2011 BUICK LACROSSE height

Black plate (48,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
3-48 Seats and Restraints
Q: What are the different types ofadd-on child restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints, which
are purchased by the vehicle
owner, are available in four
basic types. Selection of a
particular restraint should take
into consideration not only
the child's weight, height, and
age but also whether or not
the restraint will be compatible
with the motor vehicle in which
it will be used.
For most basic types of child
restraints, there are many
different models available.
When purchasing a child
restraint, be sure it is designed
to be used in a motor vehicle.
If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal
motor vehicle safety standards. The restraint manufacturer's
instructions that come with the
restraint state the weight and
height limitations for a particular
child restraint. In addition, there
are many kinds of restraints
available for children with
special needs.
{WARNING
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury during a crash,
infants need complete support.
This is because an infant's neck
is not fully developed and its head
weighs so much compared with
the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing child
restraint settles into the restraint,
so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest
part of an infant's body, the back
and shoulders. Infants should
always be secured in rear-facing
child restraints.
{WARNING
A young child's hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle's regular
safety belt may not remain low
on the hip bones, as it should.
Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by
any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during
a crash, young children should
always be secured in appropriate
child restraints.

Black plate (60,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
3-60 Seats and Restraints
3. Store the head restraint in thetrunk of the vehicle.
4. When the child restraint is removed, reinstall the head
restraint before the seating
position is used.
{WARNING
With head restraints that are
not installed and adjusted
properly, there is a greater
chance that occupants will suffer
a neck/spinal injury in a crash.
Do not drive until the head
restraints for all occupants are
installed and adjusted properly. To reinstall the head restraint:
1. Insert the head restraint posts
into the holes in the top of the
seatback. The notches (A) on
the posts must face the driver
side of the vehicle. 2. Push the head restraint down.
If necessary, press the height
adjustment release button to
further lower the head restraint.
See Head Restraints on
page 3‑2.
3. Try to move the head restraint to make sure that it is locked in
place.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-32 Instruments and Controls
All formats will show the turn-by-turn
navigation information and provide
details about the next driving
maneuver to be made. When
you near your destination, the
HUD will display a distance bar
that will empty the closer you get
to your destination. All navigation
information is provided to the HUD
by the navigation radio or OnStar
®
service, for vehicles that have these
features.
English Shown, Metric Similar
The HUD image displayed on
the windshield will automatically
dim and brighten to compensate
for outside lighting. However, the
HUD brightness control can still
be adjusted as needed. The HUD image can temporarily
light up depending on the angle
and position of the sunlight on the
HUD display. This is normal and
will change when the angle of
the sunlight on the HUD display
changes.
Polarized sunglasses could make
the HUD image harder to see.
Care of the HUD
Clean the inside of the windshield
as needed to remove any dirt or film
that could reduce the sharpness or
clarity of the HUD image.
To clean the HUD lens, use a soft,
clean cloth that has household glass
cleaner sprayed on it. Wipe the
HUD lens gently, then dry it. Do not
spray cleaner directly on the lens
because the cleaner could leak into
the unit.
If You Cannot See the HUD
Image When the Ignition Is On
.Is anything covering the
HUD lens?
.Is the HUD dimmer setting bright
enough?
.Is the HUD image adjusted to
the proper height?
.Are you wearing polarized
sunglasses?
.Still no HUD image? Check the
fuse in the instrument panel fuse
block. See
Instrument Panel
Fuse Block on page 10‑42.
If the HUD Image Is Not Clear
.Is the HUD image too bright?
.Are the windshield and HUD
lens clean?
If the HUD image is not correct,
contact your dealer.
Keep in mind that the windshield is
part of the HUD system.

Black plate (44,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating
Side Blind Zone
Alert (SBZA)
The vehicle may have a Side
Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) system.
Read this entire section before
using the system.
{WARNING
SBZA is only a lane changing
aid and does not replace driver
vision. SBZA does not detect:
.Vehicles outside the side
blind zones which may be
rapidly approaching.
.Pedestrians, bicyclists,
or animals.
Failure to use proper care when
changing lanes may result in
damage to the vehicle, injury,
or death. Always check the
outside and rearview mirrors,
glance over your shoulder,
and use the turn signal before
changing lanes. When the system detects a vehicle
in the side blind zone, amber
SBZA displays will light up in the
side mirrors. This indicates that it
may be unsafe to change lanes.
Before making a lane change,
always check the SBZA display,
check the outside and rearview
mirrors, look over your shoulder
for vehicles and hazards, and use
the turn signal.
SBZA Detection Zones
The SBZA sensor covers a
zone of approximately one lane
over from both sides of the vehicle,
or 3.5 m (11 ft). This zone starts
at each side mirror and goes
back approximately 5.0 m (16 ft.).
The height of the zone is
approximately between 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
and 2.0 m (6 ft) off the ground.
The SBZA detection zones do not
change if the vehicle is towing a
trailer. So be extra careful when
changing lanes while towing a
trailer.
How the System Works
Left Side Mirror
DisplayRight Side Mirror Display
When the vehicle is started, both
outside mirror displays will briefly
come on to indicate that the system
is operating. While driving forward,
the left or right side mirror SBZA
display will light up if a vehicle is
detected in that blind zone. If you
activate a turn signal and a vehicle
has been detected on the same
side, the SBZA display will flash
to give you extra warning not to
change lanes.

Black plate (25,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-25
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when
the brakes are first applied or
lightly applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear
and evenly tighten wheel nuts
in the proper sequence to torque
specifications inCapacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake
pedal does not return to normal
height, or if there is a rapid increase
in pedal travel. This could be a
sign that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front
and rear brakes —for the worse.
The braking performance expected
can change in many other ways if
the wrong replacement brake parts
are installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake master cylinder reservoir
is filled with DOT 3 brake fluid
as indicated on the reservoir cap.
See Engine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why
the brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake
hydraulic system can also cause
a low fluid level. Have the brake
hydraulic system fixed, since a
leak means that sooner or later
the brakes will not work well.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-32 Vehicle Care
4. At the wall, measure fromthe ground upward (A) to
the recorded distance from
Step 3 and mark it.
5. Draw or tape a horizontal line (B) on the wall the width of the
vehicle at the height of the
mark in Step 4.
Notice: Do not cover a headlamp
to improve beam cut-off when
aiming. Covering a headlamp may
cause excessive heat build-up
which may cause damage to the
headlamp. 6. Turn on the low-beam
headlamps and place a
piece of cardboard or equivalent
in front of the headlamp not
being adjusted. This allows
only the beam of light from
the headlamp being adjusted
to be seen on the flat surface.
Base
Uplevel
7. Locate the vertical headlamp aiming screw, which are under
the hood near each headlamp
assembly.
8. Turn the vertical aiming screw until the headlamp
beam is aimed to the horizontal
tape line. Turn it clockwise or
counterclockwise to raise or
lower the angle of the beam.

Black plate (48,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-48 Vehicle Care
See your dealer for details
regarding winter tire availability
and proper tire selection. Also, see
Buying New Tires on page 10‑64.
If using snow tires:
.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
.Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a
tire is molded into its sidewall.
The examples below show a
typical passenger vehicle tire
and a compact spare tire
sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is
a combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height, aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size”
illustration later in this
section for more detail.
(B) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
(C) DOT (Department
of Transportation)
:The
Department of Transportation
(DOT) code indicates that
the tire is in compliance
with the U.S. Department of
Transportation Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards.

Black plate (50,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-50 Vehicle Care
(C) Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the DOT
(Department of Transportation)
code is the Tire Identification
Number (TIN). The TIN shows
the manufacturer and plant
code, tire size, and date the tire
was manufactured. The TIN is
molded onto both sides of the
tire, although only one side may
have the date of manufacture.
(D) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load.
(E) Tire Inflation
:The
temporary use tire or compact
spare tire should be inflated
to 420 kPa (60 psi). For more
information on tire pressure
and inflation see Tire Pressure
on page 10‑54. (F) Tire Size
:A combination
of letters and numbers define a
tire's width, height, aspect ratio,
construction type, and service
description. The letter T as the
first character in the tire size
means the tire is for temporary
use only.
(G) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.
GM's TPC specifications meet
or exceed all federal safety
guidelines.
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following is an example
of a typical passenger vehicle
tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version
of a metric tire sizing system.
The letter P as the first
character in the tire size
means a passenger vehicle
tire engineered to standards
set by the U.S. Tire and Rim
Association.