2010 Buick LaCrosse Owner ManualM
Keys, Doors and Windows. . . 1-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 3-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 3-2 Instruments and Controls
. . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 4-4
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 4-25
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 4-38
OnStar System
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43
Universal Remote System . . . . 4-45
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-20
Rear Seat Infotainment . . . . . . . 6-34
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 7-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 8-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 8-17
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 8-27
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-31
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 8-34
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-37
Object Detection Systems . . . . 8-40
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-49
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-54
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 8-60
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Introduction v
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message, gage,
or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information. Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9:
Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
1-10 Keys, Doors and Windows
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
your vehicle. Locking your
doors can help prevent this
from happening.
To lock and unlock the door, use the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter or the key from the
outside and the door lock knob or
switch from the inside.
From inside the vehicle with the
doors locked, pull once on the door
handle to unlock it, and a second
time to open it.
Manually locking the driver door will
also automatically lock all other
doors.
If the driver door is open or the key
is in the ignition, the driver door may
unlock. See Vehicle Personalization
on page 4‑38for more information. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access)
on
page 1‑3or Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access)
on page 1‑5and Power
Door Lockson page 1‑10for more
information.
Power Door Locks
The power door lock switches are
located on the center of the
instrument panel.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock
the doors.
Q(Lock): Press to lock the doors.
See Vehicle Personalization
on
page 4‑38for more information.
Seats and Restraints 2-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . 2-4
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Heated and Ventilated FrontSeats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19 Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 2-23
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 2-27
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37 Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 2-38
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 2-39
Replacing Airbag System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-39
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40
Infants and Young
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 2-45
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 2-46
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Securing Child Restraints (Front Seat ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-57
2-6 Seats and Restraints
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust the
seat while the vehicle is moving.
The sudden movement could
startle and confuse you, or make
you push a pedal when you do
not want to. Adjust the driver's
seat only when the vehicle is not
moving.
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Seats and Restraints 2-9
There are three temperature
settings for each feature:
.High = three
.Medium = two
.Low = one
Press a button to turn the feature on
at the maximum setting. Each press
of the button changes the
temperature one setting.
Turn the feature off by pressing the
button until the display lights
turn off.
If the vehicle has remote vehicle
start and is started by using the
remote keyless entry transmitter, the
heated and ventilated seats turn on
at the maximum setting according to
the temperature outside. When the
key is inserted into the ignition and
the ignition is turned on, the heated
or cooled seat feature turns off. To
turn this feature back on, press the
desired button.
Rear Seats
The vehicle's rear seat can be
folded down to allow for more cargo
space or it can be placed back into
a locked upright position. Adjust the
seatback only when the vehicle is
not moving.
To fold the seatback down:
1. Be sure the safety belt is in the retainer clip.
2. Pull on the lever located on the
top of the of the seatback to
unlock it.
3. Fold the seatback down.
2-10 Seats and Restraints
To raise the seatback:
1. Push the seatback up and pushit back to lock it into place. Make
sure the safety belt is in the
retainer clip and does not get
twisted or caught in the
seatback.
2. A tab on the handle pops down to indicate the seatback has
been locked.
3. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is locked
into position.Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, the injuries can be
much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be
ejected from the vehicle. You and
your passenger(s) can be
seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be,
if you are buckled up. Always
fasten your safety belt, and check
that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
{WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or
killed. Do not allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle that is
not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in
your vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders
on
page 4‑15for additional
information.
Seats and Restraints 2-11
In most states and in all Canadian
provinces, the law requires wearing
safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a
crash. If you do have a crash, you
do not know if it will be a
serious one.
A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be so serious that even
buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in
between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without
safety belts they could have been
badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety
belts in vehicles, the facts are clear.
In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything,
you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose
it is just a seat on wheels.
Put someone on it.
Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.