BUICK LACROSSE 2007 Owner's Manual

Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of the vehicle is a result of high
humidity causing moisture to condense on the
cool window glass. This can be minimized if the
climate control system is used properly. There are
two modes to clear frost or fog from the windshield.
Use the defog mode to clear the windows of
condensation and to warm the vehicle’s occupants.
Use the defrost mode to remove frost or
condensation from the windshield quickly.
See “Rear Window Defogger” later in this section
for information on clearing the rear window of
fog or ice.
Turn the right knob to select the defog or
defrost mode.
Do not drive the vehicle until all windows
are clear.
-(Defog):This mode directs half of the air to the
windshield and the side window outlets and half to
the oor outlets. When you select this mode, the
system turns recirculation off and runs the air
conditioning compressor unless the outside
temperature is near or below freezing. Pressing the
recirculation button will have no effect other than
turning on the indicator light while in defog mode.
0(Defrost):This mode directs most of the air to
the windshield and the side window outlets, with
some air directed to the oor outlets. When
you select this mode, the system turns
recirculation off and runs the air conditioning
compressor unless the outside temperature is near
or below freezing. Pressing the recirculation
button will have no effect other than turning on the
indicator light while in defrost mode.
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Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the rear window.
<(Rear):Press the button to turn the rear
window defogger on or off. An indicator light below
the button will come on to let you know that the
rear window defogger is activated.
The rear window defogger will only work when the
ignition is in RUN. The rear window defogger
will stay on for about 20 minutes after the button is
pressed. If turned on again, the defogger will
only run for about 20 minutes before turning off.
The defogger can also be turned off by pressing
the button again or by turning off the engine.
Do not drive the vehicle until all windows are clear.
Notice:Do not use anything sharp on the
inside of the rear window. If you do, you could
cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license,
tape, a decal or anything similar to the
defogger grid.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System
With this system you can control the heating,
cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle.
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Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):Press the AUTO button for
automatic control of the inside temperature, the air
delivery mode, and the fan speed. There might
be a delay of two to three minutes before the fan
comes on when the automatic operation is
used in cold weather. For the automatic system to
function, the temperature must be set between
61°F (15°C) and 89°F (32°C).
1. Adjust the temperature to a comfortable
setting.
2. Press the PASS button or the up or down
arrows on the passenger side to turn the
passenger temperature set on and off. When
turned on, the passenger temperature will
be the same as the driver setting. Press the
up or down arrow on passenger side to adjust
the passenger temperature setting.
When the passenger’s temperature set is off,
the passenger display will be off and the
driver’s set temperature will be for the driver
and passenger.In cold weather, the system will start at
reduced fan speeds to avoid blowing cold air
into the vehicle until warmer air is available.
The system will start out blowing air at the oor
but may change modes automatically as the
vehicle warms up to maintain the chosen
temperature setting. The length of time needed
for warm up will depend on the outside
temperature and the length of time that has
elapsed since the vehicle was last driven.
3. Wait for the system to regulate. This may take
from 10 to 30 minutes. Then, adjust the
temperature, if necessary.
Do not cover the solar sensor located in the
center of the instrument panel, near the
windshield. For more information on the solar
sensor, see “Sensors” later in this section.
4. Press OFF to turn the climate control system
off. Only the rear defog and heated seats will
function. Press AUTO or any other button
except the heated seats or rear defog to turn
the climate control system back on.
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This control has four types of operation.
Automatic can set/change the temperature
only. AUTO and temperature only will
appear on the display.
Semi-Automatic Fan can set/change the
temperature and mode. The fan operates
automatically. The temperature and mode will
appear on the display.
Semi-Automatic Mode can set/change the
temperature and fan speed. The mode
operates automatically. The fan speed and
temperature will appear on the display.
Manual can set/change the temperature,
mode and fan. The fan speed, temperature,
and mode will appear on the display.
If your vehicle has the remote start feature, the
climate control system will automatically regulate
the inside temperature of your vehicle when
the remote start system is activated. Normal
operation and the last setting of the climate control
system will return after the key is turned on.
Manual Operation
During daylight hours, the instrument panel
brightness control might need to be adjusted to
the highest setting, in order to see the indicator
lights for the various climate control settings.
OFF:Press this button to turn the climate control
system off.
yz(Temperature):Press these buttons to
manually adjust the temperature inside the vehicle.
Press the up arrow on the driver or passenger
side to raise the temperature, and press the down
arrow to lower the temperature. The display will
show the selected temperature.
z9(Fan):Press this button to decrease the fan
speed. Pressing the arrows cancels the automatic
operation and places the system in manual or
semi-automatic mode. Press the AUTO button to
return to automatic operation. If the airow seems
low when the fan is at the highest setting, the
passenger compartment air lter may need to be
replaced. For more information seePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 178andScheduled
Maintenance on page 462.
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9y(Fan):Press this button to increase the fan
speed. Pressing the arrows cancels the automatic
operation and places the system in manual or
semi-automatic mode. Press the AUTO button to
return to automatic operation. If the airow
seems low when the fan is at the highest setting,
the passenger compartment air lter may need
to be replaced. For more information see
Passenger Compartment Air Filter on page 178
andScheduled Maintenance on page 462.
6(Floor):This mode directs most of the air to
the oor, with some air directed to the side window
outlets and a small amount to the windshield.
)(Bi-Level):This setting directs airow to the
instrument panel and oor outlets. A small amount
of air is also directed to the windshield and the
side window outlets.
Y(Vent):This mode directs air through the
instrument panel outlets.
h(Recirculation):Press this button to turn
recirculation mode on or off. This mode keeps
outside air from coming into the vehicle. It can be
used to help reduce the outside air and odors
that enter your vehicle or help cool the air inside
the vehicle quicker.
Recirculation is not available while in the oor,
defrost, or oor/defog modes. Using recirculation
for long periods of time may cause the air
inside your vehicle to become too dry.
Recirculation mode has a ve minute timer after
which the system allows for some fresh outside air
into the vehicle to maintain interior air quality.
#(Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn
the air conditioning compressor on and off.
The indicator light on the button will come on
when the air conditioning is on. The indicator light
will change with each button press even when
conditions prevent operation.
((Heated Seats):Press this button to turn the
driver or passenger heated seats on and off. See
Heated Seats on page 10for additional information.
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Defogging and Defrosting
Fog on the inside of windows is a result of high
humidity (moisture) condensing on the cool window
glass. This can be minimized if the climate
control system is used properly. There are
two modes to clear fog or frost from your
windshield. Use the oor/defog mode to clear the
windows of fog or moisture and warm the
passengers. Use defrost to remove fog or frost
from the windshield more quickly.
-(Floor/Defog):Press this button to direct the
air between the windshield, oor outlets and
side windows. When you select this mode, the
system turns recirculation off and runs the
air conditioning compressor unless the outside
temperature is near or below freezing. Pressing
the recirculation button will have no effect
other than turning on the indicator light while in
oor/defog mode.
1(Defrost):Press this button to direct most of
the air to the windshield, with some air directed to
the side windows. In this mode, the system will
automatically turn off the recirculation and run the
air conditioning compressor, unless the outside
temperature is near or below freezing. Pressing the
recirculation button will have no effect other than
turning on the indicator light while in defrost mode.
Do not drive the vehicle until all windows are clear.
Sensors
The solar sensor on the vehicle monitors the solar
heat and the air inside of the vehicle. This
information is used to maintain the selected
temperature by initiating needed adjustments to the
temperature, the fan speed, and the air delivery
system. The system may also supply cooler air to
the side of the vehicle facing the sun. The
recirculation mode will also be activated, as
necessary. Do not cover the solar sensor located in
the center of the instrument panel, near the
windshield, or the system will not work properly.
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Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog or frost from the rear window. The
rear window defogger will only work when
the engine is running.
=(Rear Window Defogger):Press this button
to turn the rear window defogger on and off.
Be sure to clear as much snow from the rear
window as possible.
The rear window defogger will turn off about
20 minutes after the button is pressed. If turned
on again, the defogger will only run for about
20 minutes before turning off. The defogger can
also be turned off by pressing the button again or
by turning off the engine.
Do not drive the vehicle until all the windows
are clear.
Notice:Do not use a razor blade or sharp
object to clear the inside rear window. Do not
adhere anything to the defogger grid lines
in the rear glass. These actions may damage
the rear defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the thumbwheels located between the center
outlets to open and close the outlets. Move the
lever in the center of each air outlet to adjust the
direction of the airow.
Operation Tips
Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the
air inlets at the base of the windshield that
may block the ow of air into the vehicle.
Use of non-GM approved hood deectors
may adversely affect the performance of
the system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear of
objects to help circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
This vehicle has a passenger compartment air
lter. If the airow seems low when the fan is
at the highest setting it may need to be
replaced. For more information, see
Passenger Compartment Air Filter on
page 178.
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Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The passenger compartment air lter is located in
the engine compartment below the air inlet
grille, near the passenger’s side windshield wiper
arm. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 350.
The lter traps most of the pollen from the air
entering the air conditioning module. Like
the engine’s air cleaner lter, it needs to be
changed periodically to keep the air conditioning
working at its best. For information on how often to
change the passenger compartment air lter,
seeScheduled Maintenance on page 462.
To change the passenger compartment air lter,
use the following steps:
1. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY and turn the
windshield wipers on.
2. Turn the ignition to OFF when the windshield
wipers are in the upright position.
3. Raise the hood.
4. Disconnect the windshield washer pump hose
from the fender rail and air inlet grille.5. Peel back the hood weather-strip from the
passenger’s side of the vehicle halfway to
the center of the hood.
6. Remove the three air inlet grille retainers.
7. Remove the air inlet grille.
8. Remove the water deector panel.
9. Remove the old air
lter by pulling up
on its tab.
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10. Install a new passenger compartment air lter.
SeeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts
on page 471for the type of lter to use.
Make sure it slides under the compartment
retainers.
11. Reverse Steps 1 through 8.
For best climate control performance,
re-installation of a clean air lter is required.
Warning Lights, Gages,
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages
that may be on the vehicle. The pictures will
help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is wrong before it becomes serious enough to
cause an expensive repair or replacement. Paying
attention to the warning lights and gages could also
save you or others from injury.Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of the vehicle’s functions. As
you will see in the details on the next few pages,
some warning lights come on briey when you
start the engine just to let you know they are
working. If you are familiar with this section, you
should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often
gages and warning lights work together to let
you know when there is a problem with your
vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and
stays on when you are driving, or when one of the
gages shows there may be a problem, check
the section that tells you what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice. Waiting to
do repairs can be costly – and even dangerous. So
please get to know the warning lights and gages.
They are a big help.
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Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to let the driver know at a glance how the vehicle is running.
It will show how fast the vehicle is going, about how much fuel is in the fuel tank and many other things
needed to drive safely and economically.
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