2005 BUICK LACROSSE steering

Steering Wheel Climate Controls
If your vehicle has this
feature, you can control
the temperature inside
your vehicle by using the
controls located on
your steering wheel.
yz(Temperature):Press the up arrow to increase
or the down arrow decrease the temperature inside
your vehicle.
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on the vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
the warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of the vehicle’s functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briey when you start the
engine just to let you know they are working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there is a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages
shows there may be a problem, check the section that
tells you what to do about it. Please follow this
manual’s advice. Waiting to do repairs can be
costly – and even dangerous. So please get to know
the warning lights and gages. They are a big help.
3-30

SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM
If your vehicle has the traction control system, this
message will display when the system is not functioning
properly. A warning light will also appear on the
instrument panel cluster. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) Warning Light on page 3-37. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8for more information.
Have the traction control system serviced by your
GM dealer as soon as possible.
This message will display only while the ignition is in
RUN. Press any of the DIC buttons to acknowledge this
message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display for two seconds if
it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It will also re-display for two seconds if the
message has been acknowledged, but the condition still
exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
SERVICE VARIABLE EFFORT
STEERING
If your vehicle has variable effort steering, this message
will display when if this system is not functioning
properly. SeeSteering on page 4-10for more
information. Have your system serviced by your
GM dealer as soon as possible.This message will display only while the ignition is in
RUN. Press any of the DIC buttons to acknowledge this
message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display for two seconds if
it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It will also re-display for two seconds if the
message has been acknowledged, but the condition still
exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message will display when a non-emissions related
malfunction occurs. Have the vehicle serviced by your
GM dealer as soon as possible.
This message will display only while the ignition is in
RUN. Press any of the DIC buttons to acknowledge this
message and to clear it from the screen.
This message will continue to display for two seconds if
it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It will also re-display for two seconds if the
message has been acknowledged, but the condition still
exists when the engine is turned off.
If the condition still exists, the message will re-appear
when the engine is turned on.
3-68

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio functions
can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include
the following:
pSEEKo:Press and release the right or the left
arrow to go to the next or to the previous station
and stay there.To scan stations, press and hold either arrow for more
than two seconds. SCAN will appear on the display
and the radio will produce one beep. The radio will go
to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to
the next station. Press either arrow again or one of the
pushbuttons to stop scanning presets.
To scan preset stations, press and hold either arrow for
more than four seconds. PSCAN will appear on the
display and the radio will produce two beeps. The radio
will go to a preset station, play for a few seconds,
then go on to the next preset station. Press either arrow
again or one of the pushbuttons to stop scanning
presets.
The radio will only seek and scan stations with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the right or the left arrow
to go to the next or the previous track.
BAND:Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2,
or AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped).
When a CD is playing, press this button to listen to the
radio. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the
radio for future listening.
3-118

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-8
StabiliTrak
®System........................................4-9
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-12
Loss of Control.............................................4-13
Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-16City Driving..................................................4-19
Freeway Driving...........................................4-20
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-21
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-21
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-22
Winter Driving..............................................4-24
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-28
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-28
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-29
Towing..........................................................4-34
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-34
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-34
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-35
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are with a group, designate a
driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to
do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-8.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-5

Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock brakes, you can steer and brake at
the same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock
brakes, your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down — may be the wrong thing to do.
Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
cannot respond to your steering. Momentum will
carry it in whatever direction it was headed when the
wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into
the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock brakes, use a “squeeze”
braking technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.This will help you retain steering control. If you do have
anti-lock brakes, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 4-6.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System (TCS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
The traction control system
active light will come on
while the TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
If your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC),
the TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE message will come
on in the while the TCS is limiting wheel spin.
4-8

You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when the TCS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow safe use of
the cruise control, it can be used again. SeeCruise
Control on page 3-10.
The TCS operates in all transaxle shift lever positions.
But the system can upshift the transaxle only as high as
the shift lever position that was chosen, so use the
lower gears only when necessary. SeeAutomatic
Transaxle Operation on page 2-24.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the TCS on. But
you can turn the system off if you ever need to. The TCS
should be turned off if the vehicle ever gets stuck in
sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-28
andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page 4-28.
To turn the TCS on or off, press the TCS button located
directly behind the gear shift lever. If your vehicle has
a DIC, the TCS button is located above the radio.
When the TCS is turned off, the TCS warning light will
come on. It will disappear when the TCS is turned
back on. If the TCS is limiting wheel spin when the TCS
button is pressed, the TCS warning light will come on
and the TCS will turn off right away.StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle stability
enhancement system called StabiliTrak®.Itisan
advanced computer controlled system that assists you
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between your intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
®
selectively applies braking pressure at any one of
the vehicle’s brakes to help steer the vehicle in the
direction which you are steering.
When the system activates, a STABILITY CONTROL
ACTIVE message will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-53. You may also hear a noise or
feel vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal. Continue
to steer the vehicle in the direction you want it to go.
If there is a problem detected with StabiliTrak
®,a
SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM message will be
displayed on the Driver Information Center (DIC). See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-53. When
this message is displayed, the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted accordingly.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the StabiliTrak
®
activates, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may reengage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control on page 3-10for more information.
4-9

Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much of those places. You can
lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those
two control systems — steering and acceleration — can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the
road and make you lose control. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-10