2007 BUICK LACROSSE maintenance

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 343. Poor fuel
quality will cause your engine not to run as
efficiently as designed. You may notice this as
stalling after start-up, stalling when you put
the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation on
acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is
warmed up.) This will be detected by the system
and cause the light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the
light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light
turn off, your dealer can check the vehicle.
Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to x any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
check engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if
the OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines
that critical emission control systems have not
been completely diagnosed by the system.
The vehicle would be considered not ready for
inspection. This can happen if you have recently
replaced your battery or if your battery has
run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems
during normal driving. This may take several days
of routine driving. If you have done this and
your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for
lack of OBD system readiness, your dealer
can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
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Oil Pressure Light
Your vehicle may have
this feature.
If the vehicle has an oil problem, this light may
stay on after the engine is started, or come
on while you are driving.
This light indicates that oil is not going through the
engine quickly enough to keep it lubricated. The
engine could be low on oil or could have some
other oil problem. Have it xed right away.
The oil light could also come on in the following
situations:
The light will come on briey when the ignition
is turned on to show that it is working properly.
If it does not come on with the ignition on,
there may be a problem with the fuse or bulb.
Have it xed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling at a
stop, a chime will sound and the light may
blink on and off. This is normal.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is
low. If you do, your engine can become so
hot that it catches re. You or others could
be burned. Check your oil as soon as
possible and have your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
may damage the engine. The repairs would
not be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the maintenance schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
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Change Engine Oil Light
If this light comes on, it
means that service is
required for your
vehicle.
SeeScheduled Maintenance on page 462and
Engine Oil on page 353for more information.
After having the oil changed you will need to reset
the light. SeeEngine Oil on page 353for more
information.
If this light is blinking, a chime will sound indicating
low engine oil.
Security Light
For information
regarding this light,
seeTheft-Deterrent
Systems on page 104.
Cruise Control Light
This light comes on
whenever you set the
cruise control.
The light goes out when the cruise control is
turned off. SeeCruise Control on page 154for
more information.
195

Tire Pressure
Press the gages button until FRONT TIRE
PRESSURE displays. This mode shows the
pressure for the front tires. To view the pressure
for the rear tires, press the gages button again
until REAR TIRE PRESSURE displays. The
tire pressure will be shown in either pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascals (kPa).
If a low or high tire pressure condition is detected
by the system while driving, a message advising
you to check the pressure in a specic tire
will appear in the display. SeeInation - Tire
Pressure on page 409andDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 208for more information.
If the tire pressure display shows dashes
instead of a value, there may be a problem with
your vehicle. If this consistently occurs, see
your dealer for service.
Oil Life
Press the gages button until OIL LIFE displays.
This mode shows an estimate of the oil’s
remaining useful life. If you see OIL LIFE 99% on
the display, that means 99% of the current oil
life remains. The engine oil life system will alert
you to change your oil on a schedule consistent
with your driving conditions.
When the remaining oil life is low, the CHANGE OIL
SOON message will appear on the display. You
should change your oil as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 353. In addition to the engine oil
life system monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 462for more information.
Remember, you must reset the OIL LIFE yourself
after each oil change. It will not reset itself.
Also, be careful not to reset the OIL LIFE
accidentally at any time other than when the oil
has just been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, seeEngine Oil Life
System on page 356. The display will show 100%
when the system is reset.
204

This message continues to display for two seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It also re-displays 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 re-appears
when the engine is turned on. If this message
continues to appear, have the system repaired by
your dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the system detects
that the battery voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable level. The battery saver system starts
reducing certain features of the vehicle that
you may be able to notice. At the point that the
features are disabled, this message is displayed.
It means that the vehicle is trying to save the
charge in the battery.
Turn off all unnecessary accessories to allow the
battery to recharge.
The normal battery voltage range is 11.5 to
15.5 volts. If your vehicle has an uplevel DIC, you
can monitor the battery voltage by pressing the
gages button until BATTERY displays.
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when service is required
for the vehicle. See your dealer. SeeEngine Oil on
page 353andScheduled Maintenance on
page 462for more information.
The CHANGE OIL SOON message is reset by
acknowledging the message. The OIL LIFE screen
under the gages menu on the DIC must also be
reset. See “Oil Life” underDIC Operation and
Displays on page 200andEngine Oil Life System
on page 356.
This message displays 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 continues to display for two seconds
if it has not been acknowledged when the engine is
turned off. It also re-displays 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 re-appears
when the engine is turned on.
209

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply the regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
Start the engine.
Shift into a gear.
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the
chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
The vehicle will need service more often when it
pulls a trailer. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 462for more information. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transaxle uid; which should not be
overlled; engine oil, drive belt(s), and cooling and
brake systems. Each of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will help you nd them
quickly. If trailering, it is a good idea to review this
information before starting on a trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
The cooling system may temporarily overheat
during severe operating conditions. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 367.
335

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 401
Tires............................................................ 402
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 403
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 406
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 409
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 411
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 416
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 417
Buying New Tires...................................... 418
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 420
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 421
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 422
Wheel Replacement.................................. 422
Tire Chains............................................... 424
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 425
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 426
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 427
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 429
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 435
Compact Spare Tire.................................. 437Appearance Care........................................ 438
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 438
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 440
Leather...................................................... 441
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 441
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 442
Weatherstrips............................................ 442
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 442
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 443
Finish Care............................................... 443
Windshield and Wiper Blades.................... 444
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels......... 444
Tires......................................................... 445
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 445
Finish Damage.......................................... 446
Underbody Maintenance............................ 446
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 446
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 447
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
338

Doing Your Own Service Work
{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could
be damaged if you try to do service work
on a vehicle without knowing enough
about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement
parts, and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts,
and other fasteners. English and metric
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.If you want to do some of your own service work,
you will want to use the proper service manual.
It tells you much more about how to service your
vehicle than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 495.
Your vehicle has an airbag system. Before
attempting to do your own service work, see
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
on page 80.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of any service
work you perform. SeeMaintenance Record
on page 473.
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