tire pressure BUICK LACROSSE 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
vi Introduction
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol,
refer to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 1-20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Universal Remote System . . . 1-20
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-23
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24

Black plate (22,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
1-22 In Brief
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The traction control system limits
wheel spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.To turn off traction control,
press and release
glocated
on the console to the right of
the shifter.
iilluminates and
the appropriate DIC message
is displayed. See Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light on page 5‑22.
.Press and release the button
again to turn on traction control.
For more information, see Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑36.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system assists
with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
The system turns on automatically
every time the vehicle is started.
.To turn off both traction control
and ESC, press and hold
g,
located on the console to
the right of the shifter, until
g
illuminates and the appropriate
DIC message is displayed.
See Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)/Traction Control System
(TCS) Indicator/Warning Light on
page 5‑22.
.Press and release the button to
turn on both systems.
For more information, see Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) on
page 9‑37.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure
of one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑12. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early

Black plate (23,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-23
indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑56.
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit
This vehicle may come with a jack
and spare tire or a tire sealant and
compressor kit. The kit can be used
to temporarily seal small punctures
in the tread area of the tire.
See Tire Sealant and Compressor
Kit on page 10‑72 for complete
operating information.
If the vehicle came with a jack and
spare tire, see If a Tire Goes Flat on
page 10‑70.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message when it is time
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Press the DIC menu button on the turn signal lever to enter
the Vehicle Information Menu.
Use the thumbwheel to scroll
through the menu items until you
reach REMAINING OIL LIFE.
3. Press the SET/CLR button to reset the oil life at 100%.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 5-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock (Without DateDisplay) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock (With Date Display) . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-14
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Indicator Light . . . . . . . 5-22
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-23
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-24
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-25
Taillamp Indicator Light . . . . . . 5-25
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Head-Up Display (HUD) . . . . . 5-29
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Battery Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-33
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-34
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35

Black plate (23,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or
more of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. SeeTire
Messages on page 5‑38 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to
the pressure value shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
See Tire Pressure on page 10‑54
for more information. When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may
be a problem with the TPMS.
The light flashes for about a
minute and stays on steady for
the remainder of the ignition cycle.
This sequence repeats with every
ignition cycle. See
Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑57
for more information.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced. Notice:
Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on,
it means that oil is not flowing
through the engine properly. The
vehicle could be low on oil and
might have some other system
problem. See your dealer.
For vehicles with the uplevel cluster,
this telltale displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) screen.

Black plate (28,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until Vehicle Information Menu
is displayed. Use
w xto scroll
through the following menu items:
.Unit
.Tire Pressure
.Remaining Oil Life
.Battery Voltage
Unit
Move
w xto switch between
Metric or US when the Unit display
is active. Press SET/CLR to confirm
the setting. This will change the
displays on the cluster and DIC
to either metric or English (US)
measurements. Tire Pressure
The display will show a vehicle
with the approximate pressures
of all four tires. Tire pressure is
displayed in either kilopascal (kPa)
or pounds per square inch (psi).
See
Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑56 andTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑57
for more information.
Remaining Oil Life
This display shows an estimate
of the oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display. See
Engine Oil Messages on
page 5‑35. The oil should changed
as soon as possible. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑9. In addition
to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended
in the Maintenance Schedule
in this manual. See Scheduled
Maintenance on page 11‑2 for
more information.
Remember, the Oil Life display
must be reset after each oil change.
It will not reset itself. Also, be
careful not to reset the Oil Life
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
To reset the engine oil life system,
press SET/CLR while the Oil Life
display is active. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑13.

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 (13,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-13
The Tire and Loading
Information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows
the tire size of the original
equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more
information on tires and inflation
seeTires on page 10‑46 and
Tire Pressure on page 10‑54.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front
and rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement
“The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs”
on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and
luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs (1400 −750
(5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.