Buick 2003 Rendezvous User manual

The 2003 BuickRendezvousOwnerManual a
SeatsandRestraintSystems ........................... 1-1
FrontSeats ............................................... 1-3
RearSeats
............................................... 1-9
SafetyBelts
............................................. 1-22
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-49
AirBagSystems
...................................... 1-74
RestraintSystemCheck
............................ 1-84
FeaturesandControls ..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
DoorsandLocks
....................................... 2-8
Windows
................................................. 2-13
Theft-DeterrentSystems
............................ 2-16
StartingandOperatingYour Vehicle
........... 2-20
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-33
Onstar@System
...................................... 2-35
HomeLink@Transmitter ............................. 2-37
Storage
Areas L-4 I
Sunroof .................................................. 2-49
VehiclePersonalization
............................. 2-50
InstrumentPanel ............................................. 3-1
InstrumentPanel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate CGntrGls " L"
WarningLights,Gages and Indicators ......... 3-35
MessageCenter
....................................... 3-47
n 14
.........................................
2-3R
......................................
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-56
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-69
Driving YourVehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving,the Road, andYour Vehicle
........ 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-33
Service and AppearanceCare .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
............... 5-10
All-Wheel Drive
........................................ 5-46
Bulb Replacement
.................................... 5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-53
Tires
...................................................... 5-55
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-87
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-95
Electrical System
...................................... 5-96
Capacities ana Speciiicaiions
............... 5- 1 02
Maintenance Replacement Parts ........... 5-104
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
CustomerAssistanceInformation .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance information
.................. 7-2
Index ................................................................ 1

Canadian Owners
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUCK, the
BUCK Emblem are registeredtrademarks and the
name RENDEZVOUS is a trademark of General Motors
Corporation.
This manual includes the latest informationat the time it
was printed. We reservethe 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 Divisionwhenever it
appears inthis 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.
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
About Driving Your Vehicle
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
accident. See
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
on page
4-2.
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle.
If you do this, it will help you learn about the features
and controls for your vehicle. Inthis manual, you’ll
find that picturesand words work together
to explain
things.
Lithoin U.S.A. OCopyright GeneralMotorsCorporation06/07/02
Part No. 10324218 A First Edition AllRightsReserved
ii

Index
A good placeto look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’san alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warningsand Symbols
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.
Thesemeanthere is somethin- :hat 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.
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.”

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A noticewill tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice willtell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICEwarnings in differentcolors
or in different
words.
You’ll alsosee warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle may be equipped with components and
labelsthat use symbols instead
of text. Symbols, used
on your vehicle, are shown along with the text
describingthe operation or information relating toa
specific component, control, message, gageor indicator
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
“EngineCompartmentOverview”
“Instrument Panel Overview”
“Climate Controls”
“Audio Systems”
Also see Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators on
page
3-35.
IV

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE /1\
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BAlTERY
\CID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECTOCCUPANT
*@&? @
DO NOTTWISTSAFETY e
BELT WHEN ATTACHING
MOVE SEAT
FULLY
\!$%
REARWARD* /z
SECURE
CHILDSEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
THENSECURE
CHILD SEAT
at
AIRBAG E\
DO NOTINSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
INTHIS SEATING
POSITION
DO NOTINSTALL A
-ORWARD-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT
INTHIS SEATING
POSITION
LIGHTING
-
MASTER SWITCH 8- / , \
SIGNALS TURN CG
PARKING
LAMPS
RUNNING
DAYTIME
LAMPS
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
CHARGING
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
COOLANT
G3
ENGINEOIL
PRESSURE
W&
ENGINE
COOLANT
FAN
FUEL
OWNERS
MANUAL
SERVICE
SERVICE
a
MANUAL
I;-r
I
1
V

Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ...................................................... 1.3
Manual Passenger Seat
.................................. 1.3
Four-WayManualDriverSeat
.......................... 1-3
Six-Way Power Seats
.................................... .l -5
Manual Lumbar .............................................. 1-5
Heated Seats
................................................. 1.6
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1-6
Head Restraints
............................................ -1-8
Rear Seats ....................................................... 1.9
Rear Seat Operation
...................................... .l -9
Split Bench Seats ........................................... 1.9
Captain Chairs
......................................... 1-14
Stowable Seat ......................................... -1-1 8
Safety Belts ................................................... 1.22
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
................ 1-22
Safety Belts
............................................. . l -26
SafetyBeltUseDuring Pregnancy .................. 1-36
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1.37
RearSeatPassengers
................................. .l -38
Questions and AnswersAbout
How
to WearSafety Belts Properly ................. 1-27
DriverPosition
I -LO
I am
..............................................
Center Rear Passenger Position .................... -1-42
Children and Small Adults
.......................... 1-44
Safety Belt Extender
..................................... 1-48
Child Restraints ............................................. 1.49
Older Children
.............................................. 1.49
Infants and Young Children
............................ 1.52
Child Restraint Systems
................................. 1.55
Where to Put the Restraint
............................. 1-58
Top Strap
.................................................... 1-59
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................. 1-60
Children (LATCH System)
........................... 1-64
for the LATCH System
................., ..... -1-66
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position
........ .......... 1-66
Center Rear Seat Position
.......................... 1-69
Right Front Seat Position
............................ 1-71
SCCZ:~~?~ 2 chi!d Restr?.int in 8
Securing a Child Restraint in the
1-1

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Air Bag Systems .........................
Where Are the Air Bags? ............
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? .
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? ..
................... 1.74
Restraint System Check .................................. 1-84
................... 1-77 Checking YourRestraintSystems ................... 1-84
................... 1-80
Replacing RestraintSystem Parts
................... 1-81
After a Crash ............................................ 1-84
How Does anAir Bag Restrain? ..................... 1-81
What WillYouSeeAfter an
Air Bag Inflates?
....................................... 1-82
Servicing YourAir Bag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-83
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Passenger Seat
Pull upon the lever,
located onthe front of the
seat, to unlock and
move the seat.
Slide the seat to where you want it and release the
lever.
To make sure the seat is locked intoplace, try to
move
the seat back ana iorin wiiil pur body.
Four-Way Manual Driver Seat
Use the lever locatedon
the front left side of the
seat to adjust theseat
forward or rearward.
Pull up the lever to unlockthe seat. Slide the seat to
where you want it and release the lever.
To make sure the seat is locked into place, try to move
the seat back and forth with your body.
1 -3

To raise the seat, pull up
on the lever located onthe
front right side
of
the seat.
You can lose control of the vehicle if you tryto
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.
To lower the seat, push the lever down.Adjust the seat
and releasethe lever.
1 -4

Six-Way Power Seats
Your vehicle may have this
feature.
If it does, the
six-way power seat
control is located onthe
outboard sides of the
driver’s and front
passenger’sseats.
Manual Lumbar
The knob that controls this
feature is located on the
outboard sides of the
driver’s and front
passenger’s seats.
Move the front of the control up or down to adjust
the front portion
of the cushion up or down.
0 Move the rear of the control up or down to adjust
the rear portion of the cushion up or down.
Liftupor push down on the whole control to move
the entire seat up or down.
Turn the knob toward the front of the vehicle to increase
lumbar support. Turn the knobtoward the rear of the
vehicle to decrease lumbar support.
0 To move the whole seat forward or rearward, slide
the control forward or rearward.
1-5

Heated Seats
Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicle may have
heated seats.
If it does,
the heated seat switches
are located in the
instrument panel
switchbank.
This feature will quickly heat the lower cushions and
lower back of the driver’s and front passenger’s
seat. The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right
switch is for the front passenger’s seat.
Pressthe top of the switch to turn the heater on. Press
the bottomof the switch to turn the heater
off. The
heatedseat switch will turn
off when the ignition
is turned to
OFF and will resume operation when the
ignition isturned to ON, unless the switch is turned
off
To adjust the seatback, pull up on the lever located on
the outboard sides of
both the driver’s and the front
passenger‘s seats.
It is easier to recline the seat if you
leanforward, taking your weight
off the seatback.
1-6

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be 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 jobbecause it
won’t beagainst your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do it’s job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1
1-7

Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The front seat head restraints are adjustable. Slide the
head restraint up
or down to adjust it.
On some models,the head restraintstilt forward and
rearward also.
The rear seat head restraints in your vehicle may be
adjustable. They work the same as the front seat head
restraints,except theydo not tilt forwardor rearward.
1-8

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
The rear seats in your vehicle have seat operating
features to adjust, fold, removeand reinstallthe seats.
By using the seat operating procedures, in the
correct order, you can easily remove theseats from
your vehicle.
When you put the seats back in the vehicle, be sure to
followthe label on the back of the seat for proper
location.
Split Bench Seats
If your vehicle has thesplit bench seat, the seatbacks
can be foldedforward or reclined individually and
the sections can be flipped forward or removed
individually.
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward
in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause
injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is
locked.
To recline the seatback on
base-level split bench
seats, lift up on the recliner
lever located on the
outboard side of the
seatback.
Base-Level
1 -9

To reclinethe seatback on
up-level split bench seats,
push forward on the
recliner lever located on
the outboard side of
the seatback.
Up-Level
Move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback if you lean
forward andtake the weight off the seatback.
The seatbacks on each section also fold forwardto put
items behindthe seats.
Lift up or push forward on the recliner lever and fold the
seatback forward. The seatback will lock into place
when you push it back to the upright position.
After raising a seatback to an upright position, push and
pull on the seatback to check that it is locked upright.
Removing the Split Bench Seat
Each section of the split bench seat can beflipped
forward or removed individually.
1. Unlatchthe shoulder belt from the lap-belt.
2. Make sure that the seatback is in the upright
3. Lift up or push forward on the seatback recliner
position.
lever to fold the seatback forward.
1-10

Base-Level
4. For base-levelsplit bench seats, pull the lever at
the base of the seat on the outboard side to
release the rear latches from the floor pins and flip
the seat forward.
forward on the recliner lever to release the
rear latches from thefloor pins and flip the seat
forward.
7 1- .-I ---I!I L---L -err+- rr,,p.h;nn
fUf Up-level splli UGI ILI I acaia, UUI 1111 IUC~ ~UW ly
The seat can stay in this position or it can be
next steps.
;srr;oved from the vehic!e by fo!!nwing the
5.
To releasethe front latches, squeeze the angled
latch release bar toward the straight crossbar.
6. Remove the seat by rocking it slightly toward the
rear of the vehicle and then pulling it out.
Repeatthese steps for the other section of the split
hench swf
1-1 1

Replacing the Split Bench Seat
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a suddenstop orcrash. Thatcould
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on theseatback to be sure it is
locked.
I
A seat that isn’t lockedinto place properlycan
move around in a collision orsudden stop.
People in the vehicle could be injured. Besure
to lockthe seat into placeproperlywhen
installing it. 1
A safety belt that is improperlyrouted, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protectionneeded in a crash. The person
wearing the belt couldbeseriously injured.
After installingthe seat, always checkto be
sure that the safety belts are properly routed
and attached, and arenot twisted.
Make sure that the seatback is in the folded forward
positionand that the safety belts are on the correct
section of the seat.
Don’t put the sections of the bench seat inso that they
face rearwardbecause they won’t latchthat way.
The split bench seat sections have seat position labels,
located on the back
of each section, showing where
the section must go.
The seat must be placed inthe proper location for the
legs to attach correctly.
1-12

2.
Make sure that the bench
seat
is angled so that the
front hooks clear the
floor pins.
If the front legs
are not attached
correctly,the rear legs
will not attach to the rear
set of floor pins.
1. Squeezetheangled latch release bar toward the
straight crossbarwhile placing the front hooks of
the bench seat
onto the front two floor pins.
1-13