2011 BUICK LACROSSE cruise control

Black plate (25,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
Front Fog Lamp Light
For vehicles with fog lamps, this
light comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The light goes out when the fog
lamps are turned off. SeeFog
Lamps on page 6‑5 for more
information.
Taillamp Indicator Light
This light comes on when the
taillamps are in use.
Cruise Control Light
This light is white whenever the
cruise control is set and turns green
when the cruise control is active.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑39 for more
information.
For vehicles with the uplevel cluster,
this telltale will be shown in the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
screen.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
displays information about the
vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem
is detected. See Vehicle Messages
on page 5‑33 for more information.
All messages appear in the DIC
display located in the center of
the instrument panel cluster.
On some models, the DIC may
have some warning lights or
indicators shown in the top portion
of the display. See Warning Lights,
Gauges, and Indicators on page 5‑9
for more information.
The vehicle may also have features
that can be customized through the
controls on the radio. See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑39 for
more information.

Black plate (34,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-34 Instruments and Controls
RELEASE PARK BRAKE
SWITCH
This message is displayed if the
electric parking brake is on while
the vehicle is in motion. Release
it before you attempt to drive.
SeeParking Brake on page 9‑33
for more information.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message may be displayed
when there is a problem with
the brake boost assist system.
When this message is displayed,
the brake boost assist motor
might be heard operating and
you might notice pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal under
these conditions. Take the vehicle
to your dealer for service.
SERVICE PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed when
there is a problem with the electric
parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 9‑33 for more information.
Take the vehicle to your dealer.
Compass Messages
CAL
This message is displayed when
the compass needs to be calibrated.
See Compass on page 5‑5.
– – –
Three dashes will be displayed if the
compass needs service. See your
dealer for service.
Cruise Control Messages
APPLY BRAKE BEFORE
CRUISE
If this message displays when
attempting to activate cruise control,
apply the brake pedal and try again.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑39 for more
information.
Door Ajar Messages
DRIVER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver door is open. Close the door
completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display when
the hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
driver side rear door is open. Close
the door completely.
PASSENGER DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
front passenger door is open. Close
the door completely.
RIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN
This message will display when the
passenger side rear door is open.
Close the door completely.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-11
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions(Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-28
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . 9-38
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-38
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-42
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46

Black plate (8,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑46.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention
to your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find
a safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
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.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{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.

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9
{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.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑32 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance
on any slippery road and watch
for slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain
icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (38,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-38 Driving and Operating
StabiliTrak comes on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started.
To assist with directional control
of the vehicle, the system should
always be left on.
StabiliTrak can be turned off
if needed by pressing and
holding
guntil the StabiliTrak
Off light comes on the instrument
panel. For information on turning
TCS off and on, see Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑36.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
Press the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑39 for more information.
Limited-Slip Differential
Vehicles with a limited-slip
differential can give more traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand, or gravel.
It works like a standard differential
most of the time, but when traction
is low, this feature allows the drive
wheel with the most traction to
move the vehicle.
Selective Ride Control
The vehicle may have a ride control
system called Selective Ride
Control. The system provides the
following performance benefits:
.Reduced Impact Harshness
.Improved Road Isolation
.Improved High-Speed Stability
.Improved Handling Response
.Better Control of Body Ride
Motions To switch from TOUR to SPORT
mode, move the shift lever to
the left while the transmission
is in D (Drive).
TOUR:
Use for normal city and
highway driving. This setting
provides a smooth, soft ride.
SPORT: Use where road conditions
or personal preference demand
more control. This setting provides
more “feel,” or response to road
conditions through increased
steering effort and suspension
tuning.
The setting can be changed at any
time. Based on road conditions,
steering wheel angle, and vehicle
speed, the system automatically
adjusts to provide the best handling
while providing a smooth ride.
The TOUR and SPORT modes
will feel similar on a smooth road.

Black plate (39,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-39
Cruise Control
With cruise control, the vehicle can
maintain a speed of about 40 km/h
(25 mph) or more without keeping
your foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below 40 km/h (25 mph).
On vehicles with the Traction
Control System (TCS) or Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), the system
may begin to limit wheel spin
while you are using cruise control.
If this happens, the cruise control
will automatically disengage. See
Traction Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑36orElectronic Stability
Control (ESC) on page 9‑37.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.
The cruise control buttons are
located on the steering wheel.
5(On/Off): Press to turn the
cruise control system on and off.
An indicator light will turn on or
off in the instrument panel cluster.
\(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.

Black plate (40,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-40 Driving and Operating
RES/+ (Resume/Accelerate):
Move the thumbwheel up to make
the vehicle resume to a previously
set speed or to accelerate.
SET/−(Set/Coast): Move the
thumbwheel down to set the speed
and activate cruise control or make
the vehicle decelerate.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
1. Press
5to turn the cruise
control system on. The indicator
light in the instrument panel
cluster comes on.
2. Get to the speed desired. 3. Move the thumbwheel down
toward SET/− and release it.
The desired set speed briefly
appears in the instrument panel
cluster.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied or the Cancel button
is pressed, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle reaches about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more, move
the thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. The vehicle returns to the
previous set speed and stays there. Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Move the thumbwheel up
toward RES/+ and hold it until
the vehicle accelerates to
the desired speed, and then
release it.
.To increase the speed in small
amounts, move the thumbwheel
up toward RES/+ briefly and
then release it. Each time this
is done, the vehicle goes about
1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.