ignition BUICK LACROSSE 2006 Owner's Guide

When it is dark enough outside, the DRL will turn off
and the vehicle’s headlamps and parking lamps will turn
on. The other lamps that come on with the headlamps
will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the DRL will come on.
To idle the vehicle with the DRL off, turn the exterior
lamp control off and then do one of the following:
Turn the exterior lamp control to the parking lamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control to the headlamp
position.
Turn the exterior lamp control from AUTO to off and
back to AUTO.
This feature is not available for vehicles rst sold in
Canada.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it is
dark outside, move the exterior lamp control to the
parking lamp position. The parking lamps will remain
illuminated and the headlamps will turn off. The
fog lamps will also go on if they were on previously.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
Fog Lamps
If your vehicle is equipped
with fog lamps, press the
fog lamps button in the
center of the exterior lamps
control on the left side of
the steering column to turn
the fog lamps on or off.
While the high-beam headlamps are on, the fog lamps
are off.
Some localities have laws that require the headlamps to
be on along with the fog lamps.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the parking lamps or headlamps have been left on
after the ignition has been turned to off, the exterior
lamps will turn off after approximately 10 minutes.
This protects the battery from being drained.
If the lamps need to be left on for more than 10 minutes,
use the exterior lamp control to turn the lamps back on.
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Interior Lamps
Your interior lamps
control is located next
to the exterior lamps
control and to the left of
the steering wheel on
the instrument panel.
9(Off):Turn the control to this position to disable
courtesy lamps, entry lighting, delayed entry lighting,
and delayed exit lighting.
1(Door):Turn the control to this position to turn the
interior lamps on when any door is open and when
the ignition key is removed from the ignition.
+(On):Turn the control to this position to turn the
interior lamps on.
The interior lamps can be controlled, or automatically
turned on or off under certain conditions. They are
explained in the following text.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The instrument panel lights can be brightened or
dimmed by pressing the center knob of the interior lamp
controls until it pops out. Turn the knob clockwise to
brighten the lights or counterclockwise to dim them.
Courtesy Lamps
Courtesy lamps come on to make it easier to enter and
exit the vehicle. These lamps will come on when the
interior lamp control is in the door position and any door
is opened.
Entry Lighting
The courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever the interior lamp control is in the door
position and the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter is pressed.
The lamps will stay on while a door is opened and
then turn off automatically about 25 seconds after it
is closed. If the UNLOCK button is pressed and a
door is not opened, the lamps will turn off after about
25 seconds.
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Entry lighting includes a feature called theater dimming.
With theater dimming, the lamps do not turn off at the end
of the delay time. Instead, they slowly dim after the delay
time and then turn off.
The courtesy lamps turn off when the ignition key is
turned to RUN or START. They will come on again when
a door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting lights the vehicle’s interior for a
period of time after all the doors have been closed.
After all the doors have been closed, the delayed entry
lighting feature will continue to work until one of the
following occurs:
The ignition is in run.
The doors are locked.
Twenty-ve seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the interior
lamps will remain on.
Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to ve-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature can be programmed either on or off
using the Driver Information Center. SeeDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-75under INT LIGHTS KEYS
REMOVED. When activated, this feature illuminates
the interior for a period of time after the ignition key is
removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off and the interior lamp control
must be in the door position for delayed exit lighting
to work. When the ignition key is removed, interior
illumination will activate and remain on until one of the
following occurs:
The ignition is in RUN.
The power door locks are activated.
Twenty-ve seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the interior
lamps will remain on.
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Perimeter Lighting
Perimeter lighting provides a period of exterior vehicle
lighting. Perimeter lighting activates when the key is
removed from the ignition or the vehicle is unlocked using
the remote keyless entry transmitter. The amount of time
the exterior lamps will remain on can be programmed
using the Driver Information Center (DIC). See “EXIT
LIGHT DELAY” underDIC Vehicle Personalization on
page 3-75for additional information.
Overhead Console Reading Lamps
Your vehicle may have reading lamps located on the
overhead console. Press the lens to turn them on and off.
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps
Your vehicle may have reading lamps located near
the rear assist handles. Press the lens to turn them
on and off.
Battery Run-Down Protection
This helps prevent the vehicle’s battery from draining in
case the interior courtesy lamps, reading lamps, trunk
lamp, underhood lamp, glove box lamps, or sun visor
vanity lamps, if equipped, are accidently left on. If any of
these lamps are left on while the ignition is off, they will
automatically turn off after 10 minutes. The lamps will not
come back on again until one of the following occurs:
The ignition is turned on.
The interior lamps control is turned off,
then to door or on.
Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA)
Your vehicle may be equipped with Ultrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA). URPA is designed to help you
park while in REVERSE (R) and operates only at speeds
less than 3 mph (5 km/h). URPA can help you avoid
colliding with objects such as parked vehicles. The
system can detect objects 5 feet (1.5 m) behind your
vehicle and tell you how close those objects are to your
rear bumper.
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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 approximately 20 minutes after the button is
pressed, unless the ignition is turned to ACCESSORY
or RUN. If turned on again, the defogger will only run
for approximately 20 minutes before turning off.
The defogger can also be turned off by pressing the
button again or by turning off the engine.
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
Your vehicle may have this climate control system.
The heating, cooling and ventilation can be controlled
with it.
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.
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Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The passenger compartment air lter is located
below the air inlet grille, near the passenger’s side
windshield wiper arm. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12.
The lter traps most of the pollen from the air entering
the air conditioning module. Like the engine’s air
cleaner lter, it may need to be changed periodically.
For information on how often to change the passenger
compartment air lter, seeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
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 old
air lter by pulling
up on its tab.
9. Install a new passenger compartment air lter.
SeeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 6-13for the type of lter to use. Make sure it
slides under the compartment retainers.
10. Reverse Steps 1 through 7.
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{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the airbag system
may not be working properly. The airbags in
your vehicle may not inate in a crash, or they
could even inate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The airbag readiness light should ash for a few seconds
when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light does
not come on then, have it xed so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
Your instrument panel has a passenger airbag status
indicator. SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-65
for more information.
When the ignition key is turned to RUN or START, the
passenger airbag status indicator will light ON and OFF
for several seconds as a system check. If you use remote
start to start your vehicle from a distance (if equipped),
you may not see the system check. Then, after several
more seconds, the status indicator will light either ON or
OFF to let you know the status of the right front
passenger’s frontal airbag.Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator
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If, after several seconds, all status indicator lights remain
on, or if there are no lights at all, there may be a problem
with the lights or the passenger sensing system. See your
dealer for service.
{CAUTION:
If the off indicator and the airbag readiness light
ever come on together, it means that something
may be wrong with the airbag system. If this
ever happens, have the vehicle serviced
promptly, because an adult-size person sitting
in the right front passenger seat may not have
the protection of the frontal airbag. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-34.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briey when
the ignition is turned on,
as a check to show that it
is working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while the vehicle is being
driven, a chime will sound and there may be a problem
with the charging system. It could indicate that the
vehicle has a loose accessory belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while
this light is on could drain the battery.
If the vehicle must be driven a short distance with the
light on, be certain to turn off all the accessories,
such as the radio and air conditioner.
3-37

Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on and the parking brake
is not applied, there is a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briey when you turn the
ignition key to RUN.
If it does not come on then, have it xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake does not release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.If the light comes on while you are driving, a chime will
sound and you should pull off the road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the
pedal may go closer to the oor. It may take longer to
stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-36.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
3-38

Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
Your vehicle may have the
anti-lock brake system, this
light will come on when
your engine is started and
may stay on for several
seconds. That is normal.
If the ABS warning light comes on and stays on, there
may be a problem with the anti-lock portion of the brake
system. If the brake system warning light is not on, you
still have brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-38.If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. If the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as possible
and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the light still stays on, or comes on
again while you are driving, your vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning light is not on, you
still have brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning light is also on, you
do not have anti-lock brakes and there is a problem with
your regular brakes. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-38.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come on
briey when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light
does not come on then, have it xed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
3-39