
Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Buick Lucerne Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Seats and Restraint System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-55
Restraint System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-70
Features and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Doors and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Object Detection Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Universal Home Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Storage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-51
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . 4-27
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42
Audio System(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67
Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23

Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 1 In Brief
Instrument Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Sensing System for Passenger Airbag . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Vehicle Features
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices (Auxiliary Input or USB Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Universal Remote System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-22
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
1-1

Black plate (5,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
When the vehicle starts, the parking lamps will turn on
and remain on as long as the engine is running. The
doors will be locked and the climate control system may
come on.
The engine will continue to run for 10 minutes. Repeat
the steps for a 10-minute time extension. Remote start
can be extended only once.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start:
.Aim the RKE transmitter at the vehicle and press
and hold
/until the parking lamps turn off.
.Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
.Turn the ignition on and then back off.
See Remote Vehicle Start on page 3‑7.
Door Locks
From the outside, unlock the door using either the key
or the RKE transmitter.
From the inside, use the power door lock switches or
manual lock knobs located at the top of the door panel
near the window.
Power Door Locks
On vehicles with power door locks, the switches are
located on the front doors.
"(Unlock): Press to unlock the doors.
Q(Lock):Remove the key from the ignition and press
to lock the doors.
For more information, see:
.Door Locks on page 3‑9.
.Power Door Locks on page 3‑9.
.Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operationon page 3‑4.
Trunk Release
In addition to the trunk release button on the RKE
transmitter, there is a remote release
Vbutton
located to the left of the steering wheel, next to the
instrument panel brightness control. Press to open the
trunk.
See Trunk on page 3‑12.
1-5

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.
3-3

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 (10,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Delayed Locking
This feature allows the driver to delay the actual locking
of the doors. When the driver power door lock switch
is pressed with the key removed from the ignition, and
the driver door open, a chime will sound three times
to signal that the delayed locking system is active.
When all doors have been closed, the doors will lock
automatically after several seconds. If any door is
opened before this, the timer will reset itself once all
the doors have been closed again.
Pressing the driver or passenger power door lock switch
again or the RKE transmitter button will override this
feature.
Personal Choice Programming
The delayed locking feature can be turned on or off,
using the Driver Information Center (DIC) to program
this feature. See“DELAY DOOR LOCK” underDIC
Vehicle Customization on page 4‑58.
Programmable Automatic Door
Locks
Your vehicle is programmed so that, when the doors are
closed, the ignition is on, and the shift lever is moved
out of P (Park), all the doors will lock. The doors will
unlock every time you stop the vehicle and move the
shift lever into P (Park).
If someone needs to get out while your vehicle is not in
P (Park), have the person use the manual lock knob or
power door lock switch. When the door is closed again,
it will not lock automatically. Use the manual lock knob
or power door lock switch to lock the door.
If your vehicle has a Driver Information Center (DIC),
you can choose various lock and unlock settings.
For programming information, see DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 4‑58.
3-10

Black plate (11,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Rear Door Security Locks
Rear door security locks prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the inside.
The rear door security
locks are located on
the inside edge of
each rear door. The
rear doors must be
opened to access them.
To use the lock: 1. Insert the key into the security lock slot and turn it so the slot is in the horizontal position.
2. Close the door.
3. Do the same for the other rear door. To open a rear door when the security lock is on, do the
following:
1. Unlock the door using the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter, if the vehicle has one, the
power door lock switch, or by lifting the rear door
manual lock.
2. Open the door from the outside.
To cancel the rear door security lock: 1. Unlock the door and open it from the outside.
2. Insert the key into the security lock slot and turn it so the slot is in the vertical position.
3. Do the same for the other rear door.
Lockout Protection
If the key is in the ignition and the power door lock
switch is used to lock the doors, all doors will lock
and then the driver door will unlock. It is always
recommended that the ignition key is removed from
the vehicle when locking the doors.
The lockout protection feature can be overridden by
holding the power door lock switch for three seconds or
longer.
3-11