
Black plate (24,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-24 Infotainment System
.In the AM, FM, or XM
(if equipped) main page, press
one of the preset screen buttons
to go to the selected preset
station.
Mixed-Band Presets
Each page can store six preset
stations. The presets within a page
can be from different radio bands.
To scroll through the pages, press
the FAV button located on the
faceplate or the FAV screen button
on the top bar. The current page
number displays above the preset
buttons. The stored stations for
each FAV page display on the
preset buttons at the bottom of the
screen. The number of FAV pages
displayed can be changed in the
Radio Settings in the
Configuration Menu.
Satellite Radio
XM™Satellite Radio Service
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
Vehicles with an XM satellite radio
tuner and an XM satellite radio
subscription can receive XM
programming.
XM is a satellite radio service based
in the 48 contiguous United States
and 10 Canadian provinces. XM
satellite radio has a wide variety of
programming and commercial-free
music, coast to coast, and in
digital-quality sound. A service fee
is required to receive the XM
service. For more information, see
www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 in the U.S. In
Canada, see www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677. When XM is active, the channel
name and number, category name,
song title, and artist display on the
screen.
XM Categories (Radio with CD)
XM stations are organized in
categories.
Removing or Adding Categories
1. Press the CONFIG button. Turn
the Menu knob until Radio
displays. Press SELECT or
press Radio to display the radio
settings menu.
2. Select the Show/Hide XM Categories screen button.
3. Press the category buttons on the screen to show or hide the
category.

Black plate (25,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-25
XM Categories (Radio with CD
and Touchscreen)
Adding or Removing Categories
1. From the Home Page press theConfig screen button or the
CONFIG button on the
infotainment system.
2. Select Radio Settings from the Config Menu list.
3. Select Add/Remove XM Categories.
4. From the Add/Remove XM Categories screen, select or
deselect any category to be
used in XM mode. A checkmark
will indicate that the category is
selected. Turning XM Album Art On or Off
1. From the Home Page press the
Config screen button or the
CONFIG button on the
infotainment system.
2. Select Radio Settings from the Config Menu list.
3. Select XM Album Art to turn on or off.
XM Messages
XL (Explicit Language
Channels): These channels, or any
others, can be blocked by request,
by calling 1-800-929-2100 in the
U.S., and 1-877-438-9677 in
Canada.
XM Updating: The encryption code
in the receiver is being updated. No
action is required. This process
should take no longer than
30 seconds. Loading XM:
The audio system is
acquiring and processing audio and
text data. No action is needed. This
message should disappear shortly.
Channel Off Air: This channel is
not currently in service. Tune in to
another channel.
Channel Unauth: This channel is
blocked or cannot be received with
your XM subscription package.
Channel Unavailable: This
previously assigned channel is no
longer assigned. Tune to another
station.
No Artist Info: The system is
working properly. No artist
information is available at this time
on this channel.
No Title Info: The system is
working properly. No song title
information is available at this time
on this channel.

Black plate (26,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-26 Infotainment System
No CAT Info:The system is
working properly. No category
information is available at this time
on this channel.
No Information: The system is
working properly. No text or
informational messages are
available at this time on this
channel.
No XM Signal: The system is
working properly. The vehicle may
be in a location where the XM signal
is being blocked. When the vehicle
is moved into an open area, the
signal should return.
CAT Not Found: The system is
working properly. There are no
channels available for the selected
category.
XM Radio ID: If tuned to channel 0,
this message alternates with the XM
radio eight‐digit radio ID label. This
label is needed to activate the
service. Unknown:
If this message is
received when tuned to channel 0,
there could be a receiver fault.
Consult with your dealer.
Check Antenna: If this message
does not clear within a short period
of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer.
XM Not Available: If this message
does not clear within a short period
of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer.
Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static
can occur during normal radio
reception if items such as cellular
phone chargers, vehicle
convenience accessories, and
external electronic devices are
plugged into the accessory power
outlet. If there is interference or
static, unplug the item from the
accessory power outlet.
FM
FM signals only reach about
16 to 65 km (10 to 40 mi). Although
the radio has a built-in electronic
circuit that automatically works to
reduce interference, some static can
occur, especially around tall
buildings or hills, causing the sound
to fade in and out.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at
night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with
each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations
boost the power levels during the
day, and then reduce these levels
during the night. Static can also
occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio
reception. When this happens, try
reducing the treble on the radio.

Black plate (27,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-27
XM™Satellite Radio Service
XM satellite radio service gives
digital radio reception from coast to
coast in the 48 contiguous United
States, and in Canada. Just as with
FM, tall buildings or hills can
interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and
out. In addition, traveling or standing
under heavy foliage, bridges,
garages, or tunnels may cause loss
of the XM signal for a period of time.
Cellular Phone Usage
Cellular phone usage may cause
interference with the vehicle's radio.
This interference may occur when
making or receiving phone calls,
charging the phone's battery,
or simply having the phone on. This
interference can cause an increased
level of static while listening to the
radio. If static is received while
listening to the radio, unplug the
cellular phone and turn it off.
Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated
with the rear window defogger,
located in the rear window. Make
sure that the inside surface of the
rear window is not scratched and
that the lines on the glass are not
damaged. If the inside surface is
damaged, it could interfere with
radio reception. For proper radio
reception, the antenna connector
needs to be properly attached to the
post on the glass.
If a cellular telephone antenna
needs to be attached to the glass,
make sure that the grid lines for the
AM-FM antenna are not damaged.
There is enough space between the
grid lines to attach a cellular
telephone antenna without
interfering with radio reception. Notice:
Using a razor blade or
sharp object to clear the inside
rear window can damage the rear
window antenna and/or the rear
window defogger. Repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not clear the inside
rear window with sharp objects.
Notice: Do not apply aftermarket
glass tinting with metallic film.
The metallic film in some tinting
materials will interfere with or
distort the incoming radio
reception. Any damage caused to
your backglass antenna due to
metallic tinting materials will not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Satellite Radio Antenna
For vehicles with XM satellite radio
service, the antenna is located on
the roof of the vehicle. Keep the
antenna clear of obstructions for
clear radio reception.

Black plate (36,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-36 Infotainment System
No Folder
When the CD only contains
compressed audio files without any
folders or playlists, all files are
located under the root folder.
File System and Naming
The displayed song title is taken
from the file's ID3 tag. If a song title
is not present in the ID3 tag, the
radio displays the file name as the
track name.
Mass Storage
Media (MEM)
Infotainment systems with MEM
storage are able to record up to
1.1 GB (gigabyte) of music from
audio CDs, MP3/WMA/AAC discs,
and USB storage devices. The MEM
player can also time shift audio from
AM, FM, and XM radio.
Music or content stored in MEM that
you did not create, or have the right
to distribute, must be deleted before
the sale or end of lease of the
vehicle.
Control Buttons
The buttons used to control the
MEM player are:
MEM/DVD/AUX:Press to select
the MEM player.
gorl: Press to select tracks or
to rewind or fast forward within a
track.
INFO: Press to display additional
information about the MEM track
that may be available.
TUNE/
k: Press to pause the
track currently playing; press again
to resume playback. Turn to select
tracks.
REC
O: Press to record music
from a CD or USB drive.
DEL: Press to delete the current
track from MEM.
FAV (Favorites): Press to display
MEM favorites.
1 to 6: Press to select a track or
playlist stored in that numeric
position.
Recording from Audio CDs
The infotainment system can record
the current song playing or all songs
from an audio CD to MEM. A status
bar appears on the top of the
display when the recording process
starts and disappears when the
process has ended. Copy protected
CDs cannot be recorded to MEM.
Recording to MEM
Press REC
O, then select Record
Current Song or Record All Songs
on Disc. If the track has started
playing, the system will restart the
track and begin recording from the
beginning of the track. When the
song recording is completed, the
message Song Recorded to MEM
displays, and there may be a slight
pause.
Songs recorded to MEM are stored
as the current date, disc, and track
number.

Black plate (38,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-38 Infotainment System
Playing from MEM
Playing Back a Previously
Recorded CD
Turn the TUNE knob to select a
track if MEM is already playing from
the previously recorded disc.
1. Select Recorded Disc List.
2. Select the disc.
3. Select the track.
Searching for a Track
Tracks can be searched for by:
.Playlists
.Artists
.Albums
.Song Titles
.Genres
The number of objects in each
category is shown in parentheses
after the category. To search for tracks:
1. Turn the Menu knob.
2. Select Search.
3. Select: Playlists, Artists, Albums,
Song Titles, or Genres.
4. Select the track. The search rate increases if the Menu knob is
continuously turned while
searching in a list.
Shuffle Songs
Select the Shuffle Songs option
from the MEM menu to randomly
play back tracks stored in MEM.
Configuring MEM Favorites
During MEM playback, press the
FAV button to change between
favorite categories. The favorite
categories are:
.Playlists
.Artists
.Albums
.Genres To remove MEM favorites
categories:
1. Press the CONFIG button.
2. Select Radio Settings.
3. Select MEM Favorites.
4. Remove the checkmark from the
box to remove that MEM
favorites category.
Replace the checkmark to re-add
the removed category.
Saving MEM Tracks as
Favorites
Favorites can be saved by pressing
and holding one of the 1 to
6 buttons. Favorites can be stored
according to the following list:
Playlist: Adds the currently playing
track to the playlist selected.
Artist: Saves the artist associated
with the currently playing track in
the indicated favorites position.

Black plate (39,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-39
Album:Saves the album
associated with the currently playing
track in the indicated favorites
position.
Genre: Saves the genre associated
with the currently playing track in
the indicated favorites position.
Creating Playlists
To create a playlist using tracks
stored in MEM:
1. Select Playlist from the MEM
favorites.
2. Select the track to be stored in the playlist.
3. Press and hold one of the 1 to 6 buttons until the track can be
heard again to store the track.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional tracks in the
playlist.Auxiliary Devices (Radio
with CD and
Touchscreen)
For vehicles equipped with the
MyLink or IntelliLink infotainment
system, see the separate MyLink/
IntelliLink Features and Functions
Guide for more information.
The optional AUX input allows
portable devices to connect to the
vehicle using the 3.5 mm (1/8 in)
input jack or the USB port.
Portable devices are controlled by
using the menu system described in
Overview (Radio with CD) on
page 7‑3 orOverview (Radio with
CD/DVD and MEM) on page 7‑5 or
Overview (Radio with CD and
Touchscreen) on page 7‑7 and
Operation on page 7‑13.
This jack is not an audio output. Do
not plug headphones into the
auxiliary input jack. Drivers are
encouraged to set up any auxiliary
device while the vehicle is in
P (Park). Possible auxiliary audio sources
include:
.Laptop computer
.MP3 player
.Tape player
The AUX input is located in the
center console.

Black plate (40,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-40 Infotainment System
3.5 mm Jack
Connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable to
the auxiliary input jack to use a
portable audio player.
Playback of an audio device that is
connected to the 3.5 mm jack can
only be controlled using the controls
on the device.
If an auxiliary device has already
been connected on vehicles with a
touchscreen, but a different source
is currently active, press the Now
Playing screen button on the Home
Page, then press Source repeatedly
to cycle through all of the available
audio source screens, until the AUX
source screen is selected.
Adjusting the Volume
Turn the VOL/
Oknob to adjust the
volume of the infotainment system
after the volume level has been set
on the portable audio device.
USB Port
For vehicles with a USB port, the
following devices may be connected
and controlled by the infotainment
system.
.iPods
.PlaysForSure Devices (PFDs)
.USB Drives
.Zunes™
.USB mass storage device
.Microsoft Transfer
Protocal (MTP)
Not all iPods, PFDs, USB Drives,
and Zunes are compatible with the
infotainment system.
Connecting and Controlling an
iPod®(Radio with CD and
Radio with CD/DVD/MEM)
Not all iPods can be controlled by
the infotainment system.
Connecting an iPod
Connect the iPod to the USB port.
Selecting a Track
Using the control buttons:
.Pressgorlto select the
previous or next track.
.Turn the TUNE knob to select a
track in the current submenu.
The track will start to play.