2011 BUICK LUCERNE ignition

Black plate (26,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
2 (Second):This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than 3 (Third) without using the brakes. You can
use 2 (Second) on hills. It can help control vehicle
speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use the brakes off and on.
Notice: Driving in 2 (Second) for more than 25 miles
(40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h) may
damage the transmission. Also, shifting into
2 (Second) at speeds above 65 mph (105 km/h) can
cause damage. Drive in 3 (Third) or D (Drive) instead
of 2 (Second).
1 (First): This position reduces vehicle speed even
more than 2 (Second) without using the brakes. You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in 1 (First) while going forward, the
transmission will not shift into first gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission. The repair will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal
is located to the left of the
regular brake pedal, near
the driver door.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down, then push the parking brake pedal down.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light on
the instrument panel cluster should come on. If it does
not, you need to have the vehicle serviced.
A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is
set, the ignition is on, and the vehicle speed is greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h). The brake light will come on
and stay on until the parking brake is released. See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 4‑32for more
information.
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Black plate (27,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down, then push the parking brake pedal down.
When you lift your foot off the parking brake pedal, the
pedal will follow your foot to the released position.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure
that the parking brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see Towing a Trailer on page 5‑25.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll. If you have
left the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are
on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow.
If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer
on
page 5‑25
.
Steering Column Shift Lever
If the vehicle has a steering column shift lever, use this
procedure to shift the vehicle into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pulling the shift lever toward you and moving it up as far as it
will go.
3. With your foot still holding the brake pedal down, set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on
page 3‑26for more information.
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle with the ignition key in your hand,
the vehicle is in P (Park).
Console Shift Lever
If the vehicle is equipped with a console shift lever, use
this procedure to shift the vehicle into P (Park):
1. Hold the brake pedal down.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pushing the lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle and
then to the left.
3. While keeping the brake pedal applied, set the parking brake. See Parking Brake
on page 3‑26for more information.
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Black plate (28,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
4. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you canleave the vehicle with the ignition key in your hand,
the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{WARNING:
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle with the
engine running. The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it could overheat
and even catch fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the engine running,
be sure your vehicle is in P (Park) and the parking
brake is firmly set before you leave it. See Parking
Brake
on page 3‑26for more information.
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of the vehicle puts too
much force on the parking pawl in the transmission.
This happens when parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not done properly and then
it is difficult to shift out of P (Park). To prevent torque
lock, set the parking brake and then shift into P (Park).
To find out how, see “Shifting Into Park”in this section.
If torque lock does occur, your vehicle may need to be
pushed uphill by another vehicle to relieve the parking
pawl pressure, so you can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting Out of Park
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
This vehicle has an electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal unless the shift lever
is in P (Park)
.Prevent movement of the shift lever out of P (Park),
unless the ignition is in ON/RUN and the regular
brake pedal is applied.
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Black plate (29,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
The shift lock is always functional except in the case of
a an uncharged or low voltage (less than 9 volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged battery or a battery with
low voltage, try charging or jump starting the battery.
SeeJump Starting on page 6‑44.
Console Shift
If the console shifter cannot be moved out of P (Park)
1. Apply and maintain the regular brakes.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN position. See Ignition
Positions
on page 3‑19for more information.
3. Let up on the shift lever and make sure the shift lever is pushed all the way into P (Park).
4. Then, move the shift into the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from P (Park),
consult your dealer or a professional towing service.
Column Shift
If the shifter cannot be moved out of P (Park) 1. Apply and maintain the regular brakes.
2. Turn the ignition key to the ON/RUN position. See Ignition Positions
on page 3‑19for more
information. 3. Shift out of the P (Park) position to the N (Neutral)
position.
4. Then, move the shift into the desired gear.
If you still cannot move the shift lever from P (Park),
consult your dealer or a professional towing service.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{WARNING:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under the vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass, or other things that
can burn.
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Black plate (34,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
If the vehicle has the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system, seeSide Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)on
page 3‑36.
Park Tilt Mirrors
If the vehicle has memory mirrors, the outside mirrors
have park tilt mirrors . This feature tilts the driver's side
and passenger side mirror to a factory programmed
position when the vehicle is in R (Reverse). This feature
may be useful in allowing you to view the curb when
you are parallel parking.
When the vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse) and
either a five second delay has occurred, or the ignition
is turned to LOCK/OFF, the driver and passenger side
mirrors return to their original position.
See DIC Vehicle Customization
on page 4‑58for more
information.
Outside Convex Mirror
{WARNING:
A convex mirror can make things, like other
vehicles, look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you could
hit a vehicle on the right. Check the inside mirror
or glance over your shoulder before changing
lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex shaped. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so more can be seen from the
driver seat.
Outside Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
<(Rear Window Defogger): Press to heat the
mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” underClimate Control
System
on page 4‑16or Dual Automatic Climate
Control Systemon page 4‑20for more information.
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Black plate (9,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already activated,
.Press and hold the +RES button on the steering
wheel until the desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in small increments,
press the +RES button. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
If the cruise control system is already activated,
.Press and hold the SET–button on the steering
wheel until the lower speed desired is reached,
then release it.
.To slow down in small amounts, press the
SET– button briefly. Each time this is done, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h (1 mph) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase vehicle speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, the vehicle will
slow down to the cruise speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the vehicle speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you might have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When
going downhill, you might have to brake or shift to a
lower gear to keep your speed down. If the brakes are
applied the cruise control will turn off.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise control:
.To disengage cruise control, step lightly on the
brake pedal, or
.Press the[button on the steering wheel.
.To turn off the cruise control, press theTbutton
on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased from
memory by pressing
Tor if the ignition is turned off.
4-9

Black plate (10,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamps
control is located on the
instrument panel to the
left of the steering wheel.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Fog Lamps The exterior lamps control has four positions:
O(Off):
Turn the control to this position to turn off the
exterior lamps.
AUTO (Automatic): Turn the control to this position to
automatically turn on the headlamps at normal
brightness, together with the following:
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
;(Parking Lamps): Turn the control to this position
to turn on the parking lamps together with the following:
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turn the control to this position to
turn on the headlamps together with the following lamps
listed below. A warning chime sounds if the driver's
door is opened while the ignition switch is off and the
headlamps are on.
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
#(Fog Lamps): Push the exterior lamps control in to
turn on the fog lamps.
See Fog Lamps on page 4‑12.
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Black plate (11,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers are turned on and have
completed eight wipe cycles within four minutes.
When the ignition is turned to LOCK/OFF, the
wiper-activated headlamps immediately turn off. The
wiper-activated headlamps also turn off if the windshield
wipers are turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
If you leave the exterior lamp buttons for the headlamps
or parking lamps on, remove the key from the ignition
and open the driver's door, you will hear a continuous
warning chime. The chime will turn off when the lamps
are turned off.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running lamps are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation of DRL, so be
sure it is not covered.The DRL system makes the low-beam headlamps turn
on at reduced brightness in daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.The engine is running.
.The exterior lamp button for the headlamps is off.
When the DRL are on, only the low-beam headlamps
will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps will not be on.
When it is dark enough outside, the low-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that turn on
with the headlamps will also turn on. When it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and the
low-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when the vehicle
is parked, turn the exterior lamp control to the off
position. See Exterior Lamps
on page 4‑10for more
information.
The regular headlamp system should be turned on
when needed.
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