2011 BUICK LUCERNE window

Black plate (59,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard passengers are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
inflation path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle
with roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
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Black plate (61,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Your vehicle also has a dual-depth passenger airbag
that adjusts the restraint according to crash severity,
seat location, and safety belt status using electronic
frontal sensor(s) and other special sensors which
enable the sensing system to monitor the position of the
front passenger seat. The passenger airbag inflates to a
reduced depth when the passenger seat is in a forward
position. For more rearward front seating positions, the
passenger airbag may inflate to an increased depth (a
full deployment), based on safety belt status and the
crash severity measured early in the event. (Always
wear your safety belt, even with frontal airbags.)
Your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 2‑55.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags will
inflate if the crash severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The threshold level can
vary with specific vehicle design.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
not intended to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side
impact airbag is intended to deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy
when either side of the vehicle is struck. In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair
costs were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined
by what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and
how quickly the vehicle slows down. For seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the
airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to
the door. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are
airbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the
side windows that have occupant seating positions.
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Black plate (62,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑60for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated
for some time after they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 2‑61.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able
to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{WARNING:
When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so.
If you have breathing problems but cannot get out
of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
2-62

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 3 Features and Controls
Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Programmable Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Rear Door Security Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-16
Content Theft-Deterrent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
PASS-Key
®III+ Electronic Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . 3-17
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
. . . . . . . . . . . .3-19
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-21
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Automatic Transmission Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27
Shifting Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Outside Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Outside Automatic Dimming Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Park Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Outside Convex Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Outside Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
3-1

Black plate (3,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Keys
{WARNING:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key
is dangerous for many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even killed. They could
operate the power windows or other controls or
even make the vehicle move. The windows will
function with the keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed if caught in the
path of a closing window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key can be used for the ignition, the driver's door,
and the glovebox lock.
The key has a bar-coded key tag that the dealer or
qualified locksmith can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not in your vehicle.
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Black plate (7,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Remote Vehicle Start
Your vehicle may have a remote starting feature.
This feature allows you to start the engine from outside
the vehicle. It may also start the vehicle's heating or
air conditioning systems, rear window defogger, and
heated seats. SeeHeated Seats
on page 2‑4and
Heated and Ventilated Seatson page 2‑6for
additional information. When the remote start system is
active, the climate control system will heat or cool the
inside of the vehicle at the setting the vehicle was set to
when the vehicle was last turned off. The rear window
defogger will be turned on by the climate control system
when it is cold outside. If the vehicle has heated seats,
they may also turn on when it is cold outside. Cooled
seats are not activated during a remote start. Normal
operation of the system will return after the key is
turned to the ON/RUN position.
Laws in some communities may restrict the use of
remote starters. For example, some laws may require
a person using the remote start to have the vehicle in
view when doing so. Check local regulations for any
requirements on remote starting of vehicles.
Do not use the remote start feature if your vehicle is low
on fuel. Your vehicle may run out of fuel.
If your vehicle has the remote start feature, the RKE
transmitter functions will have an increased range of
operation. However, the range may be less while the
vehicle is running. There are other conditions which can affect the
performance of the transmitter, see
Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System
on page 3‑4for additional
information.
/ (Remote Start): This button will be on the RKE
transmitter if you have remote start.
To start the vehicle using the remote start feature:
1. Aim the transmitter at the vehicle.
2. Press and release the transmitter's lock button, then immediately press and hold the transmitter's
remote start button until the turn signal lights flash
or if the vehicle's lights are not visible, press
and hold the remote start button for at least
four seconds.
When the vehicle starts, the parking lamps will turn
on and remain on while the vehicle is running. The
vehicle's doors will be locked.
3. If it is the first remote start since the vehicle has been driven, repeat these steps, while the engine
is still running, to extend the engine running time
by 10 minutes. Remote start can be extended
one time.
After entering the vehicle during a remote start, insert
and turn the key to ON/RUN to drive the vehicle.
If the vehicle is left running it will automatically shut
off after 10 minutes unless a time extension has
been done.
3-7

Black plate (9,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{WARNING:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
.Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle will
not open it. The chance of being thrown out of
the vehicle in a crash is increased if the doors
are not locked. So, all passengers should
wear safety belts properly and the doors
should be locked whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into unlocked vehicles
may be unable to get out. A child can be
overcome by extreme heat and can suffer
permanent injuries or even death from heat
stroke. Always lock the vehicle whenever
leaving it.(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
.Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors can help
prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use either the key or the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
From the inside, use the power door lock switches or
manual lock knobs. The manual lock knobs are located
at the top of the door panel near the window.
Push the manual lock knob down to lock the door. To
unlock the door, pull up on the knob.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, the switches on the front doors
can be used to lock and unlock the vehicle.
K(Unlock): Press to unlock the doors.
Q(Lock):Remove the key from the ignition and press
to lock the doors.
3-9

Black plate (12,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Trunk
{WARNING:
Exhaust gases can enter the vehicle if it is driven
with the liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with any
objects that pass through the seal between the
body and the trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with the liftgate,
or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on or under the
instrument panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control system to a setting
that brings in only outside air and set the fan
speed to the highest setting. See Climate
Control System in the Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with a power liftgate,
disable the power liftgate function.
For more information about carbon monoxide, see
Engine Exhaust on page 3‑30.
Remote Trunk Release
The remote trunk release buttonFis located on the
instrument panel. See Instrument Panel on page 1‑2.
Press the button to open the trunk. To use this feature,
your vehicle must be in P (Park) or N (Neutral).
You can also press the remote trunk release button on
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to open
the trunk. See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 3‑4.
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