2012 BUICK LACROSSE warning

Black plate (11,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-11
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. 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 slowing or stopping the
vehicle. Lock the doors to
help prevent this from
happening.
To lock and unlock the doors from
the outside, use the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter or
the key.
To lock the doors from inside, use
the power door lock switch or door
lock knob. To unlock the doors, use
the power door lock switch or pull
once on the door handle to unlock it,
and a second time to open it. Manually locking the driver door
also automatically locks all other
doors.
For more information see:
.Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑4.
.Power Door Locks on
page 2‑12.
.Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43.

Black plate (13,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Doors
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.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.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 Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle has a power
liftgate, disable the power
liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑30.
Remote Trunk Release
To open the trunk from outside the
vehicle, press
Von the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
or press the touch pad above the
license plate.

Black plate (17,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-17
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{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.
Power Mirrors
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Turn the control knob to the L (left) or R (right) selecting the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Push the control knob to the left, right, up, or down to adjust the
mirror.
Vehicles with the memory feature
can store a preferred mirror position.
See “Memory Seats” underPower
Seat Adjustment on page 3‑5 for
more information.
Folding Mirrors
Manual Foldaway Mirrors
These mirrors can be folded inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, pull the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward to
return it to the original position.
Automatic Dimming Feature
The vehicle may have a driver
outside mirror that automatically
adjusts for the glare of the
headlamps behind you.
Turn Signal Indicator
The vehicle may have a turn signal
indicator lamp built into the mirror
housing. The turn signal lamp
flashes with the use of the vehicle's
turn signal and hazard flashers.

Black plate (19,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-19
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
On vehicles with an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror the
automatic dimming reduces the
glare from the headlamps of the
vehicle behind you.
Vehicles with OnStar have three
control buttons located at the
bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer for more information about
OnStar and how to subscribe to it.
SeeOnStar Overview on page 14‑1.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in a
pulsing sound when a window is
partially open. To reduce the sound,
open another window or the sunroof
(if equipped).

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
3-2 Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
The vehicle's front and rear seats
have adjustable head restraints in
the outboard seating positions.
{WARNING
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly,
there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/
spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for
all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of the restraint is at the same
height as the top of the occupant's
head. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Front Seat
To raise or lower the head restraint,
press the release button located on
the side of the head restraint and
pull up or push the head restraint
down and release the button.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
3-4 Seats and Restraints
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
Seat Position
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
To adjust the seat position:
1. Pull the handle under the front of the seat cushion.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the handle.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure it is locked in
place. Height Adjustment
Press and hold the top or bottom of
the switch to raise or lower the seat.
Release the switch when the
desired height is reached.

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
3-6 Seats and Restraints
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Heated and Ventilated
Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Heated and Ventilated Seat
Buttons Shown, Heated Seat Buttons Similar
If available, the buttons are on the
climate control panel. To operate,
the ignition must be on. Press
Lto heat the seat cushion
and seatback or
{, if equipped, to
ventilate the seat.
Press the button once for the
highest setting. With each press of
the button, the seat will change to
the next lower setting, and then to
the off setting. The lights indicate
three for the highest setting and one
for the lowest.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.