2005 BUICK LACROSSE tow

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-31
Airbag System
.........................................1-51
Restraint System Check
............................1-65
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-32
OnStar
®System
......................................2-34
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-36
Storage Areas
.........................................2-40
Sunroof
..................................................2-42
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-47
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-79Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-34
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-43
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-51
Tires
......................................................5-52
Appearance Care
.....................................5-78
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-86
Electrical System
......................................5-87
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-92
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Buick LaCrosse Owner ManualM

{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can not properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window,
move the child toward the center of the vehicle.
Also seeRear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on
page 1-27. If the child is sitting in the center rear
seat passenger position, move the child toward the
safety belt buckle. In either case, be sure that
the shoulder belt still is on the child’s shoulder, so
that in a crash the child’s upper body would
have the restraint that belts provide.
1-32

{CAUTION:
The body structure of a young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed. A young child’s
hip bones are still so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
An infant car bed (A), a special bed made for use in a
motor vehicle, is an infant restraint system designed
to restrain or position a child on a continuous at
surface. Make sure that the infant’s head rests toward
the center of the vehicle.
1-37

Your vehicle may or may not have side impact airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-51. Side impact
airbags are intended to inate in moderate to severe
side crashes. A side impact airbag will inate if the crash
severity is above the system’s designed threshold
level. The threshold level can vary with specic vehicle
design. Side impact airbags are not intended to
inate in frontal or near-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear
impacts. A side impact airbag is intended to deploy
on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle
slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. For side
impact airbags, ination is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact airbags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the airbag. The inator, airbag, and relatedhardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the
right front passenger. For vehicles with side impact
airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of
the vehicle, near the side windows.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The airbag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal airbags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the airbag. Side impact airbags would not
help you in many types of collisions, including frontal
or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and
then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions for side impact airbags.
1-57

{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be wrong with the
airbag system. If this ever happens, have the
vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the frontal airbag. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 3-33for more on this, including
important safety information.
A thick layer of additional material such as a blanket, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat covers, seat
heaters, and seat massagers, can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates. Remove any
additional material from the seat cushion before
reinstalling or securing the child restraint or small
occupant. You may want to consider not using seat
covers or other aftermarket equipment if your vehicle
has the passenger sensing system. SeeAdding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-64for more information about modications that
can affect how the system operates.The passenger sensing system may suppress the
airbag deployment when liquid is soaked into the seat. If
this happens, the off indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator and the airbag readiness light on
the instrument panel will be lit. The system should
resume normal operation after the seat is allowed to dry.
If the system operates incorrectly after the seat has
dried, have your dealer check the system.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s seat
or between the passenger’s seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-63

Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors and
slide them along the rod to cover different areas of
the front window. You can also move them to cover the
side windows.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Swing down the sun visors and lift the cover to expose
the vanity mirror. If your vehicle has lighted vanity
mirrors, the light will come on when you lift the cover.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal.
Content Theft-Deterrent
Your vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent
alarm system.
A red light located on top of
the instrument panel,
toward the center of the
vehicle and near the
windshield, will ash slowly
when the system is armed.
The theft-deterrent alarm system needs to be activated
through the Driver Information Center (DIC). See
“CONTENT THEFT” under “Customization Menu Items”
inDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-71. While
armed, the doors will not unlock with the power door lock
switch. The remote alarm will sound if someone
tampers with the trunk, enters the vehicle without using
the remote keyless entry transmitter or key to unlock
the doors, or turns the ignition on without the proper key.
The horn will sound and the headlamps will ash for
up to two minutes. The system will also cut off the fuel
supply, preventing the vehicle from being driven.
2-17

Arming with the Power Lock Switch
The vehicle’s content theft-deterrent alarm system can
be activated when the key is removed from the
ignition and the power door lock switch of either the
driver’s or front passenger’s door is used to lock
the vehicle. The door needs to be in the open position
when pressing the power door lock switch. The
alarm system will not activate if the door is closed when
the power door lock switch is pressed. This system
can be activated through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See “CONTENT THEFT” under
“Customization Menu Items” inDIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 3-71.
When the doors are locked using the power door lock
switch of either front door, the red light on top of
the instrument panel will start ashing at a fast rate,
indicating that the system is arming. After all the doors
are locked there will be a time delay and then the
red light will begin to ash at a very slow rate, indicating
the system is armed.
Arming with the Remote Keyless Entry
Transmitter
The alarm system will arm when the remote keyless
entry transmitter is used to lock the doors after the key
is removed from the ignition. The red light will comeon to indicate that the system is arming. After all doors
are closed and locked, and after a time delay, the
red light will begin ashing at a very slow rate to show
the system is armed.
Arming Conrmation
A red light located on top of the instrument panel,
towards the center of the vehicle and near the
windshield, will ash slowly to conrm when the system
is armed.
Disarming with the Remote Keyless
Entry Transmitter
The alarm system will disarm when the remote keyless
entry transmitter is used to unlock the doors. The
red light will go out to show that the system is disarmed.
Disarming with Your Key
The alarm system will disarm when the key is used to
unlock the doors. The red light will stop ashing
when the system is disarmed. If you would like the key
to disarm the alarm system, see “CONTENT THEFT”
underDIC Vehicle Personalization on page 3-71
for more information.
2-18

Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
Do not drive at any one speed, fast or slow, for
the rst 500 miles (805 km). Do not make
full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new
brake linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear
and earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake
linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. SeeTowing
a Trailer on page 4-35for more information.
Ignition Positions
With the ignition key in the ignition, the key can be
turned to four different positions:
A (OFF):This is the only position in which the ignition
key can be inserted or removed. This position locks
the ignition and transaxle. It is a theft-deterrent feature.
B (ACCESSORY):This position lets the radio and
windshield wipers operate while the engine is off. To use
ACCESSORY, turn the key clockwise.
2-21