2011 BUICK LACROSSE service

Black plate (11,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Customer Information 13-11
Scheduling Service
Appointments
(U.S. and Canada)
When the vehicle requires
warranty service, contact
the dealer and request an
appointment. By scheduling
a service appointment and
advising the service consultant
of your transportation needs,
the dealer can help minimize
your inconvenience.
If the vehicle cannot be scheduled
into the service department
immediately, keep driving it until
it can be scheduled for service,
unless, of course, the problem is
safety related. If it is, please call
the dealership, let them know this,
and ask for instructions.
If the dealer requests you to bring
the vehicle for service, you are
urged to do so as early in the work
day as possible to allow for the
same day-repair.
Courtesy Transportation
Program (U.S. and
Canada)
To enhance your ownership
experience, we and our
participating dealers are proud
to offer Courtesy Transportation,
a customer support program for
vehicles with the Bumper-to-Bumper
(Base Warranty Coverage period
in Canada), extended powertrain,
and/or hybrid‐specific warranties
in both the U.S. and Canada.
Several Courtesy Transportation
options are available to assist in
reducing inconvenience when
warranty repairs are required.
Courtesy Transportation is not a
part of the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. A separate booklet
entitled“Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information” furnished
with each new vehicle provides
detailed warranty coverage
information.
Transportation Options
Warranty service can generally
be completed while you wait.
However, if you are unable
to wait, GM helps to minimize
inconvenience by providing several
transportation options. Depending
on the circumstances, the dealer
can offer one of the following:
Shuttle Service
Shuttle service is the preferred
means of offering Courtesy
Transportation. Dealers may provide
shuttle service to get you to your
destination with minimal interruption
of your daily schedule. This includes
one‐way or round‐trip shuttle service
within reasonable time and distance
parameters of the dealer's area.

Black plate (12,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
13-12 Customer Information
Public Transportation or Fuel
Reimbursement
If the vehicle requires overnight
warranty repairs, and public
transportation is used instead
of the dealer's shuttle service,
the expense must be supported
by original receipts and can only
be up to the maximum amount
allowed by GM for shuttle service.
In addition, for U.S. customers,
should you arrange transportation
through a friend or relative, limited
reimbursement for reasonable
fuel expenses may be available.
Claim amounts should reflect
actual costs and be supported by
original receipts. See the dealer for
information regarding the allowance
amounts for reimbursement of fuel
or other transportation costs.Courtesy Rental Vehicle
The dealer may arrange to provide
you with a courtesy rental vehicle
or reimburse you for a rental vehicle
that you obtain if the vehicle is kept
for an overnight warranty repair.
Rental reimbursement will be limited
and must be supported by original
receipts. This requires that you sign
and complete a rental agreement
and meet state/provincial, local, and
rental vehicle provider requirements.
Requirements vary and may include
minimum age requirements,
insurance coverage, credit card,
etc. You are responsible for fuel
usage charges and may also be
responsible for taxes, levies, usage
fees, excessive mileage, or rental
usage beyond the completion of
the repair.
It may not be possible to provide a
like vehicle as a courtesy rental.Additional Program
Information
All program options, such as
shuttle service, may not be available
at every dealer. Please contact
the dealer for specific information
about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will
be administered by appropriate
dealer personnel.
General Motors reserves the
right to unilaterally modify,
change, or discontinue Courtesy
Transportation at any time and
to resolve all questions of claim
eligibility pursuant to the terms and
conditions described herein at its
sole discretion.

Black plate (14,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
13-14 Customer Information
Insuring The Vehicle
Protect your investment in the
GM vehicle with comprehensive
and collision insurance coverage.
There are significant differences
in the quality of coverage afforded
by various insurance policy terms.
Many insurance policies provide
reduced protection to the GM
vehicle by limiting compensation
for damage repairs by using
aftermarket collision parts.
Some insurance companies
will not specify aftermarket collision
parts. When purchasing insurance,
we recommend that you ensure
that the vehicle will be repaired with
GM original equipment collision
parts. If such insurance coverage
is not available from your current
insurance carrier, consider switching
to another insurance carrier.If the vehicle is leased, the leasing
company may require you to have
insurance that ensures repairs with
Genuine GM Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM) parts or
Genuine Manufacturer replacement
parts. Read the lease carefully, as
you may be charged at the end of
the lease for poor quality repairs.
If a Crash Occurs
If there has been an injury, call
emergency services for help.
Do not leave the scene of a crash
until all matters have been taken
care of. Move the vehicle only if its
position puts you in danger, or you
are instructed to move it by a police
officer.
Give only the necessary information
to police and other parties involved
in the crash.
For emergency towing see
Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑8
or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10. Gather the following information:
.Driver name, address, and
telephone number.
.Driver license number.
.Owner name, address, and
telephone number.
.Vehicle license plate number.
.Vehicle make, model, and
model year.
.Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN).
.Insurance company and policy
number.
.General description of the
damage to the other vehicle.
Choose a reputable repair facility
that uses quality replacement parts.
See “Collision Parts” earlier in this
section.
If the airbag has inflated, see What
Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates? on page 3‑35.

Black plate (15,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Customer Information 13-15
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that the vehicle
requires damage repairs, GM
recommends that you take an
active role in its repair. If you
have a pre-determined repair
facility of choice, take the vehicle
there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any
required replacement collision
parts be original equipment parts,
either new Genuine GM parts
or recycled original GM parts.
Remember, recycled parts will
not be covered by the GM vehicle
warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
the repair professional, and insist
on Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if the vehicle is leased, you may
be obligated to have the vehicle
repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept
a repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision
policy repair limits, as you have
no contractual limits with that
company. In such cases, you can
have control of the repair and parts
choices as long as the cost stays
within reasonable limits.
Service Publications
Ordering Information
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the
diagnosis and repair information
on the engines, transmission, axle,
suspension, brakes, electrical,
steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions
to assist in the diagnosis and
service of the vehicle.

Black plate (16,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
13-16 Customer Information
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specifically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle.
The Owner Manual includes
the Maintenance Schedule
for all models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Booklet.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$35.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Without Portfolio: Owner
Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Current and Past Models
Technical Service Bulletins and
Manuals are available for current
and past model GM vehicles.
ORDER TOLL FREE:
1-800-551-4123 Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time
For Credit Card Orders Only
(VISA-MasterCard-Discover), visit
Helm, Inc. at: www.helminc.com.
Or write to:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
Prices are subject to change
without notice and without incurring
obligation. Allow ample time for
delivery.
All listed prices are quoted in
U.S. funds. Make checks payable
in U.S. funds.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Reporting Safety Defects
to the United States
Government
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying
General Motors.
If NHTSA receives similar
complaints, it may open an
investigation, and if it finds
that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order
a recall and remedy campaign.

Black plate (18,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
13-18 Customer Information
Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
This GM vehicle has a number of
sophisticated computers that record
information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven.
For example, the vehicle uses
computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment
and deploy airbags in a crash, and,
if so equipped, to provide antilock
braking to help the driver control the
vehicle. These modules may store
data to help the dealer technician
service the vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate of
fuel consumption or average speed.
These modules may also retain the
owner’s personal preferences, such
as radio pre-sets, seat positions,
and temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose
of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an airbag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that
will assist in understanding how
a vehicle's systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record
data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
.How various systems in the
vehicle were operating.
.Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened.
.How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal.
.How fast the vehicle was
traveling. This data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances
in which crashes and injuries occur.
Important:
EDR data is recorded
by the vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is
recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal
data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) is recorded.
However, other parties, such as
law enforcement, could combine
the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data
routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR,
special equipment is required, and
access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the
information if they have access
to the vehicle or the EDR.

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
13-20 Customer Information
Radio Frequency
Statement
This vehicle has systems that
operate on a radio frequency that
comply with Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and with Industry Canada
Standards RSS‐210/220/310.
Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. The device may not causeinterference.
2. The device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation of the
device.
Changes or modifications to any
of these systems by other than an
authorized service facility could void
authorization to use this equipment.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-3
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-1
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
ChargingSystem Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-28
Child Restraints
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-52
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-61, 3-63
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39 Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Climate Control Systems Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5, 5-6
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-13
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-72
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-6 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5, 13-6
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-15
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1, 13-3