airbag BUICK LUCERNE 2011 Owner's Manual

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Buick Lucerne Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Seats and Restraint System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-70
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Object Detection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Universal Home Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23

Black plate (5,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may be found on
the vehicle and what they mean. For more information
on the symbol, refer to the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
v

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 1 In Brief
Instrument Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Vehicle Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices (Auxiliary Input or USB Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-22
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
1-1

Black plate (11,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Sensing System for Passenger
Airbag
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and seat‐mounted side
impact airbag under certain conditions. The driver
airbags and roof‐rail airbags are not affected by this.
The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on
the overhead console when the vehicle is started.
United StatesCanada
See Passenger Sensing System
on page 2‑64for
important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Controls for the outside
power mirrors are located
on the driver door
armrest.
1. Press the left or right side of the selector switch located beneath the control pad to choose the
driver or passenger side mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows located on the control pad to move the mirror in the desired direction.
Manually fold the mirrors inward to prevent damage
when going through an automatic car wash. To fold,
push the mirror toward the vehicle. Push the mirror
outward, to return to its original position.
1-11

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 2 Seats and Restraint System
Head Restraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Power Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Power Lumbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Memory Seat and Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Center Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-52
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-60
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-61
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-62
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . 2-62
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-64
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . 2-68
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-69
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-70
Checking the Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-70
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-71
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Black plate (16,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if Iam wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so you canunbuckle
and get out, is muchgreater if you are belted. And
you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear safety belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
work withsafety belts —not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
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Black plate (28,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of the belt
is on the shoulder and not falling off of it. The belt
should be close to, but not contacting, the neck.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could
reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
SeeHow to Wear Safety Belts Properly on page 2‑17.
Press the release
button (A) and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position. The
adjuster can be moved
up by pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After the adjuster is set to the desired position, try to
move it down without pressing the release button to
make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they are part of the
safety belt assembly. They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a moderate to severe
frontal or near frontal crash if the threshold conditions
for pretensioner activation are met. And, if your vehicle
has side impact airbags, safety belt pretensioners can
help tighten the safety belts in a side crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If the pretensioners
activate in a crash, they will need to be replaced, and
probably other new parts for the vehicle's safety belt
system. See Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash on page 2‑71.
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Black plate (36,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in every
Canadian province says children up to some age must
be restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.Airbags plus lap‐shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle's safety belt system nor its
airbag system is designed for them. Every time infants
and young children ride in vehicles, they should have
the protection provided by appropriate child restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING:
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child while riding in a
vehicle. Due to crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not possible to hold it
during a crash. For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb) infant will
suddenly become a 110 kg (240 lb) force on a
person's arms. An infant should be secured in an
appropriate restraint.
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Black plate (37,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
{WARNING:
Never do this.
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in
the right front seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also better to secure
a forward-facing child restraint in a rear seat.(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
If you must secure a forward-facing child restraint
in the right front seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as it will go.
2-37

Black plate (41,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Where to Put the Restraint
According to accident statistics, children and infants are
safer when properly restrained in a child restraint
system or infant restraint system secured in a rear
seating position.
We recommend that children and child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including: an infant or a child
riding in a rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in
a forward-facing child seat; an older child riding in a
booster seat; and children, who are large enough, using
safety belts.
A label on your sun visor says,“Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to the
rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear
seat, even if the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 2‑64
for additional information.
2-41