2012 BUICK LACROSSE ignition

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 (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
button is located on the exterior
lamp control, left of the steering
wheel.
To turn on the fog lamps, the ignition
and the headlamps or parking lamps
must be on.If the fog lamps are turned on while
the exterior lamp switch is in the
AUTO position, the headlamps
come on automatically.
#:
Press to turn on or off. An
indicator light on the instrument
panel cluster comes on when the
fog lamps are on.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The brightness of the instrument
panel lighting and steering wheel
controls can be adjusted.
D(Instrument Panel
Illumination): Move and hold the
thumbwheel up or down to brighten
or dim the lights.

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-7
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, back‐up lamps, dome
lamps, and most of the interior lights
turn on briefly when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE)
Kbutton is
pressed, or when the door handle is
pulled on a keyless access vehicle.
See Ignition Positions (Key Access)
on page 9‑18 orIgnition Positions
(Keyless Access) on page 9‑20.
After about 30 seconds the exterior
lamps turn off, then the dome lamps
and remaining interior lights dim to
off. Entry lighting can be disabled
manually by changing the ignition
out of the OFF position, or by
pressing the RKE
Qbutton.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43.
Exit Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, parking
lamps, back‐up lamps, and license
plate lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the
key is removed from the ignition.
The dome lamps also come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The exterior lights and
dome lamps remain on after the
door is closed for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
For vehicles with keyless access,
the exterior lights and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. See Ignition Positions (Key
Access) on page 9‑18 orIgnition
Positions (Keyless Access) on
page 9‑20.
The exterior lights turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.

Black plate (8,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
6-8 Lighting
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed and it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑35.Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If the exterior lamps or any interior
light is left on and the ignition is
turned off, the battery rundown
protection system automatically
turns the lamp off after about
10 minutes.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-2 Infotainment System
To minimize taking your eyes off the
road while driving, do the following
while the vehicle is parked:
.Become familiar with the
operation and controls of the
audio system.
.Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset radio
stations.
For more information, see Defensive
Driving on page 9‑3.
Notice: Contact your dealer
before adding any equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere with
the operation of the engine, radio,
or other systems, and could
damage them. Follow federal
rules covering mobile radio and
telephone equipment. The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑27 for more
information.Navigation System
For vehicles with a navigation
system, see the separate navigation
manual.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The theft-deterrent feature works by
learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) to the
infotainment system. The
infotainment system does not
operate if it is stolen or moved to a
different vehicle.

Black plate (13,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-13
Display Settings
Press the Config button on the
Home Page or the CONFIG button
on the faceplate, then select Display
Settings from the list.
The following options may display:
Dimming Mode:Press to change
the screen background. The
Automatic setting adjusts the
screen background automatically
depending on the exterior lighting
conditions.
To change the overall brightness
setting for the display, use the
vehicle interior lighting instrument
panel illumination control.
Languages
The vehicle supports English,
French (Canadian), and Spanish.
The default language is English.
To change the display language,
see Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43 for more information.
English and Metric Unit
Conversion
To change the display units between
English and metric units, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27 for more information.
Cleaning the Display
Notice:Using abrasive cleaners
when cleaning glass surfaces
could scratch the glass. Use only
a soft cloth and do not spray
cleaner directly on the system as
it could affect the mechanical
parts.
Do not wipe the panel with a hard
cloth or use a volatile liquid such as
paint thinner; it could scratch the
surface or erase the characters on
the buttons.
Operation
Controls
The infotainment system is operated
by using the pushbuttons,
multifunction knobs, menus shown
on the display, and steering wheel
controls, if equipped.
Turning the System On or Off
VOL/O(Volume/Power): Press to
turn the system on and off.
Automatic Switch‐Off
If the infotainment system has been
turned on after the ignition is turned
off, the system will turn off
automatically after 10 minutes.

Black plate (28,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-28 Infotainment System
Audio Players
CD Player
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
The player can be used for CD
and MP3s.
With the ignition on, insert a CD into
the slot, label side up. The player
pulls it in and begins playing.
The vehicle must be in P (Park) for
video to display.
The system is capable of playing:
.Most audio CDs
.CD-R
.CD-RW
.MP3 or unprotected WMA
formatsWhen playing any compatible
recordable disc, the sound quality
can be reduced due to disc quality,
the method of recording, the quality
of the music or video that has been
recorded, or the way the disc has
been handled.
To avoid damage to the CD player:
.Do not use scratched or
damaged discs
.Do not apply labels to discs. The
labels could get caught in the
player.
.Insert only one disc at a time.
.Keep the loading slot free of
foreign materials, liquids and
debris.
If a description label is needed, try
labeling the top of the disc using a
marking pen.
Loading and Ejecting Discs
To load a disc:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Insert a disc into the slot. The player pulls it in the rest of the
way. If the disc is damaged or
improperly loaded, there is an
error and the disc ejects.
The disc automatically plays once
loaded.
Press
Xto eject a disc from the
CD player.
Playing a CD
A disc must be loaded to select the
source.
When a disc is loaded, the disc icon
displays.
There are two ways to play a CD:
.Insert the disc and playback
starts automatically.
.Press CD/AUX, MEM/DVD/AUX,
or SOURCE repeatedly to select
the disc source.