warning BUICK LACROSSE 2011 Repair Manual

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 (38,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-38 Instruments and Controls
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Tire Messages
TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD
AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of
the vehicle's tires is low.
The low tire pressure warning
light will also come on. SeeTire
Pressure Light on page 5‑23.
If a tire pressure message appears
on the DIC, stop as soon as you
can. Inflate the tires by adding air
until the tire pressure is equal to
the values shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label. See
Tires on page 10‑46, Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12, and Tire
Pressure on page 10‑54.
You can receive more than one
tire pressure message at a time.
To read the other messages that
may have been sent at the same
time, press the SET/CLR button.
The DIC also shows the tire
pressure values. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑25.SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is
a problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑57 for more information.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when
the system is learning new tires.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑57 for
more information.
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays if there is
a problem with the transmission.
See your dealer.
SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to remove the key if the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
TRANSMISSION HOT —IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool.
This message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.

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 (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 (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-1
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 7-2
Overview (Radio with CD) . . . . . 7-3
Overview (Radio with CD/DVDand MEM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Satellite Radio Antenna . . . . . . 7-20
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Mass Storage Media (MEM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Auxiliary Devices
(Radio with CD) . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
Auxiliary Devices (Radio with CD/DVD and MEM) . . . . . . . . 7-34
Rear Seat Infotainment
Rear Seat Entertainment(RSE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview) . . . . . . . . 7-46
Bluetooth (InfotainmentControls) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-48
Bluetooth (Voice Recognition) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53
Introduction
Infotainment
Read the following pages to
become familiar with the audio
system's features.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road
for extended periods could
cause a crash resulting in
injury or death to you or others.
Do not give extended attention to
entertainment tasks while driving.
This system provides access to
many audio and non‐audio listings.

Black plate (47,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-47
.Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See“Pairing a
Phone” in this section for more
information.
.If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to
use that feature to access the
address book or contact list.
See “Voice Pass-Thru” in this
section for more information.
.See “Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section for
more information.
{WARNING
When using a cell phone,
it can be distracting to look too
long or too often at the screen
of the phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking
your eyes off the road too long
or too often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death. Focus
your attention on driving. Vehicles with a Bluetooth system
can use a Bluetooth‐capable cell
phone with a Hands‐Free Profile
to make and receive phone calls.
The infotainment system and voice
recognition are used to control the
system. The system can be used
while the ignition is in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY. The range of
the Bluetooth system can be up
to 9.1 m (30 ft). Not all phones
support all functions and not all
phones work with the Bluetooth
system. See www.gm.com/bluetooth
for more information about
compatible phones.
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
infotainment system and the
steering wheel to operate the
Bluetooth system.
Steering Wheel Controls
b/g(Push To Talk):
Press to
answer incoming calls, to confirm
system information, and to start
voice recognition.
$/i(Mute/End Call): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or cancel an
operation.
Infotainment System Controls
For information about how to
navigate the menu system using
the infotainment controls, see
Operation on page 7‑7.
5(Phone): Press to enter the
Phone main menu.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-2 Driving and Operating
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-51
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-52
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-60
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-61
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Driving Information
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑13.
{WARNING
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other
drivers) are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate
what they might do and be ready.
In addition:
.Allow enough following
distance between you and
the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Driver distraction can cause
collisions resulting in injury or
possible death. These simple
defensive driving techniques
could save your life.
Drunk Driving
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by
even a small amount of alcohol.
You can have a serious —or
even fatal —collision if you drive
after drinking. Do not drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not
drink.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-3
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
judgment, muscular coordination,
vision, and attentiveness.
Police records show that
almost 40 percent of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol. In most cases, these
deaths are the result of someone
who was drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
17,000 annual motor vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with
the use of alcohol, with about
250,000 people injured.
For persons under 21, it is against
the law in every U.S. state to drink
alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the
leading highway safety problem is
for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive.Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system
can make crash injuries worse,
especially injuries to the brain,
spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been
drinking
—driver or passenger —is
in a crash, that person's chance of
being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems
help to control the vehicle while
driving —brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when
driving on snow or ice, it is easy to
ask more of those control systems
than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of
the vehicle. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 9‑36.
Adding non‐dealer accessories
can affect vehicle performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑19.
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding
to push the brake pedal is
perception time. Actually doing
it is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
three‐fourths of a second.
But that is only an average.
It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds
or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination,
and eyesight all play a part. So do
alcohol, drugs, and frustration.
But even in three‐fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft). That could be a lot of
distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between
the vehicle and others is important.