
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 Identi cation
...............................5-107
Electrical System
....................................5-108
Capacities and Speci cations
...................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

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This section is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-29
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-33. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
It is very important for all occupants to buckle up.
Statistics show that unbelted people are hurt more often
in crashes than those who are wearing safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up can be thrown out
of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
First, before you or your passenger(s) wear a safety
belt, there is important information you should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your feet on the oor in
front of you. The lap part of the belt should be worn low
and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash,
this applies force to the strong pelvic bones and you
would be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force on your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across the
chest. These parts of the body are best able to take belt
restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash.
1-14

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

CAUTION: (Continued)
anchor or attachment to come loose or even
break during a crash. A child or others could
be injured if this happens. To help prevent
injury to people and damage to your vehicle,
attach only one child restraint per anchor.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled
if a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to tighten.
Secure any unused safety belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor to set the lock, if your vehicle has
one, after the child restraint has been installed.
Be sure to follow the instructions of the child
restraint manufacturer.Notice:Contact between the child restraint LATCH
attachment parts and the vehicle’s safety belt
assembly may cause damage to these parts. Make
sure when securing unused safety belts behind
the child restraint that there is no contact between
the child restraint LATCH attachment parts and
the vehicle’s safety belt assembly.
Folding an empty rear seat with the safety belts
secured may cause damage to the safety belt or
the seat. When removing the child restraint, always
remember to return the safety belts to their normal,
stowed position before folding the rear seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on
the child restraint to the lower anchors.
1-45

4. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.5. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap
portion of the belt, and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing
child restraint, you may nd it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
1-49

3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Make sure the release button is positioned so you
would be able to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if necessary.5. Pull the rest of the shoulder belt all the way out of
the retractor to set the lock.
1-52

Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons, children
or others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power windows or
other controls or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the keys in the
ignition and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle
with children.
The key can be used for the ignition and all locks.
The key has a bar-coded key tag that the dealer/retailer
or quali ed locksmith can use to make new keys.
Store this information in a safe place, not in your vehicle.
The vehicle has the PASS-Key
®III vehicle theft system.
The key has a transponder in the key head that matches
a decoder in the vehicle’s instrument panel. The key will
have PK3 stamped on it. If a replacement key or an
additional key is needed, it must be purchased from your
dealer/retailer or certi ed locksmith.
2-3