2012 BUICK LACROSSE sensor

Black plate (43,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-43
Vehicle
Personalization
The audio system controls are used
to access the personalization
menus for customizing vehicle
features.
CONFIG (Configuration):Press to
access the Configuration
Settings menu.
Menu Knob: Turn to scroll through
the menus.
SELECT: Press to enter the menus
and select menu items.
/BACK: Press to exit or move
backward in a menu. Entering the Personalization
Menus
1. Press CONFIG to access the
Configuration Settings menu.
2. Turn the Menu knob to highlight Vehicle Settings.
3. Press SELECT to select the Vehicle Settings menu.
The following list of menu items may
be available:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Collision/Detection Systems
.Language
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock/Unlock/Start
.Return to Factory Settings
Turn the Menu knob to highlight the
menu. Press SELECT to select it.
Each of the menus is detailed in the
following information.
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu and the following may be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Air Quality Sensor
.Auto Heated Seats
.Air Conditioning Mode
.Remote Start Auto Heated Seats
.Remote Start Cooled Seats
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Speed
This will allow you to select the
automatic fan speed. It can be
adjusted to run lower or higher than
normal.
Press SELECT when Auto Fan
Speed is highlighted to open the
menu. Turn the Menu knob to
highlight High, Medium, or Low.

Black plate (44,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-44 Instruments and Controls
Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu.
Air Quality Sensor
This will allow you to select whether
the system will operate at high or
low sensitivity. Only vehicles with
the dual zone climate control will
have this option.
Press SELECT when Air Quality
Sensor is highlighted to open the
menu. Turn the Menu knob to
highlight High or Low. Press
SELECT to confirm the selection.
Press
/BACK to move to the
last menu.
Auto Heated Seats
If equipped and turned on, this
feature will automatically activate
heated seats at the level required by
the interior temperature. The auto
heated seats can be turned off by
using the heated seat buttons on
the climate control panel. Press SELECT when Auto Heated
Seats is highlighted to open the
menu. Turn the Menu knob to
highlight On or Off. Press SELECT
to confirm the selection. Press
/BACK to move to the last menu.
Air Conditioning Mode
This allows selection of automatic
start of the air conditioning upon
vehicle start. Selecting On indicates
the air conditioning will be on when
the vehicle is started. Selecting Off
turns the air conditioning off each
time the vehicle is started. Last
Setting will resume the last setting
when the vehicle was shut off.
Press SELECT when Air
Conditioning Mode is highlighted to
open the menu. Turn the Menu knob
to highlight Off, On, or Last Setting.
Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu. Remote Start Auto Heated Seats
If equipped and turned on, this
feature will turn the heated seats on
when using remote start on
cold days.
Press SELECT when Remote Start
Auto Heated Seats is highlighted.
Turn the Menu knob to select On or
Off. Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu.
Remote Start Cooled Seats
If equipped and turned on, this
feature will turn the cooled seats on
when using remote start on
warm days.
Press SELECT when Remote Start
Cooled Seats is highlighted. Turn
the Menu knob to select On or Off.
Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
;(Parking Lamps):Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Parking Lamps
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal/
lane change lever away from you
and release, to turn the high beams
on. To return to low beams, push
the lever again or pull it toward you
and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever toward
you, and release.
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.
The DRL system turns on the
low-beam headlamps at a reduced
brightness. For vehicles with High
Intensity Discharge (HID)
headlamps, the dedicated DRL will
come on when all of the following
conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
When the DRL are on, the
low-beam headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
instrument panel lights, and other
lamps will not be on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor the
ignition is off.
This vehicle may have a DRL
disabling function. When the DRL
are on and a turn signal is activated,
the DRL on that side will be off until
the turn signal goes off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor located on
top of the instrument panel. Do not
cover the sensor; otherwise the
headlamps will come on when they
are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
Oor the ignition
is off.
Adaptive Forward
Lighting (AFL)
The Adaptive Forward Lighting
System (AFL) pivots the headlamps
horizontally to provide greater road
illumination while turning. To enable
AFL, set the exterior lamp switch to
the AUTO position. Moving the
switch out of the AUTO position
deactivates the system. AFL
operates when the vehicle speed is
greater than 3 km/h (2 mph). AFL
does not operate when the
transmission is in R (Reverse). AFL
is not immediately operable after
starting the vehicle; driving a short
distance is required to calibrate the
AFL. See Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button is
on and help to clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirror. See
Heated Mirrors on page 2‑18.
Notice:Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect your
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Remote Start Climate Control
Operation (If Equipped):
When
the vehicle is started remotely, the
climate control system will use the
last setting before the vehicle shut
off. If automatic operation was set,
the fan speed will adjust to
maximize heating or cooling.
If manual operation was set, the fan
speed will be limited to the last
setting. In extreme temperatures,
the system may not be able to heat
or cool the vehicle to the preset
temperature during the remote start
run time.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.Sensor
The solar sensor, located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
Do not cover the sensor; otherwise
the automatic climate control system
may not work properly.

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-9
AUTO, eco#, or Comfort#is
selected. The engine also restarts if
the
Ois pressed on and the system
is set to AUTO, eco
#,
or Comfort
#.
If temperature controls are adjusted
cooler by more than 1°C (1°F)
during an auto stop, the engine will
restart to ensure that comfort is
reached.
>//(Recirculation/Auto
Recirculation): Press to change to
automatic control of air recirculation
inside the vehicle. When the auto
recirculation indicator light is on, the
air is automatically recirculated as
needed to help quickly cool the air
inside the vehicle.
In auto recirculation control, the Air
Quality Control system may operate
when pollution is detected. To adjust
the sensitivity of the Air Quality
Control, see “Climate and Air
Quality” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑43. When the
>indicator light is on, air
is recirculated inside the vehicle.
If both indicator lights are off,
outside air will flow into the vehicle.
Press AUTO or
/to return to
automatic operation.
Auto Defog: The climate control
system may have a sensor to
automatically detect high humidity
inside the vehicle. When high
humidity is detected, the climate
control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. The fan speed may
slightly increase to help prevent
fogging. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. To turn Auto Defog off or
on, see “Climate and Air Quality”
under Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43.
Rear Window Defogger
=(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off.
The rear window defogger turns off
automatically after about
10 minutes. If turned on again it
runs for about five minutes before
turning off. The defogger can also
be turned off by turning the ignition
to ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43. When auto rear defog is
selected, the rear window defogger
turns on automatically when the
interior temperature is cold and the
outside temperature is about 4°C
(40°F) and below. The auto rear
defogger turns off automatically
after about 10 minutes, or after
five minutes if the outside
temperature is not as cold.

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
8-10 Climate Controls
For vehicles with heated outside
rearview mirrors, they turn on when
the rear window defogger button is
on and help to clear fog or frost from
the surface of the mirror. See
Heated Mirrors on page 2‑18.
Notice:Do not try to clear frost
or other material from the inside
of the front windshield and rear
window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This
may damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect your
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
((Heated Steering Wheel): For
vehicles with this feature, press to
turn on or off. See Heated Steering
Wheel on page 5‑3.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation (If Equipped): When
the vehicle is started remotely, the
climate control system will use the
last setting before the vehicle shut
off. If automatic operation was set,
the fan speed will adjust to maximize heating or cooling.
If manual operation was set, the fan
speed will be limited to the last
setting. In extreme temperatures,
the system may not be able to heat
or cool the vehicle to the preset
temperature during the remote start
run time.
The rear window defogger turns on
if it is cold outside.
Sensor
The solar sensor, located on top of
the instrument panel near the
windshield, monitors the solar heat.
The climate control system uses the
sensor information to adjust the
temperature, fan speed,
recirculation, and air delivery mode
for best comfort.
Do not cover the sensor; otherwise
the automatic climate control system
may not work properly.
Air Vents
Use the louvers located on the air
vents to change the direction of the
airflow.
To open the vent, move the
thumbwheel to
t. To close the vent,
move the thumbwheel to
l.
For vehicles with eAssist, there is a
battery cooling air vent located on
the shelf behind the rear passenger
seats below the rear window. Keep
this air inlet clear from items that
may block air flow. Proper airflow is
required to keep the eAssist battery
and control system cool.

Black plate (44,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
9-44 Driving and Operating
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle's speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previous set cruise control speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends upon the vehicle's
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills,
you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle's speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or
shift to a lower gear to maintain the
vehicle's speed. When the brakes
are applied the cruise control
shuts off.Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to end cruise
control:
.To disengage cruise control,
step lightly on the brake pedal;
when cruise control disengages,
the indicator light will not be lit.
.Press*on the steering wheel.
.To turn off the cruise control,
press
1on the steering wheel.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed is
erased from memory by pressing
1
or if the ignition is turned off.
Object Detection
Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
If available, the Ultrasonic Rear
Parking Assist (URPA) system
assists the driver with parking and
avoiding objects while in
R (Reverse). URPA operates at
speeds less than 8 km/h (5 mph).
The sensors on the rear bumper
detect objects up to 2.5 m (8 ft)
behind the vehicle, and at least
20 cm (8 in) off the ground.