instrument panel BUICK LACROSSE 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (14,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the vehicle is started this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the vehicle is started this
light flashes and a chime comes
on to remind passengers to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle continues several times
if the passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor
the light comes on.The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn
on if an object is put on the seat
such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop or other
electronic device. To turn off the
warning light and/or chime, remove
the object from the seat or buckle
the safety beltAirbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring, and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the airbag
system, see
Airbag System on
page 3‑29.

Black plate (15,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
The airbag readiness light comes
on solid and stays on for several
seconds when the vehicle is started.
Then the light goes out.
If it stays on solid after the vehicle
has been started or comes on while
driving, the airbag system may not
work properly. Have the vehicle
serviced right away.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑37
for important safety information.
The instrument panel has a
passenger airbag status indicator.
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light the words ON and OFF for
several seconds as a system check.

Black plate (19,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and
local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment.
For the inspection, the emission
system test equipment is connected
to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The malfunction indicator lamp is
on with the engine running, or if
the light does not come on when
the ignition is turned to ON/RUN
while the engine is off.
.The critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by
the system. This can happen
if the battery has recently
been replaced or if the battery
has run down. The diagnostic
system evaluates critical
emission control systems during
normal driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection, your dealer can
prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system
consists of two hydraulic circuits.
If one circuit is not working, the
remaining circuit can still work to
stop the vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have your brake
system inspected right away.
EnglishMetric
If the vehicle has antilock brakes,
this light should come on when the
vehicle is placed in START. If it does
not, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.

Black plate (25,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light
For vehicles with fog lamps, this
light comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. SeeFog
Lamps on page 6‑5 for more
information.
Taillamp Indicator Light
This light comes on when the
taillamps are in use.
Cruise Control Light
This light is white whenever the
cruise control is set and turns green
when the cruise control is active.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑39 for more
information.
For vehicles with the uplevel cluster,
this telltale will be shown in the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
screen.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
displays information about the
vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem
is detected. See Vehicle Messages
on page 5‑33 for more information.
All messages appear in the DIC
display located in the center of
the instrument panel cluster.
On some models, the DIC may
have some warning lights or
indicators shown in the top portion
of the display. See Warning Lights,
Gauges, and Indicators on page 5‑9
for more information.
The vehicle may also have features
that can be customized through the
controls on the radio. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑39 for
more information.

Black plate (29,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Battery Voltage
This display, available on some
vehicles, shows the current battery
voltage. If the voltage is in the
normal range, the value will display.
For example, the display may
read Battery Voltage 15.0 Volts.
The vehicle's charging system
regulates voltage based on the
state of the battery. The battery
voltage can fluctuate while viewing
this information on the DIC. This is
normal. SeeCharging System Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, the DIC will
display a message
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{WARNING
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), some information
concerning the operation of the
vehicle is projected onto the
windshield. This includes the
speedometer reading, RPM
reading, transmission position,
outside air temperature, compass
heading and a brief display of the
current radio station, including XM
information or CD track. It will also
display turn-by-turn navigation
information if the vehicle has a
navigation radio. The images are projected through the HUD lens
located on the driver side of the
instrument panel.
Notice:
If you try to use the HUD
image as a parking aid, you
may misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
The tap shift gear will also appear
on the HUD if the vehicle has tap
shift and it is active.
The HUD information can be
displayed in one of three languages,
English, French, or Spanish.
The speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed
in either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units
of measurement is changed
through the trip computer in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See AM-FM Radio on page 7‑12
and Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑25.

Black plate (30,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-30 Instruments and Controls
HUD Display on the VehicleWindshield
The HUD information appears as an
image focused out toward the front
of the vehicle.
When the ignition key is turned to
ON/RUN, the HUD will display an
introductory message for a short
time, until the HUD is ready. The following indicator lights come
on the instrument panel when
activated and also appear on
the HUD:
.Turn Signal Indicators
.High-Beam Indicator Symbol
The HUD temporarily displays
some vehicle warnings, such as
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE and
FUEL LEVEL LOW when these
messages are on the DIC trip
computer.
The HUD also displays the following
messages on vehicles with these
systems, when they are active:
.TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
.STABILITRAK ACTIVE
When the HUD is on, the
speedometer reading is continually
displayed. The current radio
station or CD track number will
display for a short period of time after the radio or CD track status
changes. This happens whenever
radio information is changed.
The speedometer size is reduced
when radio, CD information,
warnings, or turn-by-turn navigation
information are displayed on
the HUD.
The HUD control is located to the
left of the steering wheel.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-32 Instruments and Controls
All formats will show the turn-by-turn
navigation information and provide
details about the next driving
maneuver to be made. When
you near your destination, the
HUD will display a distance bar
that will empty the closer you get
to your destination. All navigation
information is provided to the HUD
by the navigation radio or OnStar
®
service, for vehicles that have these
features.
English Shown, Metric Similar
The HUD image displayed on
the windshield will automatically
dim and brighten to compensate
for outside lighting. However, the
HUD brightness control can still
be adjusted as needed. The HUD image can temporarily
light up depending on the angle
and position of the sunlight on the
HUD display. This is normal and
will change when the angle of
the sunlight on the HUD display
changes.
Polarized sunglasses could make
the HUD image harder to see.
Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield
as needed to remove any dirt or film
that could reduce the sharpness or
clarity of the HUD image.
To clean the HUD lens, use a soft,
clean cloth that has household glass
cleaner sprayed on it. Wipe the
HUD lens gently, then dry it. Do not
spray cleaner directly on the lens
because the cleaner could leak into
the unit.
If You Cannot See the HUD
Image When the Ignition Is On
.Is anything covering the
HUD lens?
.Is the HUD dimmer setting bright
enough?
.Is the HUD image adjusted to
the proper height?
.Are you wearing polarized
sunglasses?
.Still no HUD image? Check the
fuse in the instrument panel fuse
block. See
Instrument Panel
Fuse Block on page 10‑42.
If the HUD Image Is Not Clear
.Is the HUD image too bright?
.Are the windshield and HUD
lens clean?
If the HUD image is not correct,
contact your dealer.
Keep in mind that the windshield is
part of the HUD system.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4 Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Sun Visor Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
on the instrument panel on the
outboard side of the steering wheel.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
6-2 Lighting
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O(Off):Turns off the exterior
lamps. The knob returns to the
AUTO position after it is released.
Turn to off again to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
AUTO (Automatic): Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.
The current status of the AUTO
system is displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) uplevel
display. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on
the parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Parking Lamps
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer: Push the turn signal/lane
change lever away from you and
release, to turn the high beams on.
To return to low beams, push the
lever again or pull it toward you
and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever toward
you, and release.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-3
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system turns on the
low-beam headlamps at a reduced
brightness. For vehicles with
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
headlamps, the dedicated DRL
will come on when all of the
following conditions are met:
.The engine is running.
.The exterior lamp band is
in AUTO.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.When the DRL are on, the
low-beam headlamps will be
on. The taillamps, sidemarker,
instrument panel lights, and
other lamps will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor
the ignition is off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically. There is a light sensor located on
top of the instrument panel. Do not
cover the sensor or the headlamps
will come on when they are not
needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through
a parking garage or tunnel.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
Oor the ignition
is off.