wheel BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (24,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Automatic Transmission Operation
The vehicle may have a shift lever located either on the
steering column or on the console between the seats.
P (Park):This position locks the front wheels. It is the
best position to use when you start the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
{WARNING:
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift
lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly
level ground, always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into
Park
on page 3‑27. If you are pulling a trailer,
see Towing a Trailer on page 5‑25.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in P (Park) before
starting the engine. The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system. You have to
fully apply the regular brakes before you can shift from
P (Park) while the ignition is in ON/RUN. If you cannot
shift out of P (Park), ease pressure on the shift lever
and push the shift lever all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then move the shift lever
into the gear you want. See Shifting Out of Park
on
page 3‑28.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
3-24

Black plate (25,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice, or sand without damaging the transmission, see If
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on
page 5‑17.
N (Neutral): In this position, the engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart the engine when the
vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also,
use N (Neutral) when the vehicle is being towed.
{WARNING:
Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your
foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear
while the engine is running at high speed. Notice:
Shifting out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) with
the engine running at high speed may damage the
transmission. The repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the engine is not
running at high speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive): This position is for normal driving. It provides
the best fuel economy. If you need more power for
passing, and you are:
.Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transmission will shift down to the next gear
and have more power.
Downshifting the transmission in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”under
Loss of Control on page 5‑10
3 (Third): This position is also used for normal driving.
It reduces vehicle speed more than D (Drive) without
using the brakes. You might choose 3 (Third) instead of
D (Drive) when driving on hilly, winding roads, when
towing a trailer, so there is less shifting between gears
and when going down a steep hill.
3-25

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Tilt Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Power Tilt Wheel and Telescopic Steering Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Windshield Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Windshield Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Exterior Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Wiper Activated Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Headlamps on Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Cornering Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Instrument Panel Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Delayed Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Theater Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13 Delayed Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Perimeter Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Front Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Electric Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Battery Run-Down Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Accessory Power Outlet(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Ashtray(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . 4-20
Outlet Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . .4-27
Instrument Panel Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28
Speedometer and Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . 4-33
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
4-1

Black plate (2,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 4 Instrument Panel
StabiliTrak®Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . 4-36
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Highbeam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-42
DIC Operation and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
DIC Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47
DIC Warnings and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-49
DIC Vehicle Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58 Audio System(s)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Setting the Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-69
Using an MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-78
XM Radio Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-84
Navigation/Radio System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-85
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94
Audio Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-97
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-97
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna System . . . . . . . . . 4-98
4-2

Black plate (3,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Instrument Panel Overview
Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning flashers let you warn others that
you have a problem.
The hazard warning flasher button is located in the
center of the instrument panel above the radio.
|:Press to make the front and rear turn signal lamps
flash on and off. Press the button again to turn the
flashers off.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, the turn
signals will not work.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on the steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
The tilt lever is located
on the left side of the
steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel: 1. Hold the wheel and pull the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
4-3

Black plate (4,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Power Tilt Wheel and Telescopic
Steering Column
For vehicles with a power
tilt control, it is located on
the left hand side of the
steering column.
To adjust the steering wheel, push the control up, down,
forward or backward.
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Heated Steering Wheel
For vehicles with a heated steering wheel, the button for
this feature is located on the steering wheel.
(: 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.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
G: Turn and Lane-Change Signals
2 3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
N: Windshield Wipers
L: Windshield Washer
Flash-To-Pass Feature.
Information for these features is on the pages following.
4-4

Black plate (7,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Windshield Washer
{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.
J(Washer Fluid):Press and release this paddle,
located at the top of the turn signal/multifunction lever,
to spray washer fluid on the windshield. The wipers will
clear the windshield and either stop or return to the
preset speed. For more washer cycles, press and hold
the paddle.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
{WARNING:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
If your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS)
and the cruise control is on, TCS will begin to limit
wheel spin and the cruise control automatically turns off.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑6.
When road conditions allow you to safely use it again,
the cruise control can be turned back on.
4-7

Black plate (8,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The cruise control buttons
are located on left side of
the steering wheel.
T(On/Off):Press to turn the cruise control on or off.
The indicator is lit when cruise control is on.
+ RES (Resume/Accelerate): Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume to a previously set speed, or press and
hold to accelerate.
SET– :Press to set the speed and activate cruise
control or make the vehicle decelerate.
[(Cancel): Press to disengage cruise control without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in use, it could get
bumped and go into cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise is not being used.
The cruise control light on the instrument panel cluster
comes on after the cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument Panel Cluster
on
page 4‑28.
1. Press the
Tbutton to turn the cruise system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.
3. Press and release the SET– button located on the
steering wheel.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Resuming a Set Speed
If cruise control is set at a desired speed and then the
brakes are applied, the cruise control is disengaged
without erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed is 40 km/h (25 mph) or greater,
press the +RES button on the steering wheel. The
vehicle returns to the previously selected speed and
stays there.
4-8

Black plate (9,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already activated,
.Press and hold the +RES button on the steering
wheel until the desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in small increments,
press the +RES button. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already activated,
.Press and hold the SET–button on the steering
wheel until the lower speed desired is reached,
then release it.
.To slow down in small amounts, press the
SET– button briefly. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase vehicle speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, the vehicle will
slow down to the cruise speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When
going downhill, you might have to brake or shift to a
lower gear to keep your speed down. If the brakes are
applied the cruise control will turn off.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise control:
.To disengage cruise control, step lightly on the
brake pedal, or
.Press the[button on the steering wheel.
.To turn off the cruise control, press theTbutton
on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased from
memory by pressing
Tor if the ignition is turned off.
4-9

Black plate (10,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamps
control is located on the
instrument panel to the
left of the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Fog Lamps The exterior lamps control has four positions:
O(Off):
Turn the control to this position to turn off the
exterior lamps.
AUTO (Automatic): Turn the control to this position to
automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps): Turn the control to this position
to turn on the parking lamps together with the following:
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turn the control to this position to
turn on the headlamps together with the following lamps
listed below. A warning chime sounds if the driver's
door is opened while the ignition switch is off and the
headlamps are on.
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
#(Fog Lamps): Push the exterior lamps control in to
turn on the fog lamps.
See Fog Lamps on page 4‑12.
4-10