2011 BUICK LACROSSE check engine

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑8 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑10. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about
5 cm (2 in) on the side of
the vehicle that is away from
the wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets
on or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside
the vehicle and set the fan
speed to the highest setting.
See Climate Control System
in the Index.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑27.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (Carbon
Monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm,
but be careful.

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
3. Come to a complete stop, shiftto P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑33.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
5. If the vehicle must be shut off while driving, switch the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY. ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber LED
Light):
This mode allows you to
use some electrical accessories
when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from
ACC/ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
run down.
ON/RUN/START (Green LED
Light): This mode is for driving
and starting. With the ignition
off, and the brake pedal applied,
pressing the button once will
place the ignition system in
ON/RUN/START. Once engine
cranking begins, release the
button. Engine cranking will
continue until the engine starts.
See Starting the Engine on
page 9‑20 for more information.
The ignition will then remain in
ON/RUN.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Notice: The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and
the vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might be
heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little.
This is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21.
If driving safely on a wet road
and it becomes necessary to
slam on the brakes and continue
braking to avoid a sudden obstacle,
a computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel. ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.

Black plate (33,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-33
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The switch for the
EPB is in the center console.The EPB can always be activated,
even if the ignition is off. To prevent
draining the battery, avoid repeated
cycles of the EPB system when the
engine is not running.
The system has a parking brake
status light and a parking brake
warning light. See
Electric Parking
Brake Light on page 5‑20. There are
also three Driver Information Center
(DIC) messages. See Brake System
Messages on page 5‑33 for more
information. In case of insufficient
electrical power, the EPB cannot
be applied or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.

Black plate (51,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-51
You can also use regular unleaded
gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher, but the vehicle's acceleration
could be slightly reduced, and
a slight audible knocking noise,
commonly referred to as spark
knock, might be heard. If the octane
is less than 87, a heavy knocking
noise might be heard when driving.
If this occurs, use a gasoline rated
at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you could
damage the engine. If heavy
knocking is heard when using
gasoline rated at 87 octane or
higher, the engine needs service.Gasoline Specifications
(U.S. and Canada Only)
At a minimum, gasoline
should meet ASTM specification
D 4814 in the United States or
CAN/CGSB‐3.5 or 3.511 in Canada.
Some gasolines contain an
octane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese
tricarbonyl (MMT). We recommend
against the use of gasolines
containing MMT. SeeFuel Additives
on page 9‑52 for additional
information.
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards,
it is designed to operate on fuels
that meet California specifications.
See the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑17. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (52,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-52 Driving and Operating
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask
an auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives
that help prevent engine and fuel
system deposits from forming,
allowing the emission control
system to work properly. In most
cases, nothing should have to be
added to the fuel. However, some
gasolines contain only the minimum
amount of additive required to meetU.S. Environmental Protection
Agency regulations. To help keep
fuel injectors and intake valves
clean and avoid problems due to
dirty injectors or valves, look for
gasoline that is advertised as
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.
Look for the TOP TIER label on
the fuel pump to ensure gasoline
meets enhanced detergency
standards developed by the auto
companies. A list of marketers
providing TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline
regularly, one bottle of GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS, added
to the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help clean deposits
from fuel injectors and intake
valves. GM Fuel System Treatment
PLUS is the only gasoline additive
recommended by General Motors.
It is available at your dealer.
Gasolines containing oxygenates,
such as ethers and ethanol,
and reformulated gasolines
might be available in your area.
We recommend that you use these
gasolines, if they comply with the
specifications described earlier.
However, E85 (85% ethanol) and
other fuels containing more than
10% ethanol must not be used in
vehicles that were not designed
for those fuels.
Notice:
This vehicle was not
designed for fuel that contains
methanol. Do not use fuel
containing methanol. It can
corrode metal parts in the fuel
system and also damage plastic
and rubber parts. That damage
would not be covered under the
vehicle warranty.

Black plate (56,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-56 Driving and Operating
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
{WARNING
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the brakes may
not work well—or even at all.
The driver and passengers
could be seriously injured.
The vehicle may also be
damaged; the resulting repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle. The vehicle can tow a trailer when
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment. For trailering
capacity, see
Trailer Towing on
page 9‑60. Trailering changes
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability and fuel economy.
With the added weight, the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies and
tires are forced to work harder and
under greater loads. The trailer also
adds wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements. For safe
trailering, correctly use the proper
trailering equipment.
The following information has
important trailering tips and rules
for your safety and that of your
passengers. Read this section
carefully before pulling a trailer.
Pulling a Trailer
Here are some important points:
.There are many laws, including
speed limit restrictions that apply
to trailering. Check for legal
requirements.
.Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 1 600 km (1,000 mi)
the new vehicle is driven.
The engine, axle or other
parts could be damaged.
.During the first 800 km (500 mi)
that a trailer is towed, do not
drive over 80 km/h (50 mph)
and do not make starts at full
throttle. This reduces wear on
the vehicle.
.The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often.

Black plate (58,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-58 Driving and Operating
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with
the vehicle. The vehicle could
be damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal so the
trailer will not strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Use the turn signal well in
advance and avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers.
Turn Signals when Towing a
Trailer
The turn signal indicators on the
instrument panel flash whenever
signaling a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer
lamps also flash, telling other
drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes or stopping.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a
lower gear before starting down
a long or steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down,
the brakes might have to be used
so much that they would get hot
and no longer work well. The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the transmission
shifts too often.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, engine coolant
boils at a lower temperature than
at normal altitudes. If the engine is
turned off immediately after towing
at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, the vehicle could show
signs similar to engine overheating.
To avoid this, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission in
P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating on page 10‑21.