warning BUICK LACROSSE 2010 Owners Manual

8-56 Driving and Operating
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal so the
trailer will not strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Use the turn signal well in
advance and avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often. When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
boils at a lower temperature than at
normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating on page 9‑20.
Parking on Hills
{WARNING
Parking the vehicle on a hill with
the trailer attached can be
dangerous. If something goes
wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both
the vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged. When possible, always
park the rig on a flat surface.

Vehicle Care 9-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 9-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . 9-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . 9-22 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . 9-29Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . 9-47
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54

9-2 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure MonitorOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-64
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-65
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . 9-66
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . 9-67
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-69
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . 9-74
Jump Starting
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-75
Towing
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-79
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-79
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-82
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-86
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer/retailer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.

9-4 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{WARNING
You can be injured and the
vehicle could be damaged if you
try to do service work on a vehicle
without knowing enough about it.
.Be sure you have
sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper
replacement parts, and tools
before attempting any vehicle
maintenance task.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Be sure to use the proper
nuts, bolts, and other
fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily
confused. If the wrong
fasteners are used, parts can
later break or fall off. You
could be hurt.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on
page 12‑12. This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see
Airbag System
Check on page 2‑39.
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records
on
page 10‑10.

9-14 Vehicle Care
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A Change Engine Oil
Soon message comes on. See
Engine Oil Messages
on
page 4‑35. Change the oil as soon
as possible within the next 1 000 km
(600 miles). It is possible that,
if driving under the best conditions,
the oil life system might not indicate
that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, the engine oil
and filter must be changed at least
once a year and at this time the
system must be reset. Your dealer/
retailer has trained service people
who will perform this work using
genuine parts and reset the system.
It is also important to check the oil
regularly and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 miles)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Turn the key to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC menu button on the turn signal lever to scroll
through the menu items on the
DIC screen.
3. Press the set button to clear the Change Engine Oil Soon
message and/or restore the
Remaining Oil Life 100%
message.
4. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
Change Engine Oil Soon message
is off and the Remaining Oil Life
100% message is is displayed.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of
water. Recycle it by taking it to a
place that collects used oil.

9-16 Vehicle Care
2. Lift the filter cover housing awayfrom the engine.
3. Pull out the filter.
4. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/filter.
5. Lower the filter cover housing toward the engine.
6. Install the screws to the top of the housing to lock the cover in
place. 3.0 L V6 Engine shown, 3.6 L
V6 Engine similar
1. Remove the screws on top of
the engine air cleaner/filter
housing.
2. Lift the filter cover housing away from the engine.
3. Pull out the filter.
4. Inspect or replace the engine air cleaner/filter.
5. Lower the filter cover housing toward the engine. 6. Install the screws to the top of
the housing to lock the cover in
place.
{WARNING
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or
others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it
helps to stop flames if the engine
backfires. If it is not there and the
engine backfires, you could be
burned. Do not drive with it off,
and be careful working on the
engine with the air cleaner/
filter off.
Notice: If the air cleaner/filter is
off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt
can easily get into the engine,
which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner/filter in place
when you are driving.

Vehicle Care 9-17
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
When it is safe to lift the hood:
2.4 L L4 Engine
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fan
B. Coolant Recovery Tank andPressure Cap 3.0 L V6 Engine shown,
3.6 L V6 Engine similar
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
B. Coolant Recovery Tank and
Pressure Cap
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner, at 50 000 km
(30,000 miles) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Any
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.

9-18 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for five years
or 240 000 km (150,000 miles),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating
on
page 9‑20.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water to the
cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid such as alcohol, can
boil before the proper coolant
mixture will. The vehicle's coolant
warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
water or the wrong mixture, the
engine could get too hot but you
would not get the overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to −37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Notice: If an improper coolant
mixture is used, the engine could
overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Too much water in the mixture
can freeze and crack the engine,
radiator, heater core, and other
parts.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant recovery tank. If the
coolant inside the coolant recovery
tank is boiling, do not do anything
else until it cools down. If coolant is
visible but the coolant level is not at
or above the mark pointed to, add a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL
®coolant at

Vehicle Care 9-19
the coolant recovery tank, but be
sure the cooling system is cool
before this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the surge
tank, add coolant as follows:
How to Add Coolant to the
Recovery Tank
{WARNING
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Notice: This vehicle has a
specific coolant fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure
could cause the engine to
overheat and be severely
damaged.
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. They are
under pressure, and if you turn
the surge tank pressure
cap —even a little —they can
come out at high speed. Never
turn the cap when the cooling
system, including the surge tank
pressure cap, is hot. Wait for the
cooling system and surge tank
pressure cap to cool if you ever
have to turn the pressure cap.
The coolant surge tank pressure
cap can be removed when the
cooling system, including the surge
tank pressure cap and upper
radiator hose, is no longer hot.
1. Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise. If a hiss is
heard, wait for that to stop.
A hiss means there is still some
pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the cap and remove it.

9-20 Vehicle Care
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the mark
pointed to on the front of the
coolant surge tank.
4. With the coolant surge tank cap off, start the engine and let it run
until the upper radiator hose
starts getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan(s). By this
time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be
lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the
coolant surge tank until the level reaches the mark pointed to on
the front of the coolant
surge tank.
5. Replace the cap. Be sure the cap is hand–tight and full
seated.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.
If coolant is needed, add the proper
DEX-COOL®coolant mixture at the
coolant recovery tank.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has several indicators
to warn of engine overheating.
There is a coolant temperature gage
and a warning light on the
instrument panel cluster that
indicate an overheated engine
condition. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage
on page 4‑15for more information. You may decide not to lift the hood
when this warning appears, but
instead get service help right away.
See
Roadside Assistance Program
(US, Can) on page 12‑6.
If you do decide to lift the hood ,
make sure the vehicle is parked on
a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fan(s)
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine
and have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.
If Steam Is Coming From The
Engine Compartment
See Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Modeon page 9‑21for
information on driving to a safe
place in an emergency.