brake BUICK LACROSSE 2015 User Guide

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
The parking brake status light
comes on when the brake is
applied. If the light continues
flashing after the parking brake is
released, or while driving, there is a
problem with the electric parking
brake system. A message may also
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Brake System
Messages on page 5-36.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
This light should come on briefly
when starting the vehicle. If it does
not come on, have it fixed so it will
be ready to warn if there is a
problem.
If this light stays on, there is a
problem with the Electric Parking
Brake system or another system on
the vehicle that is causing the
parking brake system to work at a
reduced level. The vehicle can still
be driven, but should be taken to a
dealer as soon as possible. See the
information for the Electric Parking
Brake under Parking Brake on
page 9-31. If a message displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC),
see
Brake System Messages on
page 5-36.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
stop as soon as it is safely possible
and turn off the vehicle. Then start
the engine again to reset the
system. If the ABS light stays on,
or comes on again while driving, the
vehicle needs service. A chime may
also sound when the light comes on
steady.

Black plate (21,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Instruments and Controls 5-21
If the ABS light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but
the antilock brakes are not
functioning.
If both the ABS and the brake
system warning light are on, the
vehicle's antilock brakes are not
functioning and there is a problem
with the regular brakes. See your
dealer for service.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 5-19 andBrake System
Messages on page 5-36.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) Light
This light is green if LDW is on and
ready to operate. This light changes to amber and
flashes to indicate that the lane
marking has been crossed without
using a turn signal in that direction.
See
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
on page 9-57.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will
display green when a vehicle is
detected ahead and amber when
you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
See Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9-50.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the engine. If it does not,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer. If the system is working
normally, the indicator light then
turns off.
The traction off light comes on when
the Traction Control System (TCS)
has been turned off by pressing and
releasing the TCS/StabiliTrak
button.
This light and the StabiliTrak OFF
light come on when StabiliTrak is
turned off.
If the TCS is off, wheel spin is not
limited. Adjust driving accordingly.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-34.

Black plate (36,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID LOW
This message is displayed when the
brake fluid level is low. SeeBrake
Fluid on page 10-26.
STEP ON BRAKE TO
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
This message is displayed if you
attempt to release the electric
parking brake without the brake
pedal applied. See Parking Brake
on page 9-31 for more information.
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
This message is displayed if the
electric parking brake is on while the
vehicle is in motion. Release it
before you attempt to drive. See
Parking Brake on page 9-31 for
more information.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message may be displayed
when there is a problem with the
brake boost assist system. When
this message is displayed, the brake boost assist motor might be heard
operating and you might notice
pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal under these conditions. Take
the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the electric
parking brake. See
Parking Brake
on page 9-31 for more information.
Take the vehicle to your dealer.
Compass Messages
CAL
This message is displayed when the
compass needs to be calibrated.
See Compass on page 5-4.
– –
Dashes will be displayed if the
compass needs service. See your
dealer for service.
Cruise Control Messages
ADAPTIVE CRUISE SET
TO XXX
This message displays when the
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
speed is set. See Adaptive Cruise
Control on page 9-39.
ADAPTIVE CRUISE
TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE
This message displays when
attempting to activate Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC) when it is
temporarily unavailable. The ACC
system does not need service.
This can occur under the following
conditions:
.Cruise is turned on when the
vehicle is stopped.
.The radar can't see objects well.
See next message.

Black plate (37,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Instruments and Controls 5-37
FRONT RADAR BLOCKED—
SEE OWNER MANUAL
This message can occur under the
following conditions:
.The radar is not clean. Keep the
radar sensors free of mud, dirt,
snow, ice, and slush. Clean the
entire front and/or rear of the
vehicle. For cleaning
instructions, see Exterior Care
on page 10-85.
.Heavy rain or snow is interfering
with the radar object detection or
camera performance.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control speed is set. See
Cruise Control on page 9-37.
NO CRUISE BRAKING GAS
PEDAL APPLIED
This message displays when
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is
active and the driver is pressing the gas pedal. When this occurs, ACC
will not brake. See
Adaptive Cruise
Control on page 9-39.
SERVICE ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL
This message displays when the
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
needs service. Take the vehicle to
your dealer.
SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE
EXITING
This message may display if
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is
engaged holding the vehicle at a
stop, and the driver attempts to exit
the vehicle. Put the vehicle in
P (Park) before exiting.
Door Ajar Messages
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver door is open. Close the door
completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display when the
hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver side rear door is open. Close
the door completely.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
front passenger door is open. Close
the door completely.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
passenger side rear door is open.
Close the door completely.
TRUNK OPEN
This message will display when the
trunk is open. Close the trunk
completely.

Black plate (46,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
5-46 Instruments and Controls
Climate and Air Quality
Select and the following may be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Max Speed
.Air Quality Sensor
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Max Speed
This feature will set the maximum
auto fan speed.
Select Low, Medium, or High.
Air Quality Sensor
This feature may operate the
recirculation mode automatically.
Select Off, Low Sensitivity, or High
Sensitivity.
Auto Defog
When set to On, the front defog will
automatically react to temperature
and humidity conditions that may
cause fogging.
Select Off or On. Auto Rear Defog
If equipped, this allows the Auto
Rear Defog to be turned on or off.
This feature will automatically turn
on the rear window defogger when it
is cold outside.
Select Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Select and the following may be
displayed:
.Alert Type
.Auto Collision Preparation
.Go Notifier
.Side Blind Zone Alert
.Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Alert Type
This feature allows the alert type to
be changed for the Safety
Alert Seat.
Select Beeps or Safety Alert Seat. Auto Collision Preparation
This feature will turn on or off the
Forward Collision Alert feature as
well as the Automatic Braking
capability of the Auto Collision
Preparation feature. With the Alert
and Brake setting, both Forward
Collision Alert as well as the
Automatic Braking capability of the
Auto Collision Preparation feature
are available. The Alert setting
disables most automatic braking
functions of the Auto Collision
Preparation feature. Some
last-second automatic braking
capability is still provided with the
Alert setting, but it is much less
likely to be triggered by most driving
conditions. Off disables all Forward
Collision Alert and Automatic
Braking capabilities of the Auto
Collision Preparation feature.
Select Off, Alert and Brake, or Alert.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
6-2 Lighting
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps, together with the
sidemarker lamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, and instrument panel
lights.
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
parking lamps, sidemarker lamps,
taillamps, license plate lamps, and
instrument panel lights.
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
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 cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever toward you, and
release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada. If equipped with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps, the
dedicated DRL will come on when
all of the following conditions
are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, 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.
This vehicle may have a DRL
disabling function. When the DRL
are on and a turn signal is activated,
the DRL on that side will be off until
the turn signal goes off.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . 9-36
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . 9-39
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Lane Change Alert . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Driving and Operating 9-3
{Warning
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.
Refer to the infotainment manual for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone
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 3-12.
.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.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{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.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the vehicle has electric power
steering it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under
Vehicle Messages
on page 5-35.Variable Effort Steering
Some vehicles have a steering
system that varies the amount of
effort required to steer the vehicle in
relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort
required is less at slower speeds to
make the vehicle more
maneuverable and easier to park. At
faster speeds, the steering effort increases to provide a sport-like feel
to the steering. This provides
maximum control and stability.
If the vehicle seems harder to steer
than normal when parking or driving
slowly, there may be a problem with
the system. You will still have power
steering, but steering will be stiffer
than normal at slow speeds. See
your dealer for service.
Hydraulic Power Steering
If the vehicle has hydraulic power
steering, it may require
maintenance. See
Power Steering
Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine and 3.6L
V6 Engine with FWD) on
page 10-23 orPower Steering Fluid
(3.6L V6 Engine with AWD) on
page 10-23.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.

Black plate (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Driving and Operating 9-5
{Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds,
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.