climate control BUICK LACROSSE 2011 User Guide

Black plate (17,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-17
Vehicles with the memory feature
can store a preferred mirror position.
See“Memory Seats” underPower
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑5 for
more information.
Folding Mirrors
Manual Foldaway Mirrors
The mirrors on vehicles with manual
folded mirrors are folded inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward
to return it to the original position.
Automatic Dimming Feature
The driver outside mirror
automatically adjusts for the glare
of the headlamps behind you.
Turn Signal Indicator
The vehicle may have a turn signal
indicator lamp built into the mirror
housing. The turn signal lamp
flashes with the use of the vehicle's
turn signal and hazard flashers.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
<(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8‑1 for more information.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle is equipped with
memory mirrors, there is an option
to have the mirrors tilt down, when
in R (Reverse), to more easily see
the ground near the vehicle.
When the vehicle is shifted to
R (Reverse), both the driver and
passenger mirrors will tilt downward.
They will return to their previous
position when the vehicle is shifted
out of R (Reverse), the ignition is
turned to OFF, or the vehicle is left
in R (Reverse) for an extended
period of time.
This feature can be turned on or off.
SeeVehicle Personalization on
page 5‑39.

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures.
To reduce the risk of burns,
people with such a condition
should use care when using
the seat heater, especially for
long periods of time. Do not
place anything on the seat that
insulates against heat, such
as a blanket, cushion, cover,
or similar item. This may cause
the seat heater to overheat.
An overheated seat heater may
cause a burn or may damage
the seat.
Heated and VentilatedSeat Buttons Shown,
Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
climate control panel. To operate,
the ignition must be on. Press
Lto heat the seat cushion
and seatback or
{, if equipped,
to ventilate the seat.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press
of the button, the seat will change
to the next lower setting, and then
to the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and
one for the lowest.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
SeeBluetooth (Overview) on
page 7‑46 orBluetooth
(Infotainment Controls) on
page 7‑48 orBluetooth (Voice
Recognition) on page 7‑53,
the OnStar Owner's Guide, or
the separate Navigation System
Manual for more information.
$ i(Mute/End Call): Press
to silence the vehicle speakers
only. Press again to turn the
sound on. For vehicles with
OnStar or Bluetooth systems,
press to reject an incoming call,
or end a current call.
_SRC^(Rotary Control): Press
to select an audio source.
Press
_or^to select the next or
previous favorite radio station, CD,
DVD track/chapter (with navigation),
or MP3 track.
+
x− (Volume): Press + to
increase the volume. Press −to
decrease the volume.
Heated Steering Wheel
For vehicles with a heated steering
wheel, the button for this feature
is located on the climate control
system.
(: Press to turn the heated
steering wheel on or off. A light
on the button displays when the
feature is turned on.
The steering wheel takes about
three minutes to start heating.
Horn
Press near the horn symbols or
press on the steering wheel pad
to sound the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is
on the side of the steering
column. With the ignition in
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN,
move the windshield wiper lever
to select the wiper speed.
2: Use for fast wipes.
1: Use for slow wipes.

Black plate (39,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-39
Window Messages
OPEN, THEN CLOSE DRIVER
WINDOW
This message is displayed when the
window needs to be reprogrammed.
If the vehicle's battery has been
recharged or disconnected, you
will need to reprogram each front
window for the express-up feature
to work. SeePower Windows on
page 2‑19 for more information.
OPEN, THEN CLOSE
PASSENGER WINDOW
This message is displayed when the
window needs to be reprogrammed.
If the vehicle's battery has been
recharged or disconnected, you
will need to reprogram each front
window for the express-up feature
to work. See Power Windows on
page 2‑19 for more information.
Vehicle
Personalization
The audio system controls are
used to access the personalization
menus for customizing vehicle
features.
CONFIG (Configuration):
Press to access the Configuration
Settings Menu.
MENU/SELECT Knob: Press
the center of this knob to enter
the menus and select menu items.
Turn the knob to scroll through the
menus.
0BACK: Press to exit or move
backward in a menu.
Entering the Personalization
Menus
1. Press CONFIG to access the Configuration Settings menu.
2. Turn the MENU/SELECT knob to highlight Vehicle Settings. 3. Press the center of the
MENU/SELECT knob to select
the Vehicle Settings menu.
The following list of menu items will
be available:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Collision/Detection Systems
.Language
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock/Unlock/Start
.Return to Factory Settings
Turn the MENU/SELECT knob to
highlight the menu. Press the knob
to select it. Each of the menus is
detailed in the following information.

Black plate (40,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-40 Instruments and Controls
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu and the following will be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Control
.Air Quality Control
.Auto Heated Seats
.Remote Start Heated Seats
.Remote Start Cooled Seats
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Control
This will allow you to select the
automatic fan speed. It can be
adjusted to run lower or higher
than normal.
Press the MENU/SELECT
knob when Auto Fan Control is
highlighted to open the menu.
Turn the knob to highlight High,
Medium, or Low. Press the knob
to confirm the selection and move
back to the last menu. Air Quality Control
This will allow you to select whether
the system will operate at high or
low sensitivity. Only vehicles with
the dual zone climate control will
have this option.
Press the MENU/SELECT
knob when Air Quality Control
is highlighted to open the menu.
Turn the knob to highlight High or
Low. Press the knob to confirm the
selection and move back to the
last menu.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When on, this feature will turn the
heated seats on when using remote
start on cold days.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when Remote Start Heated Seats is
highlighted. Turn the knob to select
On or Off. Press the knob to confirm
and go back to the last menu.
Remote Start Cooled Seats
When on, this feature will turn the
cooled seats on when using remote
start on warm days.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when Remote Start Cooled Seats is
highlighted. Turn the knob to select
On or Off. Press the knob to confirm
and go back to the last menu.
Auto Defog
This will allow you to turn the auto
defog on or off. Only vehicles with
the dual zone climate control will
have this option.
Press the MENU/SELECT knob
when Auto Defog is highlighted to
open the menu. Turn the knob to
highlight On or Off. Press the knob
to confirm the selection and move
back to the last menu.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
6-4 Lighting
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
The Adaptive Forward Lighting
System (AFL) pivots the headlamps
horizontally to provide greater
road illumination while turning.
To enable AFL, set the exterior
lamp switch to the AUTO position.
Moving the switch out of the AUTO
position deactivates the system.
AFL operates when the vehicle
speed is greater than 3 km/h
(2 mph). AFL does not operate
when the transmission is in
R (Reverse). AFL is not immediately
operable after starting the vehicle;
driving a short distance is required
to calibrate the AFL. SeeExterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|
Hazard Warning Flasher:
Press this button located on the
instrument panel below the climate
control system, to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash
on and off. Press again to turn the
flashers off.
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn. An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times.
The turn and lane‐change signal
can be turned off manually by
moving the lever back to its
original position.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly
or does not come on, a signal bulb
might be burned out.
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑39.

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-7
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 needed for very
high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on,
such as: 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, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If the exterior lamps or any interior
light is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown
protection system automatically
turns the lamp off after about
10 minutes.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Maintenance
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Climate Control Systems
Automatic Climate Control System
For vehicles with this system, it controls the heating, cooling, and ventilation.
A. Power
B. Temperature Control
C. Fan Control
D. Air Delivery Mode Control
E. Recirculation F. AUTO
G. Defrost
H. Air Conditioning
I. Rear Window Defogger

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
8-2 Climate Controls
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle
to the desired temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation. If the air delivery mode,
fan speed, recirculation, or air
conditioning setting is adjusted,
the AUTO indicator turns off and
the selected settings will appear
on the display.
To place the system in automatic
mode do the following:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow thesystem time to stabilize. Adjust
the temperature as needed for
best comfort.
Q/R(Temperature Control):
Press to increase or decrease the
temperature. Manual Operation
O(Power):
Press to turn the fan
on or off.
D C(Fan Control): Press to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
The fan speed setting appears
on the main display. Pressing
either button cancels automatic
fan control and the fan can be
controlled manually. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation.
e *(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press to change the
direction of the airflow. The current
mode appears in the display screen.
Pressing either button cancels
automatic air delivery control and
the direction of the airflow can be
controlled manually. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
outlets and the floor outlets.
C(Tri‐Level): Air is divided
between the windshield, instrument
panel, and floor outlets.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
-(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.
0(Defrost): Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield. Selecting defrost
will disable automatic control.
For best results, clear all snow
and ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the air conditioning system
on or off. If the fan is turned off or
the outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioning system
will not run.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Climate Controls 8-3
Pressing this button cancels
automatic air conditioning and
turns off the air conditioner.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs automatically as needed.
When the indicator light is on, the
air conditioner runs automatically
to cool the air inside the vehicle or
to dry the air needed to defog the
windshield faster.
>(Recirculation):Press to
alternate between recirculating
air inside the vehicle or pulling in
outside air. When the indicator light
is on, air is being recirculated inside
the vehicle. This helps to quickly
cool the air inside the vehicle or
prevent outside air and odors from
entering.
Pressing this button cancels
automatic recirculation. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation and
recirculation runs automatically as
needed.
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger
turns off automatically after
about 10 minutes. If turned on
again it runs for about five minutes
before turning off. The defogger
can also be turned off by turning
the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY
or LOCK/OFF.
The rear window defogger can
be set to automatic operation.
See “Climate and Air Quality”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑39. When auto rear defog is
selected, the rear window defogger
turns on automatically when the
interior temperature is cold and
the outside temperature is about
4°C (40°F) and below. The auto
rear defogger turns off automatically
after about 10 minutes, or after
five minutes if the outside
temperature is not as cold. For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button
is on and help to clear fog or frost
from the surface of the mirror.
See
Heated Mirrors on page 2‑17.
Notice: Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect your
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs wouldn't be
covered by your warranty.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation: For vehicles with the
remote vehicle start feature, the
climate control system may run
when the vehicle is started remotely.
The system uses the driver's
previous settings to heat or cool the
inside of the vehicle. See Remote
Vehicle Start on page 2‑8.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.