ignition BUICK LACROSSE 2007 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
remain on and the headlamps turn off. The
fog lamps 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 has fog
lamps, the button is
located in the center of
the exterior lamps
control on the left side
of the steering column.
Press the fog lamps button to turn the 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 about 10 minutes.
This protects the battery from being drained.
Use the exterior lamp control to turn the lamps
back on, if they are still needed.
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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
on the interior lamps.
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 (RKE) 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.
25 seconds has passed.
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 229under INT
(Interior) 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.
25 seconds has passed.
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 (RKE)
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 229for 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.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM)
that estimates the battery’s temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best
performance and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the
voltage is raised slightly to quickly put the charge
back in. When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging.
If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage or voltage
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC), you
may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be
displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for all
vehicles. This is because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at idle to
produce all the power that is needed for very high
electrical loads.
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A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger, climate
control fan at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s
output and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It
can increase engine idle speed to generate more
power, whenever needed. It can temporarily
reduce the power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels,
without being noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action, this action may
be noticeable to the driver. If so, the Driver
Information Center (DIC) message might display
Battery Saver Active. If this message is displayed,
it is recommended that the driver reduce the
electrical loads as much as possible. See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 208.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 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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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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If the airbag readiness light stays on after the
vehicle is started, or comes on as the vehicle is
being driven, there may be an electrical problem
and the airbag system may not work properly.
Have the vehicle serviced right away.
{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 vehicle has a passenger sensing system. The
passenger airbag status indicator on the instrument
panel will be visible when you turn your ignition key
to RUN or START. SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 75for more information.
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 your vehicle has this feature, 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.
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SeePassenger Sensing System on page 75for
more on this, including important safety
information.
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. See
Airbag Readiness Light on page 182.
Charging System Light
This light comes 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 and result in the engine suddenly stopping.
If the vehicle must be driven a short distance with
the light on, be certain to turn off all unnecessary
electrical loads, such as the radio, heater fan,
air conditioning fan, and heated seats.
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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 325.
{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.
186