2010 BUICK LACROSSE transmission fluid

Instruments and Controls 4-37
Sport Mode On
This message displays when using
the selective ride control. See
Selective Ride Control
on
page 8‑36for more information.
Traction Control Off
This message displays when the
Traction Control System (TCS) is
turned off. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Messages
Theft Attempted
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Tire Messages
Check XXX Tire Pressure or
Add Air To Tire
This message displays if the vehicle
detects low pressure in one or more
tires. The tire with the low pressure
will be shown in the message.
Check the tire pressures.
Service Tire Monitor System
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 9‑55for more information.
Tire Learning Active
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation
on
page 9‑55for more information.
Transmission Messages
Service Transmission
This message displays if there is a
problem with the transmission. See
your dealer/retailer.
Shift To Park
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
park. This may appear when
attempting to remove the key from
the ignition if the vehicle is not in
P (Park).
Transmission Hot –Idle
Engine
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.

Driving and Operating 8-9
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Going down steep or long hills,
shift to a lower gear.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be
alert—something could be in
your lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.

Driving and Operating 8-57
If parking the rig on a hill:
1. Press the brake pedal, but donot shift into P (Park) yet. Turn
the wheels into the curb if facing
downhill or into traffic if facing
uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal
until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift
into P (Park).
5. Release the brake pedal.Leaving After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal 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 needs service more
often when pulling a trailer. See this
manual's Maintenance Schedule or
Index for more information. Things
that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid, engine oil, axle
lubricant, belts, cooling system and
brake system. Inspect these before
and during the trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts are tight.

Vehicle Care 9-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 9-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . 9-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . 9-22 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control System
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . 9-29Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . 9-47
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54

Vehicle Care 9-7
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 9‑15
B. Engine Cover.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 9‑11
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 9‑11
E. Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid
on
page 9‑15
F. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Brakeson
page 9‑24
G. Power Steering Reservoir and Cap. See Power Steering Fluid
on page 9‑22
H. Engine Coolant Reservoir and
Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 9‑18
I. Battery Cover. See Battery
on
page 9‑26
J. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 9‑39
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on
page 9‑23

Vehicle Care 9-9
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 9‑15
B. Power Steering Reservoir and
Cap. See Power Steering Fluid
on page 9‑22
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 9‑11
D. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See Engine Oil
on
page 9‑11
E. Engine Cover.
F. Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid
on
page 9‑15
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. See Brakeson
page 9‑24
H. Engine Coolant Reservoir and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 9‑18
I. Battery Cover. See Battery
on
page 9‑26
J. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 9‑39
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on
page 9‑23

Vehicle Care 9-11
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filteron
page 9‑15.
B. Power Steering Reservoir and Cap. See Power Steering Fluid
on page 9‑22.
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 9‑11.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick (Out of View). See Engine Oil
on
page 9‑11.
E. Engine Cover.
F. Transmission Fluid Cap and Dipstick. See Automatic
Transmission Fluid
on
page 9‑15. G. Brake Master Cylinder
Reservoir. See Brakes
on
page 9‑24.
H. Engine Coolant Reservoir and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 9‑18.
I. Battery Cover. See Battery
on
page 9‑26.
J. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 9‑39.
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on
page 9‑23.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must
be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a
yellow loop. See Engine
Compartment Overview
on
page 9‑6for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
1. Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to drain back
into the oil pan. If this is not
done, the oil dipstick might not
show the actual level.
2. Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth, then
push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip
down, and check the level.

Vehicle Care 9-15
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer/retailer service department
and have it repaired as soon as
possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, you should
have this done at your dealer/
retailer service department. Contact
your dealer/retailer for additional
information or the procedure can be
found in the service manual. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 12‑12.Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in
Scheduled
Maintenance
on page 10‑2, and be
sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 10‑7.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/filter is
located in the engine compartment
on the driver's side of the vehicle.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 9‑6for more information
on location.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Inspect the air cleaner/filter at the
Maintenance IIintervals and replace
it at the first oil change after each
80 000 km (50,000 mile) interval.
See Scheduled Maintenance
on
page 10‑2for more information.
If you are driving in dusty/dirty
conditions, inspect the filter at each
engine oil change.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
To inspect the air cleaner/filter,
remove the filter from the vehicle
and lightly shake the filter to release
loose dust and dirt. If the filter
remains caked with dirt, a new filter
is required.
To inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter do the following:
2.4 L L4 Engine
1. Remove the screws on top of the engine air cleaner/filter
housing.