SERVICE -1 `\lb 1 SERVICE MANUAL a Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems 1-40 Where to Put the Restraint ............................. Top Strap .................................................... 1.42 Top Strap Anchor Location ............................. 1.43 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Children (LATCH System) ........................... 1.44 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the LATCH System ......................................... 1-46 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ................................................... 1-46 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position .................................... 1-49 Air Bag Systems ............................................ 1-52 Where Are the Air Bags? ............................... 1-55 When Should an Air Bag Inflate? .................... 1-57 What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? ..................... 1-58 How Does an Air Bag Restrain? ..................... 1-58 What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? .......1-59 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-61 Fiesiraini Sysiern Cneck .................................. 1-62 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-62 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................ 1-62 Front Seats ...................................................... 1-2 Manual Seats ................................................ 1-2 Power Seats .................................................. 1.2 Manual Lumbar .............................................. 1.3 Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4 1-5 Heated Seats ................................................. Reclining Seatbacks ........................................ 1-6 Head Restraints ............................................. 1-7 Safety Belts ..................................................... 1-8 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-8 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-12 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-13 Driver Position .............................................. 1-14 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy .................. 1-20 Right Front Passenger Position ....................... 1-21 Center Front Passenger Position ..................... 1-22 Rear Seat Passengers .................................. 1-24 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children and Smgll Ad~-I!ts ............ ....1-28 Safety Belt Extender ............................. 1-30 Child Restraints ...................... ...............1-31 1-31 Older Children .............................................. Infants and Young Children ............................ 1-34 Child Restraint Systems ................................. 1-37 , 1-1 Front Seats Manual Seats Power Seats Y - _I can lose cor )I of t ve :le 1 1 try if to adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Pull up on the control bar located under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seatwith your body to make sure the seat is locked into place. If your vehicle has this feature, the controls for the power seats are located on the outboard side of each front seat. 1-2 Horizontal Control: Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by pressing the forward edge of the control up or down. Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by pressing the rear edge of the control up or down. Move the seat forward or rearward by pressing the control toward the front or rear of the vehicle. Move the seat higher or lower by holding the whole control up or down. Vertical Control (Option): Move the seatback into a reclined position by pressing the top of the control backward. Move the seatback forward by pressing the top of the control forward. The knob that controls this feature is located on the outboard side of each front seat. Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase lumbar support. Turn the knob toward the rear of the vehicle to decrease iumbar support. If you have the independent front cushion moved down as far as it will go, you may feel the lumbar support higher in your back. Readjust the location of the cushion until you are comfortable. You may also want to UU,U"C adil Ict tho cnathark fnr moviml Im #"I CII" V"ULVU"I\ IIICII\IIIIUIII cnrnfnrt "VIII1VII. 1-3 Power Lumbar If your vehicle has this feature, the power lumbar control is located on the outboard side of each front seat. Use the power seat control first to get the proper position. Then continue with the lumbar adjustment. To reshape the lower seatback, press the lumbar control forward to increase support and rearward to decrease support. Press the control up or down to raise or lower the support mechanism. Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as it may during long trips, so should the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed. If you have the independent front cushion moved down as far as it will go, you may feel the lumbar support higher in your back. Readjust the location of the cushion until you are comfortable. You may also want to adjust the seatback for maximum comfort. I -4 E .. c' S 0 + .v) 5 Reclining Seatbacks If your vehicle has power seats, the vertical control described previously in this section reclines the front seatbacks. If your vehicle has the manual recliner, lift the lever on the outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to the desired position. Release the lever to lock the seatback. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the seatback and the seatback will go to an upright position. L But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. 1-6 Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion canbe dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts can't do their job when you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its job. In a crash, you could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries. The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt forces wou ...