2008 BUICK LACROSSE seats

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.
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A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{CAUTION:
A child can be seriously injured or killed in
a crash if the child restraint is not properly
secured in the vehicle. Make sure the child
restraint is properly installed in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s safety belt or LATCH
system, following the instructions that came
with that restraint, and also the instructions
in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the child restraint
must be secured in the vehicle. Child restraint systems
must be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or the
lap belt portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH
system. SeeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 1-41for more information. A child can
be endangered in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle.
1-38

Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about the vehicle that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, height, front end or side
sheet metal, they may keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or moving any parts
of the front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling headliner
or pillar garnish trim, front sensors, or airbag wiring
can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger’s position,
which includes sensors that are part of the
passenger’s seat. The passenger sensing system
may not operate properly if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or
with GM covers, upholstery or trim designed for a
different vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket
seat heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the seat fabric, could alsointerfere with the operation of the passenger sensing
system. This could either prevent proper deployment
of the passenger airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). SeePassenger Sensing
System on page 1-62.
If you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you modify
your vehicle. The phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure in this manual.
SeeCustomer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modied. How can I nd out whether
this will affect my airbag system?
A:If you have questions, call Customer Assistance.
The phone numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance are in Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure on page 7-2.
In addition, your dealer/retailer and the service manual
have information about the location of the airbag sensors,
sensing and diagnostic module and airbag wiring.
1-67

Automatic Transmission Operation
Your vehicle’s automatic
transmission may have a
shift lever on the steering
column or on the console
between the seats.There is also a display
located on the instrument
panel cluster that
indicates the vehicle’s gear
position.
Console Shift Lever
2-29

Overhead Console Reading Lamps
Your vehicle may have reading lamps located on
the overhead console. Press the lens to turn them on
and off.
Rear Assist Handle Reading Lamps
Your vehicle may have reading lamps located near
the rear assist handles. Press the lens to turn them on
and off.
Electric Power Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management (EPM) that
estimates the battery’s temperature and state of
charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery’s state of charge is low, the voltage is
raised slightly to quickly put the charge back in. When the
state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gage
or voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC),
you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed.The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical
loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator) may not be
spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power
that is needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of the
following loads are on: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger, climate control fan at high
speed, heated seats, engine cooling fans, trailer
loads, and loads plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery. It does this by balancing the generator’s output
and the vehicle’s electrical needs. It can increase
engine idle speed to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power demands of
some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps or levels, without
being noticeable. In rare cases at the highest levels
of corrective action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, the Driver Information Center (DIC)
message might display Battery Saver Active. If this
message is displayed, it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much as possible. See
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-58.
3-18

4. Press OFF to turn the climate control system off.
Only the rear defog and heated seats will function.
Press AUTO or any other button except the
heated seats or rear defog to turn the climate
control system back on.
This control has four types of operation.
Automatic can set/change the temperature only.
AUTO and temperature only will appear on the
display.
Semi-Automatic Fan can set/change the
temperature and mode. The fan operates
automatically. The temperature and mode will
appear on the display.
Semi-Automatic Mode can set/change the
temperature and fan speed. The mode operates
automatically. The fan speed and temperature will
appear on the display.
Manual can set/change the temperature, mode and
fan. The fan speed, temperature, and mode will
appear on the display.
If your vehicle has the remote start feature, the climate
control system will automatically regulate the inside
temperature of your vehicle when the remote start
system is activated. Normal operation and the last
setting of the climate control system will return after the
key is turned on.
Manual Operation
During daylight hours, the instrument panel brightness
control might need to be adjusted to the highest setting,
in order to see the indicator lights for the various
climate control settings.
OFF:Press this button to turn the climate control
system off.
yz(Temperature):Press these buttons to manually
adjust the temperature inside the vehicle. Press the
up arrow on the driver or passenger side to raise
the temperature, and press the down arrow to lower the
temperature. The display will show the selected
temperature.
z9(Fan):Press this button to decrease the fan
speed. Pressing the arrows cancels the automatic
operation and places the system in manual or
semi-automatic mode. Press the AUTO button to return
to automatic operation. If the airow seems low when
the fan is at the highest setting, the passenger
compartment air lter may need to be replaced. For
more information seePassenger Compartment Air Filter
on page 3-29andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4.
3-25