2008 BUICK LACROSSE child restraint

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
.......................................1-29
Airbag System
.........................................1-54
Restraint System Check
............................1-68
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-11
Windows
.................................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-20
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-24
Mirrors
....................................................2-38
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-41
OnStar
®System
......................................2-43
Universal Home Remote System
................2-47
Storage Areas
.........................................2-52
Sunroof
..................................................2-54
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-49
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-84Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-27
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-56
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-58
Windshield Replacement
...........................5-62
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-62
Tires
......................................................5-63
Appearance Care
.....................................5-99
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-107
Electrical System
....................................5-108
Capacities and Specications
...................5-116
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-17
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Buick LaCrosse Owner ManualM

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Power Seats..................................................1-2
Power Lumbar...............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Center Seat...................................................1-7
Rear Seats.......................................................1-8
Split Folding Rear Seat...................................1-8
Safety Belts.....................................................1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-9
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-14
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-22
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-27
Lap Belt......................................................1-28
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-29
Child Restraints.............................................1-29
Older Children..............................................1-29
Infants and Young Children............................1-33
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-37
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-39Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position....................................1-47
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position....................................1-50
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position....................................1-50
Airbag System...............................................1-54
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-57
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-59
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-60
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-60
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?.....1-60
Passenger Sensing System............................1-62
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-66
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-67
Restraint System Check..................................1-68
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-68
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-69
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a lap-shoulder
except for the center front passenger position, if your
vehicle has one, which has a lap belt. SeeLap Belt on
page 1-28for more information.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
If you nd that the latch plate will not go fully into
the buckle, see if you are using the correct buckle.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is
secure. If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety
Belt Extender on page 1-29.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
1-22

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Your vehicle has a shoulder belt height adjuster for the
driver and right front passenger position.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away from
your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
To move it down, press
down on the release
lever (A) and move the
height adjuster to the
desired position. You can
move the height adjuster
up just by pressing up
on the shoulder belt guide.
After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to
move it down without squeezing the release lever to
make sure it has locked into position.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for front
outboard occupants. Although you cannot see them,
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.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-69.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides may provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for some adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide positions the belt
away from the neck and head.
There is one guide for each outboard passenger
position in the rear seat. Here is how to install a
comfort guide to the safety belt:
1-24

Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you,
you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer/
retailer will order you an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the
extender will be long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone else use it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to t. The extender has been
designed for adults. Never use it for securing child seats.
To wear it, attach it to the regular safety belt. For more
information, see the instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
The manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the booster seat, state the weight and
height limitations for that booster.
1-29

Use a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until the
child passes the below t test:
Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the knees bend
at the seat edge? If yes, continue. If no, return to
the booster seat.
Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the shoulder belt
rest on the shoulder? If yes, continue. If no, try using
the rear safety belt comfort guide. See “Rear Safety
Belt Comfort Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt on
page 1-22for more information. If the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
Does the lap belt t low and snug on the hips,
touching the thighs? If yes, continue. If no, return
to the booster seat.
Can proper safety belt t be maintained for length of
trip? If yes, continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
If you have the choice, a child should sit in a position
with a lap-shoulder belt and get the additional restraint
a shoulder belt can provide.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt
and get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can
provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face
or neck. The lap belt should t snugly below the hips,
just touching the top of the thighs. This applies belt
force to the child’s pelvic bones in a crash. It should
never be worn over the abdomen, which could cause
severe or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 1-22.
According to accident statistics, children and infants
are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-30

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.{CAUTION:
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.
Every time infants and young children ride in vehicles,
they should have the protection provided by appropriate
restraints. Children who are not restrained properly can
strike other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
In addition, young children should not use the vehicle’s
adult safety belts alone; they need to use a child restraint.
1-33

{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to,
any airbag when it inates can be seriously
injured or killed. 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.
Young children and infants need the protection
that a child restraint system can provide.
1-35