Black plate (46,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-46 Vehicle Care
Mini Fuses Usage31 Electronic
Suspension Control
32 Rear Seat
Infotainment
33 All‐Wheel Drive
J‐Case Fuses Usage
1 Not Used
2 Not Used
3 Not Used
4 Not Used
9 Not Used
10 Not Used
11 Not Used J‐Case
Fuses Usage
13 Not Used
14 Not Used
34 Not Used
35 PEPS
36 Not Used
37 Not Used
Relays Usage
K1 Not Used
K2 Seat Ventilation,
Sunshade
K3 Heated Steering
Wheel
K4 Not UsedWheels and Tires
Tires
Every new GM vehicle has
high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer.
See the warranty manual
for information regarding
the tire warranty and where
to get service. For additional
information refer to the tire
manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a
result of too much flexing.
There could be a blowout and
a serious crash. See Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12.
(Continued)
Black plate (47,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-47
WARNING (Continued)
.Underinflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when
the tires are cold.
.Overinflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when
hitting a pothole. Keep
tires at the recommended
pressure.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Worn or old tires can cause
a crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such
as snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
Winter Tires
Consider installing winter tires
on the vehicle if frequent driving
on snow or ice covered roads is
expected. All season tires provide
good overall performance on most
surfaces, but they may not offer
the traction or the same level of
performance as winter tires on
snow or ice covered roads.
Winter tires, in general, are
designed for increased traction
on snow and ice covered roads.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
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 (49,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-49
(D) Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
:The letters
and numbers following the DOT
(Department of Transportation)
code are 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.
(E) Tire Ply Material
:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread.
(F) Uniform Tire Quality
Grading (UTQG)
:Tire
manufacturers are required
to grade tires based on
three performance factors:
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance.
For more information
see Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑66. (G) Maximum Cold Inflation
Load Limit
:Maximum load
that can be carried and the
maximum pressure needed
to support that load.
Compact Spare Tire Example
(A) Tire Ply Material:The type
of cord and number of plies in
the sidewall and under the tread. (B) Temporary Use Only
:
The compact spare tire or
temporary use tire has a
tread life of approximately
5 000 km (3,000 mi) and should
not be driven at speeds over
105 km/h (65 mph). The compact
spare tire is for emergency use
when a regular road tire has
lost air and gone flat. If the
vehicle has a compact spare
tire, see
Compact Spare Tire on
page 10‑85 andIf a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑70.
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.
Black plate (53,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-53
Outward Facing Sidewall:
The side of an asymmetrical
tire that has a particular side
that faces outward when
mounted on a vehicle. The
side of the tire that contains a
whitewall, bears white lettering,
or bears manufacturer, brand,
and/or model name molding
that is higher or deeper than
the same moldings on the
other sidewall of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire
:
A tire used on passenger cars
and some light duty trucks and
multipurpose vehicles.
Recommended Inflation
Pressure
:Vehicle
manufacturer's recommended
tire inflation pressure as
shown on the tire placard.
See Tire Pressure on
page 10‑54 andVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12. Radial Ply Tire
:A pneumatic
tire in which the ply cords that
extend to the beads are laid at
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Rim
:A metal support for a tire
and upon which the tire beads
are seated.
Sidewall
:The portion of a tire
between the tread and the bead.
Speed Rating
:An
alphanumeric code assigned to
a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can
operate.
Traction
:The friction between
the tire and the road surface.
The amount of grip provided.
Tread
:The portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road. Treadwear Indicators
:Narrow
bands, sometimes called wear
bars, that show across the
tread of a tire when only 1.6 mm
(1/16 in) of tread remains.
See When It Is Time for New
Tires on page 10‑63.
UTQGS (Uniform Tire
Quality Grading Standards)
:
A tire information system that
provides consumers with
ratings for a tire's traction,
temperature, and treadwear.
Ratings are determined by
tire manufacturers using
government testing procedures.
The ratings are molded into
the sidewall of the tire.
See Uniform Tire Quality
Grading on page 10‑66.
Black plate (54,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
10-54 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Capacity Weight:
The number of designated
seating positions multiplied by
68 kg (150 lbs) plus the rated
cargo load. SeeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑12.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the
Tire
:Load on an individual tire
due to curb weight, accessory
weight, occupant weight, and
cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard
:A label
permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the vehicle
capacity weight and the
original equipment tire size
and recommended inflation
pressure. See “Tire and
Loading Information Label”
under Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑12.
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount
of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice: Neither tire
underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires that do not have
enough air, can result in:
.Tire overloading and
over-heating which
could lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy. Overinflated tires, or tires
that have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label
is attached to the vehicle.
This label shows the vehicle's
original equipment tires and the
correct inflation pressures for
the tires when they are cold.
The recommended cold tire
inflation pressure, shown on the
label, is the minimum amount of
air pressure needed to support
the vehicle's maximum load
carrying capacity.
Black plate (55,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-55
For additional information
regarding how much weight
the vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, seeVehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑12.
How you load the vehicle
affects vehicle handling and
ride comfort. Never load the
vehicle with more weight than
it was designed to carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month or
more. Do not forget to check the
compact spare tire, if the vehicle
has one. The compact spare
should be at 420 kPa (60 psi).
For additional information
regarding the compact spare
tire, seeCompact Spare Tire on
page 10‑85. How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if the tires are
properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires
may look properly inflated even
when they are underinflated.
Check the tire's inflation
pressure when the tires are
cold. Cold means the vehicle
has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more
than 1.6 km (1 mi).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label,
no further adjustment is
necessary. If the inflation
pressure is low, add air until
you reach the recommended
amount.
If you overfill the tire, release air
by pushing on the metal stem
in the center of the tire valve.
Re‐check the tire pressure with
the tire gauge.
Be sure to put the valve caps
back on the valve stems. They
help prevent leaks by keeping
out dirt and moisture.