BUICK LACROSSE 2012 Owner's Manual

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-3
b/g(Push to Talk):For vehicles
with a Bluetooth®, OnStar,
or navigation system, press to
interact with those systems. See
Bluetooth (Overview) on page 7‑57
or Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls)
on page 7‑59 orBluetooth (Voice
Recognition) on page 7‑63 or
Bluetooth (UHP Mexico Only) on
page 7‑69, OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1, or the navigation 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^(Thumbwheel Control):
Turn to select an audio source.
Press
_or^to select the next or
previous favorite radio station, CD,
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
Pressaon the steering wheel
pad to sound the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is on the
right 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 (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
3(Adjustable Interval Wipes):
Move the lever to
3, then turn the
band up for more frequent wipes or
down for less frequent wipes.
9(Off): Use to turn the windshield
wipers off.
3(Mist): Briefly move the wiper
lever down for a single wipe or hold
down for several wipes.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If they
are frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them.
Damaged wiper blades should be
replaced. See Wiper Blade
Replacement on page 10‑29. Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. A circuit breaker stops them
until the motor cools.
Wipe Parking
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF while the wipers are on 1, 2,
or
3, they will immediately stop.
If the windshield wiper lever is then
moved to
9before the driver door
is opened, or within 10 minutes, the
wipers will restart and move to the
base of the windshield.
If the ignition is turned to LOCK/
OFF during a windshield wash, the
wipers will stop when they reach the
base of the windshield.
Windshield Washer
Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
The washer and wipers will continue
until the lever is released or the
maximum wash time is reached.
When the windshield wiper lever is
released, additional wipes may
occur depending on how long the
windshield washer had been
activated. See Washer Fluid on
page 10‑22 for information on filling
the windshield washer fluid
reservoir.
{WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision.

Black plate (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The compass receives
its heading and other information
from the Global Positioning
System (GPS) antenna, StabiliTrak,
and vehicle speed information.
Avoid covering the GPS antenna for
long periods of time with objects
that may interfere with the antenna's
ability to receive a satellite signal.
SeeBackglass Antenna on
page 7‑27 andSatellite Radio
Antenna on page 7‑27 for the
location of the vehicle's antennas.
The compass system is designed to
operate for a certain number of
miles or degrees of turn before
needing a signal from the GPS
satellites. When the compass
display shows CAL, drive the
vehicle for a short distance in an
open area where it can receive a GPS signal. The compass system
will automatically determine when
the GPS signal is restored and
provide a heading again. See
Compass Messages on page 5‑36
for more information on the
messages that may be displayed for
the compass.
Clock (Radio with CD and
Touchscreen)
The infotainment system controls
are used to access the time and
date settings through the menu
system. See
Overview (Radio with
CD) on page 7‑3 orOverview
(Radio with CD/DVD and MEM) on
page 7‑5 orOverview (Radio with
CD and Touchscreen) on page 7‑7
and Operation on page 7‑13 for
information about how to use the
menu system.
Setting the Time (Without Date
Display)
1. Press the CONFIG button and
select Time Settings,
or press
H.
2. Select Set Time.
3. Turn the Menu knob to adjust the highlighted value.
4. Press SELECT to select the next value.
5. To save the time and return to the Time Settings menu, press
the
/BACK button at any time
or press SELECT after adjusting
the minutes.

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Press the CONFIG button andselect Time Settings,
or press
H.
2. Highlight 12/24 Hour Format.
3. Press SELECT to select the 12 hour or 24 hour display
format.
Setting the Time and Date
(With Date Display)
1. Press the CONFIG button and
select Time and Date Settings,
or press
H.
2. Select Set Time or Set Date.
3. Turn the Menu knob to adjust the highlighted value.
4. Press SELECT to select the next value. 5. To save the time or date and
return to the Time and Date
Settings menu, press the
/BACK button at any time or
press SELECT after adjusting
the minutes or year.
Setting the 12/24 Hour Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings,
or press
H.
2. Highlight Set Time Format.
3. Press SELECT to select the 12 hour or 24 hour display
format.
Setting the Month and Day Format
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings,
or press
H.
2. Highlight Set Date Format. 3. Press SELECT to select MM/
DD/YY (month/day/year) or DD/
MM/YY (day/month/year).
Setting the Auto Time Adjust
1. Press the CONFIG button and select Time and Date Settings,
or press
H.
2. Highlight Auto Time Adjust.
3. Press SELECT to turn Auto Time Adjust on or off.
4. Press SELECT button to select Time Zone, and then select the
Time Zone.
5. Press SELECT to turn Daylight Savings on or off.

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-7
Setting the Time and Date
(Radio with CD and
Touchscreen)
To set the time:
1. Press the CONFIG button toenter the menu options. Turn the
Menuknob to scroll through the
available setup features. Press
the SELECT knob or press the
Time screen button to display
other options within that feature.
2. Press + or −to decrease or
increase the Hours and Minutes
displayed on the clock. 12/24 HR Format:
Press the 12 HR
screen button for standard time;
press the 24 HR screen button for
military time.
Day + or Day −:Press the Day +
or Day −display buttons to increase
or decrease the day.
Display: Press Display to turn the
display of the time on the screen on
or off.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are two accessory power
outlets. One is located under the
armrest inside the center console
storage and the other is on the rear
of the center floor console.
The outlet is powered when the
ignition is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of
turning off the vehicle. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑27.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.

Black plate (8,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-8 Instruments and Controls
Certain electrical accessories may
not be compatible with the
accessory power outlet and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If there is a problem, see your
dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. SeeAdd-On Electrical
Equipment on page 9‑63.
Notice: Hanging heavy
equipment from the power outlet
can cause damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords. Power Outlet 110 Volt Alternating
Current
The vehicle may have a power
outlet that can be used to plug in
electrical equipment with a
maximum limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is located on the
rear of the center console.An indicator light on the outlet
comes on when in use. The light
comes on when the ignition is in
ON/RUN, equipment requiring less
than 150 watts is plugged into the
outlet, and no system fault is
detected.
The indicator light on the outlet will
not turn on if the plug is not fully
seated.
If you try to connect equipment
using more than 150 watts or a
system fault is detected, the
equipment may operate for a short
period and turn itself off.
A protection circuit shuts off the
power supply and the indicator light
turns off. To reset the circuit, unplug
the item and plug it back in or turn
the Remote Accessory Power (RAP)
off and then back on. See
Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑27. Prolonged usage of the
power outlet at the maximum load of
150 watts may cause the outlet to
overheat and automatically shut
down. The power restarts when

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-9
equipment that operates within the
limit is plugged into the outlet and a
system fault is not detected.
The power outlet is not designed for
the following equipment, and may
not work properly if any of the
following is plugged in:
.Equipment with high initial peak
wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring an
extremely stable power supply
such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch sensor
lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Instrument Cluster
English Shown, Metric Similar

Black plate (11,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-11
English eAssist Shown, Metric eAssist Similar

Black plate (12,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper-resistant
odometer. If the vehicle needs a
new odometer installed, the new
one is set to the mileage of the old
odometer. If this is not possible, it is
set at zero and a label is put on the
driver door to show the old mileage
reading.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
For eAssist vehicles, when the
ignition is in ON/RUN, the
tachometer indicates the vehicle
status. When pointing to AUTO, the
engine is off but the vehicle is on
and can move. The engine could
auto start at any time. When the
indicator points to OFF, the vehicle
is off.
When the engine is on, the
tachometer will indicate the engine’s
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
tachometer may vary by several
hundred rpm’s, during auto stop
mode, when the engine is shutting
off and restarting.
A slight bump may be felt when the
transmission is determining the
most fuel efficient operating range.
Fuel Gauge
Metric
English