key BUICK LACROSSE 2009 Get To Know Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of a Buick LaCrosse. Please read this information and your Owner Manual
to ensure an outstanding ownership experience. Note that your vehicle may not include all the features
described in this booklet. Keep this booklet with your Owner Manual for easy reference.
DRIVER INFORMATION
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . .3
Vehicle Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Driver Information Center . . . . . . .4
SAFETY & SECURITY
Unlocking the Doors
with the Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . .6
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
OnStar
® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
COMFORT
Tilt/Telescoping Steering
Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Dual Automatic Climate
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8ENTERTAINMENT
Audio Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Bluetooth
®System . . . . . . . . . . .11
Audio Steering Wheel
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
CONVENIENCE
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . .12
Exterior Lamps and
Automatic Headlamp System . . .13
Daytime Running Lamps . . . . . .13
Interior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Windshield Wipers/Washer . . . .14
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Universal Home Remote . . . . . . .15
Vehicle Enhancements . . . . . . . .15
Accessory Power Outlets . . . . . .17PERFORMANCE & MAINTENANCE
Opening the Vehicle Hood . . . . .17
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Antilock Brake System . . . . . . . .18
Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Traction Control System . . . . . . .18
StabiliTrak
®– Stability Control
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Automatic Transaxle
Shift Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Acoustic Laminate Glass . . . . . .19
Resetting the Oil Life System . .19
OWNER INFORMATION
Roadside Assistance . . . . . . . . .20
My GMLink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

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Your vehicle’s instrument panel is
equipped with this cluster or one very
similar to it. The instrument panel cluster
includes these key gauges and
lights/lamps:
A. Trunk Ajar
B. Door Ajar
C. Tire Pressure Monitor
D. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
E. Cruise Control Engaged
F. Tachometer
G. Security
H. Safety Belt – Driver
I. Driver Airbag
J. Service Vehicle Soon
K. Speedometer
L. Headlamp SuggestedM. Fuel Gauge
N. Washer Fluid Level
O. Battery
P. Temperature Gauge
Q. Reduced Engine Power
R. Traction Control Disabled
S. Check Gas Cap
T. Change Engine Oil
U. Check Engine
V. Oil Pressure
Note: The instrument panel cluster is designed to let
you know about many important aspects of your vehi-
cle’s operation. It is important to read your Owner
Manual and become familiar with the information
being relayed to you by the lights, gauges, DIC mes-
sages and indicators, as well as what action can be
taken to ensure safety and to prevent damage.
C
Instrument Panel Cluster
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
P

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E/M (English/Metric):On the base DIC,
press to choose English or Metric units.
On uplevel DICs, press the (Option)
button until UNITS appears. Press the
(Set/Reset) button to choose English
or Metric units.
(Set/Reset)(if equipped): Press to
set/reset certain functions and to turn
off/acknowledge DIC messages.
(Gauges)(if equipped): Press to
display battery and oil life.
(Fuel)(if equipped): Press to display
fuel range and average economy.
(Option) (if equipped): Press to dis-
play English/Metric units, language,
personalization, compass zone and
compass calibration.
Personalizing the DIC (if equipped)
Uplevel DICs can memorize selected
personalized settings for up to two
drivers. (Some features are limited to a
single setting.)
1. Place the vehicle in Park (P) and turn
on the ignition.
2. Press the (Option) button until
PERSONAL PROGRAM is
displayed.
3. Press the (Set/Reset) button
to display instructions.
4. Press the button to display
programmable features.
5. Press the button to change the
setting of each feature.Your ignition key identifies you to the
vehicle.Two keys can be programmed
for certain features that correspond to
each driver. To personalize a key:
1. From the Personal Program menu,
press the (Option) button until
PERSONALIZE KEY is displayed.
2. Press the (Set/Reset) button until
YES is displayed.
3. Press the button.
Personalization Features include:
Delayed Locking— Delays locking
of the vehicle doors for up to five
seconds after the last door is closed.
Two chimes will sound when the power
door lock switch or the Lock button on
the Remote Keyless Entry transmitter
is pressed when a door is open. To
program:
1. From the Personal Program menu,
press the (Option) button until
DELAYED LOCKING is displayed.
2. Press the (Set/Reset) button until
ON or OFF appears.
3. Press the button to select it.
The ignition key must be removed for
the feature to work after programming.
Key Fob Feedback— Choose from Off
(no feedback), Lights (exterior lights
flash) or Lights and Horn when you
press the Remote Keyless Entry trans-
mitter (key fob) Lock button. To program:
1. From the Personal Program menu,
press the (Option) button until
FOB LOCK FEEDBACK is displayed.
2. Press the (Set/Reset) button until
the desired setting is displayed.
3. Press the button to save the
setting.

Getting to Know Your LaCrosse6
Unlocking the Doors with the Key
Your vehicle’s passenger doors can be
unlocked using the driver’s door key.
With the key in the lock cylinder:
• Turn the key toward the front of the
vehicle to unlock the driver’s door.
• Turn and hold the key toward the
front of the vehicle for two seconds
to unlock all doors.
• Turn and hold the key toward the rear
of the vehicle to lock all doors.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
SAFETY & SECURITY
Automatic Door Locks
Auto Door Lock
The automatic door locks will lock the
vehicle’s doors when all doors are closed
and the vehicle is shifted into Drive.
Auto Door Unlock
Automatic door unlocking options
include off, unlocking the driver’s door
or unlocking all doors. Press the
(Option) button on the DIC until Auto
Door Unlock is displayed; and then
press the (Set/Reset) button to scroll
through Off, Driver and All. If Driver or
All is selected, two additional choices —
Key-Out and Park — will be displayed.
Select one of these choices to deter-
mine when the vehicle’s door(s) will
automatically unlock.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
Exterior Light Delay— Sets the time
for exterior lights to remain on after the
key is removed from the ignition or the
vehicle is unlocked with the Remote
Keyless Entry transmitter. To program:
1. From the Personal Program menu,
press the (Option) button until
EXT LIGHT DELAY is displayed.
2. Press the (Set/Reset) button to
scroll through OFF or 15/30/60/90-
second delays.
3. Press the button to store a setting.
You can also use the (Option) and
(Set/Reset) buttons to personalize
each of the following:
• Return settings to factory default/
reset all keys
• Interior lights on when key is
removed from the ignition
• Content theft-deterrent system on/off
• Remote start on/off
• Personalize/replace key
• Personalize radio stations
• Auto door unlock all/driver’s door/off
• Key fob unlock driver’s door/all doors
on first press
Exiting Programming Mode:The DIC
exits programming mode when:
• The vehicle is shifted out of Park.
• The vehicle is no longer in Run.
• You reach the end of the Personal
Program menu.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.

Getting to Know Your LaCrosse8
Dual Automatic Climate Control
Dual automatic climate control maintains
the desired temperature individually for
the driver and front seat passenger.
Automatic Operation
Push the AUTO button and use the
driver- or passenger-side up/down arrow
keys to adjust the temperature. The air
delivery mode, fan speed, air condition-
ing and recirculation functions will be set
automatically to achieve the desired
temperature.
To turn the passenger-side operation on
or off, press the PASS button. When first
turned on, the setting will be the same
as the driver’s. Use the up/down arrow
keys to adjust the temperature.
To turn off the entire system, press the
OFF button.
Manual Operation
To manually select the temperature or
mode, press the desired mode button
as follows:
(Temperature):Press to manually
adjust the temperature. The left side
controls the driver side and the right
side controls the passenger side.
(Decrease Fan Speed):Press to
lower fan speed.
(Increase Fan Speed):Press to
raise fan speed.
(Air Conditioning):Press to activate
or deactivate air conditioning.
(Recirculation):Press to prevent
outside air from entering your vehicle.
Recirculation can be activated in Vent or
Bi-Level mode, but not in Floor/Defog or
Defrost mode.
(Rear Window Defog):Press to
clear the rear glass (it turns off after
about 20 minutes). Press again for
extended operation. Press again or
switch off the ignition to turn off.
(Floor mode):Press to direct most
of the air to the floor.
(Bi-Level mode):Press to direct
most of the air to the instrument panel
and floor outlets.
(Vent mode):Press to direct air
through the instrument panel outlets.
(Floor/Defog):Press to clear the
windshield and front side windows of
mist and frost.
(Defrost):Press to clear the wind-
shield of heavier amounts of mist and
frost more quickly.
(Heated Seats) (if equipped):
Press to turn the driver or front passen-
ger heated seat on/off.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.

Getting to Know Your LaCrosse12
CONVENIENCE
Remote Vehicle Start
This feature allows you to start the
engine from outside the vehicle by
using the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. The remote start capability
must be turned on using the Driver
Information Center.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
The following audio controls are located
on the steering wheel:
+ – (Volume): Pull up on the plus or
minus button to increase or decrease
the volume.
(Next/Previous/End): Press the
up or down arrow to go to the
next or previous radio station stored as
a favorite or, when a CD is playing, to
the next or previous track. Press the
(End) button to end an OnStar or
Bluetooth call.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to
switch between AM, FM, XM (if equip-
ped), CD and the auxiliary input jack.
(Seek):Press this button to go to
the next radio station on the same band
or, when a CD is playing, to the next
track.
(Mute/Push to Talk/Voice
Recognition): Press this button to
mute the vehicle speakers. Press and
hold the button for more than two sec-
onds to interact with the OnStar or
Bluetooth system.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
Based on outside temperature, the vehi-
cle’s automatic climate control system
will default to a heating or cooling mode.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle.
2. Press and release the (Lock)
button on the transmitter.
3. Immediately press and hold the
(Remote Start) button for about four
seconds. When the vehicle starts, the
parking lamps will light and remain
on while the engine is running. The
engine will continue running for
10 minutes.
4. Repeat these steps for a 10-minute
time extension. Only two consecutive
remote starts are allowed.
After a remote start, the ignition must
be turned to the On position before
driving.
Canceling a Remote Start
To turn off the engine instead of driving
after a remote start:
• Press and hold the (Remote Start)
button until the parking lamps turn off.
• Press and release the Hazard
Warning Flashers button. Press it
again to turn off the flashers.
• Turn the key in the ignition switch to
the On position and then off.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
Note:The Remote Vehicle Start feature
will not operate if the key is in the igni-
tion, a door or the hood is open, or the
Check Engine light is illuminated on the
instrument panel cluster.

Exterior Lamps and Automatic
Headlamp System
You will find the exterior lamps knob on
the left side of the instrument panel.
(On/Off): To turn the headlamps off
when the lights are on, turn the control
to the position. The momentary
switch design springs back to AUTO
when released.
AUTO:Activates the automatic head-
lamp system, illuminating all exterior
lamps and the instrument panel/radio
lights when needed.
(Parking Lamps):The parking lamp
position illuminates tail/side marker/
license plate lamps and instrument
panel/radio lights.
(Headlamps):The headlamps posi-
tion manually activates the headlamps,
exterior tail/marker lamps and instru-
ment panel/radio lights.
(Fog Lamps):To activate the fog
lamps, press the center of the rotary
control marked .
To switch headlamps from low to high
beam, push the multifunction lever away
from you. Pull it back and release for
low-beam operation.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
Daytime Running Lamps
The Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs)
illuminate the low-beam headlamps at a
lower intensity in daylight to make the
front of the vehicle more visible to
others. The DRLs do not illuminate the
taillamps or side marker lamps.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
Interior Lamps
The interior lamps control is located next to
the exterior lamps control on the left side
of the instrument panel. It can be set to:
(Off):This position disables the
interior lamps entirely, whether or not a
door is open.
(Door):This position turns on the
interior lamps when a door is opened
and when the ignition key is removed.
(On):This position turns on the
interior lamps continuously.
Instrument Panel Brightness:When
you push the center of the interior lamps
knob, a spring-loaded stem will pop out.
Turn it right or left to adjust intensity.
Reading Lamps:Press the reading light
lens to turn on/off.
See Section 3 of your Owner Manual.
13

Deck (Trunk) Lid Pull-Down Handle
A convenient handle is located in the
top-inside edge of the deck lid. Use the
handle to easily pull down the deck lid
when closing it.
Vehicle Enhancements
Trunk Access
Press the (Trunk) button on the
Remote Keyless Entry transmitter.
To unlock the trunk from inside the vehicle,
press and hold the top of the driver’s or
Universal Home Remote
(if equipped)
The Universal Home Remote is a com-
bined universal transmitter and receiver
that can activate up to three devices,
such as garage door openers, entry
door locks, gates and security systems.
It’s recommended that you read the
instructions in your Owner Manual com-
pletely before attempting to program any
of the three channels on the Universal
Home Remote. The engine should be
turned off when programming the
remote.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
Note: Do not use the Universal Home
Remote with any garage door opener
that does not have the “stop and
reverse” feature or any opener manu-
factured before April 1, 1982.
front passenger’s power door lock switch
for approximately two seconds. The vehi-
cle must be in Park to unlock the trunk.
See Section 2 of your Owner Manual.
Rear Seat Trunk Pass-Through
(if equipped)
To fold down one/both sides of the rear
seatback to gain trunk access or haul
longer cargo, pull forward on the seat-
back tab on the outboard of the rear
seat and fold the seatback down.
See Section 1 of your Owner Manual.
15

Acoustic Laminate Glass
Special windshield and front door win-
dow glass composition reduces wind
and road noise. If replacement is neces-
sary, see your dealer or specify acoustic
laminateglass from the supplier. Failure
to do so can result in added wind and
outside noise in the cabin.
Automatic Transaxle Shift Lock
If the battery fails and it is necessary
to move the vehicle, the Automatic
Transaxle Shift Lock can be disabled to
allow the transaxle to be shifted out of
Park. Turn the ignition key to ACC posi-
tion, and shift the transaxle into Neutral.
With the car in Neutral, the vehicle can
be pushed out of a confined area.
See Sections 2 and 5 of your Owner Manual.
Resetting the Oil Life System
The Oil Life System calculates engine oil
life based on vehicle use and displays
CHANGE OIL SOON in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) when it’s nec-
essary to change your engine oil and fil-
ter. The Oil Life System should be reset
to 100% only following an oil change.
To reset the Oil Life System:
1. Turn on the ignition, with the engine
off.
2. Press the (Option) button until
the DIC displays ENGINE OIL
MONITOR.
3. Press the (Set/Reset) button. The
next screen indicates the system has
been reset.
4. Turn off the ignition.
See Section 5 of your Owner Manual.
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