heating BUICK LACROSSE 2012 User Guide

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21 Power Steering Fluid (2.4L
L4 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Power Steering Fluid (3.6L V6 Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-27
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51

Black plate (16,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
10-16 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant mixture. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 11‑12
and Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑3 for more information.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑19.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant for
non-eAssist engine(s). Use a
50/50 mixture of deionized water
and DEX-COOL coolant for
eAssist engine(s). Use a 50/50 mixture of deionized
water or clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant. If using this
mixture, nothing else needs to be
added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to
−37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.

Black plate (19,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-19
4. With the coolant surge tank capoff, start the engine and let it run
until the upper radiator hose
starts getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fans. By this
time, the coolant level inside the
coolant surge tank may be
lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the
coolant surge tank until the level
reaches the mark pointed to on
the front of the coolant
surge tank.
5. Replace the cap. Be sure the cap is hand–tight and fully
seated.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.Engine Overheating
2.4L L4 Engine
There is a engine coolant
temperature warning light on the
instrument panel cluster that
indicates an overheated engine
condition. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light on
page 5‑24 for more information.
3.6L V6 Engine
There is a coolant temperature
gauge and a engine coolant
temperature warning light on the
instrument panel cluster that
indicate an overheated engine
condition. See Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge on page 5‑14
and Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light on page 5‑24 for
more information. If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7
or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, the fans
should be running. If not, do not
continue to run the engine and have
the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Engine damage from
running the engine without
coolant is not covered by the
warranty.

Black plate (41,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-41
Mini Fuses Usage36 Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
Motors
—Battery
37 Right High Beam
38 Left High Beam
46 Cooling Fan Relay
47 Six Cylinder Engine:
Pre Catalytic
Converter Oxygen
Sensor Heater,
Canister Purge
Solenoid. Four
Cylinder Engine: Pre
and Post Catalytic
Converter Oxygen
Sensor Heaters,
Canister Purge
Solenoid, Mass Air
Flow Sensor.
48 Fog Lamps
49 Right High Intensity
Discharge
Headlamp Mini Fuses Usage
50 Left High Intensity
Discharge
Headlamp
51 Horn
52 Cluster Run/Crank
53 Run/Crank for Inside
Rearview Mirror,
Rear Vision Camera
54 Run/Crank for:
Heating, Ventilation
and Air Conditioning
55 Outside Rearview
Mirror, Universal
Garage Door
Opener, Front
Window Switches
56 Windshield Washer
60 Heated Mirror
62 Canister Vent
64 Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
Module
—Battery Mini Fuses Usage
65 Not Used
66 AIR Solenoid
(eAssist)
67 Fuel System Control
Module
69 Regulated Voltage
Control Sensor
70 Ultrasonic Parking
Assist/Side
Blind Zone
Mini Relays Usage 7 Engine Control
Module
9 Cooling Fan
13 Cooling Fan
15 Run/Crank
16 AIR Pump
17 Rear Window
Defogger

Black plate (47,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-47
Wheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. See
the warranty manual for
information regarding the tire
warranty and where to get
service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. There
could be a blowout and a
serious crash. SeeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.

Black plate (54,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
10-54 Vehicle Care
Tread:The portion of a tire that
comes into contact with
the road.
Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the tread
of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 in) of tread remains. See
When It Is Time for New Tires
on page 10‑62.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards)
:A tire
information system that provides
consumers with ratings for a
tire's traction, temperature,
and treadwear. Ratings are
determined by tire
manufacturers using
government testing procedures.
The ratings are molded into the
sidewall of the tire. See Uniform
Tire Quality Grading on
page 10‑65. Vehicle Capacity Weight
:The
number of designated seating
positions multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs) plus the rated
cargo load. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑12.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard
:A label
permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the vehicle
capacity weight and the original
equipment tire size and
recommended inflation pressure.
See “Tire and Loading
Information Label” underVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount of
air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice: Neither tire
underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy.
Overinflated tires, or tires that
have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.

Black plate (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Engine (cont'd)Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4 Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-107
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . 3-10
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56 Fuel (cont'd)
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-53
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-25
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-53
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
i-6 INDEX
GaugesDriver Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Head-up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31 Headlamps
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 8-1 High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . 9-18, 9-20
Ignition Transmission LockCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-9
O
Object Detection SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Object Detection, Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-36
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®
Additional Information . . . . . . . . 14-5
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2 OnStar
®(cont'd)
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
System, In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Operation, Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Ordering Service Publications . . . . . . . . 13-18
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Overview,
Infotainment
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3, 7-5, 7-7
Overview, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
P
Park
Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Parking
Assist, Ultrasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-28
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-29
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-29
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . 7-57, 7-59, 7-63, 7-69
Power
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-27