2005 BUICK LACROSSE Transmission

Read the instructions completely before attempting to
program HomeLink®. Because of the steps involved, it
may be helpful to have another person available to
assist you in the programming steps.
Keep the original hand-held transmitter for use in other
vehicles as well as for future HomeLink
®programming.
It is also recommended that upon the sale of the
vehicle, the programmed HomeLink
®buttons should be
erased for security purposes. See “Erasing HomeLink®
Buttons” later in this section or, for assistance,
contact HomeLink®on the Internet at:
www.homelink.com or by calling 1-800-355-3515.
Be sure that people and objects are clear of the garage
door or gate operator you are programming. When
programming a garage door, it is advised to park outside
of the garage.
It is recommended that a new battery be installed in
your hand-held transmitter for quicker and more
accurate transmission of the radio-frequency signal.
Programming HomeLink®
Your vehicle’s engine should be turned off while
programming HomeLink®. Follow these steps to program
up to three channels:
1. Press and hold down the two outside HomeLink
®
buttons, releasing only when the HomeLink®
indicator light begins to ash, after 20 seconds. Do
not hold down the buttons for longer than
30 seconds and do not repeat this step to program
a second and/or third hand-held transmitter to
the remaining two HomeLink
®buttons.
2. Position the end of your hand-held transmitter
about 1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) away from the
HomeLink
®buttons while keeping the indicator light
in view.
3. Simultaneously press and hold both the desired
HomeLink
®button and the hand-held transmitter
button. Do not release the buttons until Step 4 has
been completed.
Some entry gates and garage door openers may
require you to substitute Step 3 with the procedure
noted in “Gate Operator and Canadian
Programming” later in this section.
2-37

Gate Operator and Canadian
Programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require transmitter
signals to time out or quit after several seconds of
transmission. This may not be long enough for
HomeLink
®to pick up the signal during programming.
Similarly, some U.S. gate operators are manufactured to
time out in the same manner.
If you live in Canada, or you are having difficulty
programming a gate operator or garage door opener by
using the “Programming HomeLink
®” procedures,
regardless of where you live, replace Step 3 under
“Programming HomeLink
®” with the following:
Continue to press and hold the HomeLink
®button while
you press and release every two seconds (cycle) the
hand-held transmitter button until the frequency
signal has been successfully accepted by HomeLink
®.
The HomeLink®indicator light will ash slowly at
rst and then rapidly. Proceed with Step 4 under
“Programming HomeLink
®” to complete.
Using HomeLink®
Press and hold the appropriate HomeLink®button for at
least half of a second. The indicator light will come
on while the signal is being transmitted.
Erasing HomeLink®Buttons
To erase programming from the three HomeLink®
buttons do the following:
1. Press and hold down the two outside buttons until
the indicator light begins to ash, after 20 seconds.
Do not hold the two outside buttons for longer
than 30 seconds.
2. Release both buttons.
HomeLink
®is now in the train (learning) mode and can
be programmed at any time beginning with Step 2
under “Programming HomeLink
®” shown earlier in
this section.
Individual buttons cannot be erased, but they can be
reprogrammed. See “Reprogramming a Single
HomeLink
®Button” following this section.
2-39

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-6
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-21
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-24
Engine Overheating.......................................5-24
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-26Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-33
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-34
Brakes........................................................5-35
Battery........................................................5-38
Jump Starting...............................................5-39
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-43
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-45
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-45
Headlamps and Sidemarker Lamps.................5-46
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-47
Fog Lamps..................................................5-48
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Sidemarker,
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps...................5-48
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-51
Tires..............................................................5-52
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-53
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-55
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-58
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-61
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Wheel Replacement......................................5-65
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-34.
B. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-38.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-39.
D. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-28.
E. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-90.
F. Engine Coolant Surge Tank. SeeCooling System on
page 5-26.
G. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-24.
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir (Below Generator).
SeePower Steering Fluid on page 5-33.I. Electric Engine Cooling Fans. SeeCooling System
on page 5-26.
J. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
K. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
L. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See
“Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-21.
M. Engine Coolant Bleed Valve. See “How to Add
Coolant to the Radiator” underCooling System on
page 5-26.
N. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-35.
O. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
5-13

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding
Washer Fluid” underWindshield Washer Fluid
on page 5-34.
B. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-38.
C. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. SeeJump Starting on
page 5-39.
D. Underhood Fuse Block. SeeUnderhood Fuse Block
on page 5-90.
E. Passenger Compartment Air Filter. SeePassenger
Compartment Air Filter on page 3-28.
F. Engine Coolant Surge Tank. SeeCooling System on
page 5-26.
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. SeePower Steering
Fluid on page 5-33.
H. Radiator Pressure Cap. SeeRadiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-24.
I. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When to Add Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.
J. Electric Engine Cooling Fans. SeeCooling System
on page 5-26.
K. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil”
underEngine Oil on page 5-15.L. Automatic Transmission Fluid Dipstick. See
“Checking the Fluid Level” underAutomatic
Transmission Fluid on page 5-21.
M. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid”
underBrakes on page 5-35.
N. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-19.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes
to drain back into the oil pan. If you do not do this,
the oil dipstick might not show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-15

Automatic Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the transmission uid level.
A transmission uid leak is the only reason for uid
loss. If a leak occurs, take your vehicle to the dealership
service department and have it repaired as soon as
possible.
Change both the uid and lter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90°F (32°C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the uid and lter do not require changing.
Notice:Use of automatic transmission uid labeled
other than DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the
H-Specication, may damage your vehicle, and the
damages may not be covered by your warranty.
Always use automatic transmission uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, Approved for the H-Specication.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in the vehicle for ve years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if only
DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant is added.
The following explains the cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If there is a problem
with engine overheating or if coolant needs to be added
to the radiator, seeEngine Overheating on page 5-24.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®engine coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F (−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
5-21

Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start your
vehicle. Be sure to use the following steps to do it safely.
{CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode
or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to
burn you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly, some
or all of these things can hurt you.
Notice:Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle by pushing or pulling it
will not work, and it could damage your vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.Notice:If the other vehicles system is not a 12-volt
system with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged. Only use vehicles with 12-volt systems
with negative grounds to jump start your vehicle.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles are not touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you do not want. You would not be able
to start your vehicle, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake rmly on both vehicles involved in
the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in PARK (P) or a manual transmission
in NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
Notice:If you leave your radio or other accessories
on during the jump starting procedure, they could
be damaged. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always turn off your radio and
other accessories when jump starting your vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter or the accessory power outlets. Turn off
the radio and all lamps that are not needed. This
will avoid sparks and help save both batteries. And
it could save your radio!
5-39

Tire Size
The following illustration shows an example of a typical
passenger vehicle tire size.
(A) Passenger (P-Metric) Tire:The United States
version of a metric tire sizing system. The letter P as the
rst character in the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width:The three-digit number indicates the
tire section width in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall.
(C) Aspect Ratio:A two-digit number that indicates
the tire height-to-width measurements. For example, if
the tire size aspect ratio is 60, as shown in item C of the
illustration, it would mean that the tire’s sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.(D) Construction Code:A letter code is used to
indicate the type of ply construction in the tire. The letter
R means radial ply construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply construction; and the letter B means
belted-bias ply construction.
(E) Rim Diameter:Diameter of the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description:These characters represent
the load range and speed rating of the tire. The load
index represents the load carry capacity a tire is certied
to carry. The load index can range from 1 to 279. The
speed rating is the maximum speed a tire is certied
to carry a load. Speed ratings range from A to Z.
Tire Terminology and Denitions
Air Pressure:The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire. Air pressure
is expressed in pounds per square inch (psi) or
kiloPascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight:This means the combined weight
of optional accessories. Some examples of optional
accessories are, automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
5-55