Page 179 of 462

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-7
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce
all the power needed for very
high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on,
such as: headlamps, high beams,
fog lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.It can increase engine idle speed
to generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur
in steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a Driver Information
Center (DIC) message might be
displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25.Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If the exterior lamps or any interior
light is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown
protection system automatically
turns the lamp off after about
10 minutes.
Page 299 of 462

Black plate (49,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-49
Rear Vision Camera Location
The camera is located above the
license plate.
The area displayed by the camera is
limited. It does not display objects
that are close to either corner or
under the bumper and can vary
depending on vehicle orientation or
road conditions. The distance of the
image that appears on the screen is
different from the actual distance.
The following illustration shows
the field of view that the camera
provides.
A. View displayed by the camera.
B. Corner of the rear bumper.
When the System Does Not
Seem to Work Properly
The RVC system may not work
properly or display a clear image if:
.The RVC is turned off.
See“Turning the Rear Camera
System On or Off” earlier in
this section.
.It is dark.
.The sun or the beam of
headlamps are shining directly
into the camera lens.
.Ice, snow, mud, or anything else
builds up on the camera lens.
Clean the lens, rinse it with
water, and wipe it with a soft
cloth.
.The back of the vehicle is in
an accident. The position and
mounting angle of the camera
can change or the camera can
be affected. Be sure to have
the camera and its position and
mounting angle checked at your
dealer.
Page 343 of 462
Black plate (31,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-31
.The vehicle should be placed so
it is perpendicular to the wall or
other flat surface.
.The vehicle should not have any
snow, ice, or mud on it.
.The vehicle should be fully
assembled and all other work
stopped while headlamp aiming
is being performed.
.The vehicle should be normally
loaded with a full tank of fuel and
one person or 75 kg (160 lbs)
sitting in the driver seat.
.Tires should be properly inflated.
Headlamp aiming is done with the
vehicle's low-beam headlamps.
The high-beam headlamps will be
correctly aimed if the low-beam
headlamps are aimed properly. To adjust the vertical aim:
1. Open the hood. See
Hood on
page 10‑5.
Base
Uplevel
2. Locate the aim dot on the lens of the low‐beam headlamp.
3. Measure the distance from the ground to the aim dot on the
low‐beam headlamp. Record
the distance.
Page 344 of 462
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.
Page 345 of 462

Black plate (33,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-33
9. Make sure that the lightfrom the headlamp is positioned
at the bottom edge of the
horizontal tape line. The lamp
on the left (A) shows the correct
headlamp aim. The lamp on
the right (B) shows the incorrect
headlamp aim.
10. Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for the opposite headlamp.
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, see Replacement Bulbs on
page 10‑37.
For any bulb changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting
{WARNING
The low beam high intensity
discharge lighting system
operates at a very high voltage.
If you try to service any of the
system components, you could
be seriously injured. Have your
dealer or a qualified technician
service them.
After an HID headlamp bulb has
been replaced, the beam might be
a slightly different shade than it was
originally. This is normal.
Page 346 of 462
Black plate (34,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-34 Vehicle Care
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps
Base Headlamp Assembly
The base model vehicle has a
halogen high-beam headlamp,
a low-beam/Daytime Running
Lamp (DRL) headlamp, and a
turn signal/parking lamp on the
headlamp assembly.
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the hood. SeeHood on
page 10‑5.
A. Low-Beam Headlamp/DRL
B. High-Beam Headlamp
C. Parking/Turn Signal Lamp
2. If replacing a headlamp bulb, remove the dust cover from the
back of the headlamp housing
by turning counterclockwise
one‐quarter turn. 3. Remove the bulb socket
from the headlamp by
turning counterclockwise
one‐quarter turn.
4. Remove the bulb from the socket. If replacing the
high/low‐beam bulb, pry the
two clips on either end of the
bulb and pull straight out.
5. Install the new bulb in the socket.
Page 347 of 462

Black plate (35,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-35
6. Install the bulb socket by turningclockwise one‐quarter turn.
7. If a headlamp bulb was replaced, install the dust cover
in the back of the headlamp
housing by turning clockwise
one‐quarter turn.
Uplevel Headlamp Assembly
The uplevel model vehicle has
a high intensity discharge (HID)
high/low beam, a dedicated DRL
and a parking/turn signal lamp on
the headlamp assembly. See High
Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting
on page 10‑33 for more information.
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
A. DRL Lamp
B. Parking/Turn Signal Lamp
2. Turn the bulb socket counterclockwise to remove it
from the headlamp assembly.
3. Pull the bulb straight out from the socket.
4. Push the new bulb into the socket and reinstall the socket
into the headlamp assembly by
turning it clockwise.
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps
A. Turn Signal Lamp
B. Back–Up Lamp
To replace one of these lamps:
1. Open the trunk. See Trunk on
page 2‑12.
2. Remove fasteners and pull back the trunk trim.
Page 349 of 462
Black plate (37,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-37
A. Bulb Socket
B. Bulb
C. Lamp Assembly3. Turn the bulb socket (A)
counterclockwise to remove it
from the lamp assembly (C).
4. Pull the bulb (B) straight out of the bulb socket.
5. Push the replacement bulb straight into the bulb socket and
turn the bulb socket clockwise to
install it into the lamp assembly.
6. Move the lamp assembly into the trunk lid engaging the clip
side first.
7. Push on the lamp side opposite the clip until the lamp assembly
snaps into place.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamp Bulb
Number
Back-Up Lamp W16WLL
Daytime Running
Lamp (Uplevel) 3157K LCP
Front Turn Signal/
Parking Lamp 3757NAK
LCP
Headlamp High
Beam (Base) H9
Headlamp Low
Beam (Base) H11LL
License Plate Lamp W5WLL
Rear Turn Signal 3757AK
LCP
For replacement bulbs not listed
here, contact your dealer.