2011 BUICK LACROSSE check engine light

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑24. Prolonged
usage of the power outlet at the
maximum load of 150 watts may
cause the outlet to overheat and
automatically shut down. The power
restarts when equipment that
operates within the limit is plugged
into the outlet and a system fault is
not detected.
The power outlet is not designed for
and may not work properly, if any of
the following is plugged in:
.Equipment with high
initial peak wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring
an extremely stable
power supply such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch
sensor lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to
the warning lights and gauges
could prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working. Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (16,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
If you are using remote start,
if equipped, to start the vehicle
from a distance, you may not see
the system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either the word
ON or OFF to let you know the
status of the right front passenger
frontal airbag.
If the word ON is lit on the
passenger airbag status indicator,
it means that the right front
passenger frontal airbag is
enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF is lit on the airbag
status indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag.If, after several seconds, both
status indicator lights remain on,
or if there are no lights at all, there
may be a problem with the lights
or the passenger sensing system.
See your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light
ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have the vehicle serviced
right away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑14 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes
on briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
The light turns off when the engine
is started. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is
on could drain the battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.

Black plate (17,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-17
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures that
emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates
that there is an OBD II problem
and service is required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:
If the vehicle is
continually driven with this
light on, after a while, the
emission controls might not
work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run
as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. Notice:
Modifications made
to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of the vehicle or the replacement
of the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
can affect the vehicle's
emission controls and can
cause this light to come on.
Modifications to these systems
could lead to costly repairs not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
This could also result in a failure
to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
See Accessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.

Black plate (18,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
5-18 Instruments and Controls
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light continues to flash,
when it is safe to do so, stop the
vehicle. Find a safe place to park
the vehicle. Turn the vehicle off,
wait at least 10 seconds, and
restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might
be required. The following may correct an
emissions system malfunction:
.Make sure the fuel cap is
fully installed. See
Filling
the Tank on page 9‑53.
The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly
installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap allows fuel to evaporate
into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips with the cap
properly installed should
turn the light off.
.Make sure the electrical
system is not wet. The system
could be wet if the vehicle was
driven through a deep puddle of
water. The condition is usually
corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑50.
If none of the above have made
the light turn off, your dealer can
check the vehicle. The dealer
has the proper test equipment
and diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.

Black plate (23,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this light
comes on briefly when the engine
is started. It provides information
about tire pressures and the TPMS.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or
more of the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. SeeTire
Messages on page 5‑38 for more
information. Stop as soon as
possible, and inflate the tires to
the pressure value shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
See Tire Pressure on page 10‑54
for more information. When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may
be a problem with the TPMS.
The light flashes for about a
minute and stays on steady for
the remainder of the ignition cycle.
This sequence repeats with every
ignition cycle. See
Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑57
for more information.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced. Notice:
Lack of proper engine
oil maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on,
it means that oil is not flowing
through the engine properly. The
vehicle could be low on oil and
might have some other system
problem. See your dealer.
For vehicles with the uplevel cluster,
this telltale displays in the Driver
Information Center (DIC) screen.

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-20 Driving and Operating
3. Come to a complete stop, shiftto P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑33.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
5. If the vehicle must be shut off while driving, switch the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY. ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber LED
Light):
This mode allows you to
use some electrical accessories
when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from
ACC/ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
run down.
ON/RUN/START (Green LED
Light): This mode is for driving
and starting. With the ignition
off, and the brake pedal applied,
pressing the button once will
place the ignition system in
ON/RUN/START. Once engine
cranking begins, release the
button. Engine cranking will
continue until the engine starts.
See Starting the Engine on
page 9‑20 for more information.
The ignition will then remain in
ON/RUN.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Notice: The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
9-32 Driving and Operating
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock
Brake System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and
the vehicle begins to drive away,
ABS checks itself. A momentary
motor or clicking noise might be
heard while this test is going on,
and it might even be noticed that
the brake pedal moves a little.
This is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑21.
If driving safely on a wet road
and it becomes necessary to
slam on the brakes and continue
braking to avoid a sudden obstacle,
a computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately work
the brakes at each wheel. ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.

Black plate (33,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-33
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The vehicle has an Electric Parking
Brake (EPB). The switch for the
EPB is in the center console.The EPB can always be activated,
even if the ignition is off. To prevent
draining the battery, avoid repeated
cycles of the EPB system when the
engine is not running.
The system has a parking brake
status light and a parking brake
warning light. See
Electric Parking
Brake Light on page 5‑20. There are
also three Driver Information Center
(DIC) messages. See Brake System
Messages on page 5‑33 for more
information. In case of insufficient
electrical power, the EPB cannot
be applied or released.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the parking brake status light to
ensure that the parking brake is
applied.