2011 BUICK LACROSSE ECU

Black plate (53,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-53
Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (A) are metal bars
built into the vehicle. There are
two lower anchors for each
LATCH seating position that will
accommodate a child restraint
with lower attachments (B).
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (A, C) anchors the
top of the child restraint to the
vehicle. A top tether anchor is
built into the vehicle. The top tether
attachment (B) on the child restraint
connects to the top tether anchor
in the vehicle in order to reduce the
forward movement and rotation of
the child restraint during driving or
in a crash.The child restraint may have
a single tether (A) or a dual
tether (C). Either will have a
single attachment (B) to secure
the top tether to the anchor.
Some child restraints that have
a top tether are designed for use
with or without the top tether being
attached. Others require the top
tether always to be attached.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether
be attached. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions for the child
restraint.

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Seats and Restraints 3-55
Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be attached, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be attached.
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer
when properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position. SeeWhere to Put the
Restraint on page 3‑51 for
additional information.Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured
or killed. Install a LATCH-type
child restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one
child restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.

Black plate (56,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
3-56 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt
is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint
so children cannot reach them.
Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed.
Notice: Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments. Do not fold the empty rear
seat with a safety belt buckled.
This could damage the safety
belt or the seat. Unbuckle and
return the safety belt to its
stowed position, before folding
the seat.
If you need to secure more than
one child restraint in the rear seat,
see
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑51.
You cannot secure three child
restraints using the LATCH anchors
in the rear seat at the same time,
but you can install two of them.
If you want to do this, install
one LATCH child restraint in
the passenger-side position, and
install the other one either in the
driver-side position or in the center
position. If you need to install child
restraints in both the center and
driver‐side position, the one in the
center seating position will need to
be secured using the vehicle safety
belts instead of the LATCH anchors. Refer to the following illustration to
learn which anchors to use.
A. Passenger Side Rear
Seating Position and Lower
Anchors 1 and 2
B. Center Rear Seating Position and Lower Anchors 3 and 4
C. Driver Side Rear Seating Position and Lower
Anchors 4 and 5

Black plate (57,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-57
There are five lower LATCH anchors
in the rear seat.
.Use anchors 1 and 2 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in seating position A.
.Use anchors 3 and 4 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in seating position B.
.Use anchors 4 and 5 when
installing a child restraint using
LATCH in seating position C.
Installing child restraints using
LATCH in seating positions B and C
at the same time is prohibited.
Make sure to attach the child
restraint at the proper anchor
location. This system is designed to make
installation of child restraints easier.
When using lower anchors, do
not use the vehicle's safety belts.
Instead use the vehicle's anchors
and child restraint attachments
to secure the restraints. Some
restraints also use another vehicle
anchor to secure a top tether.
1. Attach and tighten the
lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child
restraint does not have lower
attachments or the desired
seating position does not have
lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and
the safety belts. Refer to the
child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions
in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating
position. 1.2. Put the child restraint on
the seat.
If the head restraint
interferes with the proper
installation of the child
restraint, the head restraint
may be removed. See
“Head Restraint Removal
and Reinstallation” at the
end of this section.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child
restraint to the lower
anchors.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether
be attached, attach and tighten
the top tether to the top tether
anchor, if equipped. Refer to the
child restraint instructions and
the following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
Open the cover to expose
the anchor.

Black plate (59,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-59
.If the position you are using
has an adjustable headrest
or head restraint and you
are using a dual tether
route the tether around the
headrest or head restraint.
3. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
LATCH path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. There should be
no more than 2.5 cm (1 in)
of movement, for proper
installation.
Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation
The rear outboard head restraints
can be removed if they interfere with
the proper installation of the child
restraint.
To remove the head restraint:
1. Partially fold the seatbackforward. See Rear Seats on
page 3‑11 for additional
information.
2. Press both buttons on the head restraint posts at the same
time, and pull up on the head
restraint.

Black plate (61,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-61
Replacing LATCH System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the
LATCH system in the vehicle.
A damaged LATCH system may
not properly secure the child
restraint, resulting in serious
injury or even death in a crash.
To help make sure the LATCH
system is working properly after
a crash, see your dealer to have
the system inspected and any
necessary replacements made
as soon as possible.
If the vehicle has the LATCH system
and it was being used during a
crash, new LATCH system parts
may be needed.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the LATCH
system was not being used at
the time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints
(Rear Seat)
When securing a child restraint in
a rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with the
child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
If the child restraint has the
LATCH system, see Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint
is secured in the vehicle using a
safety belt and it uses a top tether,
see Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52 for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored,
or if the instructions that come
with the child restraint say that
the top strap must be anchored. If the child restraint does not have
the LATCH system, you will be
using the safety belt to secure
the child restraint in this position.
Be sure to follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
Secure the child in the child restraint
when and as the instructions say.
If more than one child restraint
needs to be installed in the rear
seat, be sure to read
Where to Put
the Restraint on page 3‑51.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
If the head restraint interferes
with the proper installation
of the child restraint, the head
restraint may be removed.
See “Head Restraint Removal
and Reinstallation” under
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑52.

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Seats and Restraints 3-63
6. If the child restraint has a toptether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for
more information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure
it is securely held in place.
To check, grasp the child
restraint at the safety belt
path and attempt to move it
side‐to‐side and back‐and‐forth.
When the child restraint is
properly installed, there should
be no more than 2.5 cm (1 in)
of movement. To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt
and let it return to the stowed
position. If the top tether is
attached to a top tether anchor,
disconnect it. If the head restraint
was removed, reinstall it before
the seating position is used.
See
“Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation” underLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for additional
information on installing the head
restraint properly.Securing Child Restraints
(Front Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure
a forward-facing child restraint.
See Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑51.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which
is designed to turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
and seat‐mounted side impact
airbag under certain conditions.
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑37 andPassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 5‑15
for more information, including
important safety information.

Black plate (64,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
3-64 Seats and Restraints
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front.”This is because the risk
to the rear-facing child is so great if
the airbag deploys.
{WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates and the
passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag,
no system is fail-safe. No one
can guarantee that an airbag will
not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the right front seat, always move
the front passenger seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑37 for additional
information. If the child restraint has the
LATCH system, see
Lower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑52 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint
is secured using a safety belt and
it uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑52
for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored,
or if the instructions that come with
the child restraint say that the top
strap must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.