light BUICK LACROSSE 2019 Repair Manual

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Lighting 151
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor; otherwise the headlamps
will come on when they are not
needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
Oor the ignition
is off.
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
If equipped, the AFL pivots the
headlamps horizontally to provide
greater road illumination while
turning. To enable AFL, set the
exterior lamp control 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. See Exterior
Lamp Controls 0149.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:Press 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.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
152 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument 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 any burned out bulbs
replaced. If the bulb is not burned
out, check the fuse. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers 0261.
Fog Lamps
The fog lamps button is on the
instrument panel to left of the
steering wheel.
To turn on the fog lamps, the ignition
and the headlamps or parking lamps
must be on. If the fog lamps are turned on while
the exterior lamp control is in the
AUTO position, the headlamps
come on automatically.
9:
Press to turn on or off. An
indicator light on the instrument
cluster comes on when the fog
lamps are on.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Cornering Lamps
If equipped with cornering lamps,
they automatically come on when all
of the following occur:
. The low-beam headlamps
are on.
. The turn signals are activated or
the steering wheel is at a
calibrated angle.
. The vehicle speed is below the
calibrated speed.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Lighting 153
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The brightness of the instrument
cluster display, infotainment display
and controls, steering wheel
controls, and all other illuminated
controls, as well as feature status
indicators can be adjusted.
The knob for this feature is on the
instrument panel beside the steering
column.
Press to extend the knob, then turn
it clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the lights.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are in the
overhead console.
To operate, press the following
buttons:
jOFF :Press to turn off the
dome lamps when a door is open.
An indicator light on the button will
turn on when the dome lamp
override is activated. Press
j
OFF again to deactivate this feature
and the indicator light will turn off.
The dome lamps will come on when
doors are opened. +
ON/OFF : Press to turn the dome
lamps on manually.
Reading Lamps
There are reading lamps on the
overhead console and over the rear
passenger doors.
Front Reading Lamps
Press the lamp lenses to turn the
front reading lamps on or off.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
154 Lighting
Rear Reading Lamps
Press the lamp lenses to turn the
rear passenger reading lamps on
or off.
Sun Visor Lamps
This lamp turns on when the cover
is opened.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and most of
the interior lamps turn on briefly at
night or in areas with limited lighting
when the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter
Kbutton is
pressed. See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 029. After
about 30 seconds the exterior lamps
turn off, then the dome lamps and
remaining interior lamps dim to off.
Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by turning the ignition on
or to ACC/ACCESSORY, or by
pressing
Qon the RKE transmitter.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lights come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the driver
door is opened after the ignition is
turned off. The dome lamp comes
on after the ignition is turned off. The exterior lamps and dome lamp
remain on for a set amount of time,
then automatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization
0138.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Lighting 155
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, rear
window defogger, climate control fan
at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power
outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed and it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If the exterior lamps or any interior
lamp is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown
protection system automatically
turns the lamp off after about
10 minutes.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about
10 minutes after the ignition is
turned off, if the parking lamps or
headlamps have been manually left
on. This protects against drainingthe battery. To restart the 10-minute
timer, turn the exterior lamp control
to the off position and then back to
the parking lamp or headlamp
position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on
or in ACC/ACCESSORY.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
160 Climate Controls
control and the direction of the
airflow is controlled manually. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following:
6:Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air to the
windshield and side windows.
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
X: Clears the windows of fog or
moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield.
1MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield, the fan runs at a higher
speed, and the temperature of the
air is increased if not already at
maximum. This mode overrides the
previous mode selected and clears
fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. When the control is
pressed again, the system returns
to the previous mode setting and
fan speed. For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
For eAssist vehicles that have the
auto defog feature, Auto Stops can
occur in defrost mode. In this mode,
the Auto Stops are shorter and less
frequent than other air delivery
modes to prevent window fogging.
A/C :
Touch A/C on the climate
control display to cycle between the
MAX, ECO, and OFF modes. The
MAX, ECO, or OFF indicator will
appear on the display. If the fan is
turned off, the air conditioner will not
run and the indicator light will
turn off.
Touch AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs automatically as needed. The
A/C will return to ECO A/C
operation.
For MAX A/C, touch A/C.
For ECO A/C, touch A/C again. This
setting balances fuel economy and
air conditioning comfort. This setting allows higher humidity inside the
vehicle, and window fogging may
occur before the engine restarts.
@:
Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle or to reduce the
entry of outside air and odors.
If selected during cool or cold
weather, the windshield and
windows may fog. Turn off
recirculation to help clear the
windshield and windows.
Auto Defog : If equipped, the
climate control system may have a
sensor to automatically detect high
humidity inside the vehicle. When
high humidity is detected, the
climate control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. The fan speed may
slightly increase to help prevent
fogging. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. For eAssist vehicles,
there may be shorter and less
frequent Auto Stops when auto
defog is in use.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Climate Controls 161
To turn Auto Defog off or on, see
“Climate and Air Quality”under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Ionizer : If equipped with an ionizer,
this feature helps to clean the air
inside the vehicle and remove
contaminants such as pollen, odors,
and dust. If the climate control
system is on and the ionizer is
enabled, the ionizer status indicator
will be lit on the climate control
display. To turn the ionizer on or off,
see “Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the control comes on to show
that the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only
works when the engine is running.
It turns off when the ignition is
turned off or in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
When Auto Rear Defog is selected, the rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the interior
temperature is cold and the outside
temperature is about 4 °C (40 °F)
and below. The auto rear defogger
turns off automatically after about
10 minutes, or after five minutes if
the outside temperature is not
as cold.
For eAssist vehicles, auto rear
defog will only run during a remote
start and the feature is not available
in the Vehicle Personalization menu.
The upper gridlines on the rear
window are antenna lines and are
not intended to heat when the
defogger is activated.
The heated outside mirrors turn on
when the rear window defogger
control is on and help to clear fog or
frost from the surface of the mirror.
See
Heated Mirrors 046.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything
else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Heated and Ventilated Seats
MorL:If equipped, pressMorLto heat the driver or passenger seat.
Cor{:If equipped, pressCor{to ventilate the driver or
passenger seat. See Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats 059.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation : The climate control
system may run when the vehicle is
started remotely. If equipped with
heated or ventilated seats, they may
come on during a remote start.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Driving and Operating 169
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution. .
Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0268.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
. Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
(Continued)

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Driving and Operating 171
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0186.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 196.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
172 Driving and Operating
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing the Vehicle 0305.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle. Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). The Tire and
Loading Information label shows
the number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
tire size of the original