2012 BUICK LACROSSE fuel

Black plate (13,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-13
.Food service, beverages,
telephone calls, or other extra
costs. Accommodation costs
apply only to Mexico per the
terms and conditions of the
Roadside Assistance program.
.Any damage to the vehicle
without intent, derived from the
services provided.
.Cost of towing a trailer when
choosing a Buick dealer that is
nearest to the temporary storage
facility for the disabled vehicle.
.Cost of all maneuvers required
to access the vehicle when it is
not available to be towed.
.Cost of fuel provided.
Routine vehicle repair costs are not
covered by the Roadside
Assistance program. For more
information, see your new vehicle
warranty. Contacting Roadside Assistance
Roadside Assistance services are of
no cost to you and available
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Costs are only incurred in situations
that exceed the limits of the
program, some of which are listed
previously in this section.
To contact Roadside Assistance by
phone, use the following numbers:
Mexico
01-800-466-0818
United States
1-866-466-8197
Canada
1-800-268-6800
E-mail
[email protected]
Buick reserves the right to make
any changes or discontinue the
Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notification.
Scheduling Service
Appointments (U.S. and
Canada)
When the vehicle requires warranty
service, contact your dealer and
request an appointment. By
scheduling a service appointment
and advising the service consultant
of your transportation needs, your
dealer can help minimize your
inconvenience.
If the vehicle cannot be scheduled
into the service department
immediately, keep driving it until it
can be scheduled for service,
unless, of course, the problem is
safety related. If it is, please call
your dealership, let them know this,
and ask for instructions.
If your dealer requests you to bring
the vehicle for service, you are
urged to do so as early in the work
day as possible to allow for
same-day repair.

Black plate (14,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
13-14 Customer Information
Courtesy Transportation
Program (U.S. and
Canada)
To enhance your ownership
experience, we and our participating
dealers are proud to offer Courtesy
Transportation, a customer support
program for vehicles with the
Bumper-to-Bumper (Base Warranty
Coverage period in Canada),
extended powertrain, and/or
warranties specific to e-Assist in
both the U.S. and Canada.
Several Courtesy Transportation
options are available to assist in
reducing inconvenience when
warranty repairs are required.
Courtesy Transportation is not a
part of the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. A separate booklet
entitled“Warranty and Owner
Assistance Information” furnished
with each new vehicle provides
detailed warranty coverage
information.
Transportation Options
Warranty service can generally be
completed while you wait. However,
if you are unable to wait, GM helps
to minimize inconvenience by
providing several transportation
options. Depending on the
circumstances, your dealer can
offer one of the following:
Shuttle Service
Shuttle service is the preferred
means of offering Courtesy
Transportation. Dealers may provide
shuttle service to get you to your
destination with minimal interruption
of your daily schedule. This includes
one‐way or round‐trip shuttle service
within reasonable time and distance
parameters of your dealer's area. Public Transportation or Fuel
Reimbursement
If the vehicle requires overnight
warranty repairs, and public
transportation is used instead of
your dealer's shuttle service, the
expense must be supported by
original receipts and can only be up
to the maximum amount allowed by
GM for shuttle service. In addition,
for U.S. customers, should you
arrange transportation through a
friend or relative, limited
reimbursement for reasonable fuel
expenses may be available. Claim
amounts should reflect actual costs
and be supported by original
receipts. See your dealer for
information regarding the allowance
amounts for reimbursement of fuel
or other transportation costs.

Black plate (15,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-15
Courtesy Rental Vehicle
Your dealer may arrange to provide
you with a courtesy rental vehicle or
reimburse you for a rental vehicle
that you obtain if the vehicle is kept
for an overnight warranty repair.
Rental reimbursement will be limited
and must be supported by original
receipts. This requires that you sign
and complete a rental agreement
and meet state/provincial, local, and
rental vehicle provider requirements.
Requirements vary and may include
minimum age requirements,
insurance coverage, credit card,
etc. You are responsible for fuel
usage charges and may also be
responsible for taxes, levies, usage
fees, excessive mileage, or rental
usage beyond the completion of the
repair.
It may not be possible to provide a
like vehicle as a courtesy rental.Additional Program
Information
All program options, such as shuttle
service, may not be available at
every dealer. Please contact your
dealer for specific information
about availability. All Courtesy
Transportation arrangements will be
administered by appropriate dealer
personnel.
General Motors reserves the
right to unilaterally modify, change,
or discontinue Courtesy
Transportation at any time and to
resolve all questions of claim
eligibility pursuant to the terms and
conditions described herein at its
sole discretion.
Collision Damage Repair
(U.S. and Canada)
If the vehicle is involved in a
collision and it is damaged, have the
damage repaired by a qualified
technician using the proper
equipment and quality replacement
parts. Poorly performed collision
repairs diminish the vehicle resale
value, and safety performance can
be compromised in subsequent
collisions.
Collision Parts
Genuine GM Collision parts are new
parts made with the same materials
and construction methods as the
parts with which the vehicle was
originally built. Genuine GM
Collision parts are the best choice to
ensure that the vehicle's designed
appearance, durability, and safety
are preserved. The use of Genuine
GM parts can help maintain the GM
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
13-20 Customer Information
Reporting Safety Defects
to General Motors
In addition to notifying NHTSA
(or Transport Canada) in a situation
like this, please notify General
Motors.
Call 1-800-521-7300, or write:
Buick Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33136
Detroit, MI 48232-5136
In Canada, call 1-800-263-3777
(English) or 1-800-263-7854
(French), or write:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Care Centre, Mail Code:
CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
Vehicle Data
Recording and
Privacy
This GM vehicle has a number of
sophisticated computers that record
information about the vehicle’s
performance and how it is driven.
For example, the vehicle uses
computer modules to monitor and
control engine and transmission
performance, to monitor the
conditions for airbag deployment
and deploy airbags in a crash, and,
if so equipped, to provide antilock
braking to help the driver control the
vehicle. These modules may store
data to help your dealer technician
service the vehicle. Some modules
may also store data about how you
operate the vehicle, such as rate of
fuel consumption or average speed.
These modules may also retain the
owner’s personal preferences, such
as radio presets, seat positions, and
temperature settings.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle has an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose
of an EDR is to record, in certain
crash or near crash-like situations,
such as an airbag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a
vehicle's systems performed. The
EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and
safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed
to record such data as:
.How various systems in the
vehicle were operating.
.Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened.
.How far, if at all, the driver was
pressing the accelerator and/or
brake pedal.
.How fast the vehicle was
traveling.

Black plate (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
OnStar 14-5
OnStar Mobile App
With an iPhone®or
Android™-based mobile device, an
OnStar mobile app can be
downloaded. The vehicle can be
remote started, if equipped, or the
doors can be unlocked from
anywhere there is cell phone
service. It can also check the fuel
level, tire pressure, and oil life.
It can connect to an OnStar Advisor
anytime. For OnStar mobile app
compatibility or further information,
see www.onstar.com.
Diagnostics
OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics will
perform a vehicle check every
month. It will check the engine,
transmission, antilock brakes, and
major vehicle systems. It also
checks the tire pressures, if the
vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System. If a
diagnostics check is needed
between e-mails, push
Q, and an
Advisor can run a check.
OnStar Additional
Information
Transferring Service
PushQto request account transfer
eligibility information. The Advisor
can assist in canceling or removing
account information. If OnStar
receives information that vehicle
ownership has changed, OnStar
may send a voice message to the
vehicle, requesting updated account
information.
Reactivation for Subsequent
Owners
PushQand follow the prompts to
speak to an Advisor as soon as
possible after acquiring the vehicle.
The Advisor will update vehicle
records and will explain the OnStar
service offers and options available.
How OnStar Service Works
Automatic Crash Response,
Emergency Services, Crisis Assist,
Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle
Diagnostics, Remote Door Unlock,
Roadside Assistance, Turn-by-Turn
Navigation, and Hands-Free Calling
are available on most vehicles. Not
all OnStar services are available
everywhere or on all vehicles. For
more information, a full description
of OnStar services, system
limitations, and OnStar terms and
conditions, see www.onstar.com
(U.S.) or www.onstar.ca (Canada);
contact OnStar at 1-888-4-ONSTAR
(1‐888‐466‐7827) or
TTY 1‐877‐248‐2080; or push
Qto speak with an Advisor. OnStar
services require a vehicle electrical
system, wireless service, and GPS
satellite technologies to be available
and operating for features to
function properly. These systems
may not operate if the battery is
discharged or disconnected.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
AutomaticClimate Control System . . . . . . . . 8-1
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Shift Lock Control
Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . 10-94, 10-95
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-29
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-57, 7-59, 7-63, 7-69Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-36
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Cautions, Danger, and
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
CD/DVD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-2
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-17

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
Differential, Limited-Slip . . . . . . . 9-41
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
DoorAjar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Drive Systems All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . . 5-13
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Driving
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-27
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6 Driving (cont'd)
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
DVD Rear Seat EntertainmentSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47
DVD/CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
E
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . 5-21
Electrical Equipment, Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Electrical System
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42 Electrical System (cont'd)
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Emergency, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-37
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38

Black plate (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Engine (cont'd)Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4 Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-107
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Front Fog Lamp
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . 3-10
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56 Fuel (cont'd)
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-53
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 5-25
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-53
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Fuses Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Rear Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-49
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53