2012 BUICK LACROSSE change time

Black plate (27,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-27
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message when it is time
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN withthe engine off.
2. Press the DIC MENU button on the turn signal lever to enter the
Vehicle Information Menu. Use
the thumbwheel to scroll through
the menu items until you reach
REMAINING OIL LIFE.
3. Press the SET/CLR button to reset the oil life at 100%.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-252-1112
TTY Users (U.S.): 1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
Mexico: 01-800-466-0818
As the owner of a new Buick, you
are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10 for more
information.

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.

Black plate (38,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
3-38 Seats and Restraints
Infants and Young
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants and
all other children. Neither the
distance traveled nor the age and
size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety
restraints. In fact, the law in every
state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says
children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Never leave children
unattended in a vehicle and never
allow children to play with the
safety belts.
Airbags plus lap‐shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle's
safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Every
time infants and young children ride
in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
child restraints.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant should be
secured in an appropriate
restraint.

Black plate (28,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by using the
DIC buttons on the turn signal lever
to the left of the steering wheel. The
DIC displays trip, fuel, vehicle
system information, and warning
messages if a system problem is
detected.
The bottom of the DIC display
shows what position the shift lever
is in, the odometer, and the direction
the vehicle is driving.
In cold weather the DIC display may
change slowly. This is normal and
will move more quickly as the
vehicle's interior temperature rises.DIC Buttons
A.
SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item when it is
displayed.
B.
w/x(Thumbwheel): Use to
scroll through the items in each
menu. A small marker will move
across the bottom of the page
as you scroll through the items.
This shows where each page is
in the menu.
C. MENU: Press to get to the Trip/
Fuel Menu and the Vehicle
Information Menu.
Trip/Fuel Menu Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until Trip/Fuel Information
Menu is displayed. Use
w/xto
scroll through the following menu
items:
.Digital Speedometer
.Trip 1
.Trip 2
.Power Flow Gauge
(eAssist Only)
.Fuel Range
.Average Fuel Economy/
Instantaneous Fuel Economy
.Average Vehicle Speed
.Timer
.Navigation

Black plate (29,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-29
Digital Speedometer
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.
Trip 1 and Trip 2
This display shows the current
distance traveled, in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi), since
the last reset for the trip odometer.
The trip odometer can be reset to
zero by pressing SET/CLR while the
trip odometer display is showing.
Power Flow Gauge (eAssist Only)
This display shows the operating
mode of the eAssist system and the
high voltage battery charge level.
The animation indicates the
direction of energy flow.Fuel Range
This display shows the approximate
distance the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The fuel range
estimate is based on an average of
the vehicle's fuel economy over
recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the fuel
tank. Fuel range cannot be reset.
Average Fuel Economy/
Instantaneous Fuel Economy
On some models, this display
shows Average Fuel Economy. On
other models, this display shows
both Average Fuel Economy and
Instantaneous Fuel Economy.
The Average Fuel Economy display
shows the approximate average
liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km)
or miles per gallon (mpg). This
number is calculated based on the
number of L/100 km (mpg) recorded
since the last time this menu item
was reset. The fuel economy can be
reset by pressing SET/CLR while
the Average Fuel Economy display
is showing.The Instantaneous Fuel Economy
display shows the current fuel
economy in liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km) or miles per gallon
(mpg). This number reflects only the
fuel economy that the vehicle has
right now and changes frequently as
driving conditions change. Unlike
average economy, this display
cannot be reset.
Average Vehicle Speed
This display shows the average
speed of the vehicle in miles per
hour (mph) or kilometers per
hour (km/h). This average is
calculated based on the various
vehicle speeds recorded since the
last reset of this value. The average
speed can be reset by pressing
SET/CLR while the Average Vehicle
Speed display is showing.

Black plate (30,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
Timer
This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press SET/CLR
while Timer is displayed. The
display will show the amount of time
that has passed since the timer was
last reset, not including time the
ignition is off. Time will continue to
be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being
shown on the DIC. The timer will
record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes,
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after
which the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press SET/CLR
briefly while Timer is displayed. To
reset the timer to zero, press and
hold SET/CLR.
Navigation
This display is used for the OnStar
or Navigation System Turn-by-Turn
guidance. SeeOnStar Overview on
page 14‑1 or the navigation manual,
if the vehicle has navigation, for
more information.Vehicle Information Menu
Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until Vehicle Information Menu
is displayed. Use
w/xto scroll
through the following menu items:
.Unit
.Tire Pressure
.Jump Start (eAssist Only)
.Remaining Oil Life
.Battery Voltage
Unit
Move
w/xto switch between
metric or US when the Unit display
is active. Press SET/CLR to confirm
the setting. This will change the
displays on the cluster and DIC to
either metric or English (US)
measurements. Tire Pressure
The display will show a vehicle with
the approximate pressures of all
four tires. Tire pressure is displayed
in either kilopascal (kPa) or pounds
per square inch (psi). See
Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑56 andTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑57 for
more information.
Jump Start (eAssist Only)
This display allows for on-board
jump starting of the vehicle. See
“Jump Starting (On-board with
eAssist Only)” for more information.
Remaining Oil Life
This display shows an estimate of
the oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.

Black plate (31,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
SeeEngine Oil Messages on
page 5‑38. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9. In addition
to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See Maintenance Schedule
on page 11‑3 for more information.
Remember, the Oil Life display must
be reset after each oil change. It will
not reset itself. Also, be careful not
to reset the Oil Life display
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, press SET/
CLR while the Oil Life display is
active. See Engine Oil Life System
on page 10‑12. Battery Voltage
This display, available on some
vehicles, shows the current battery
voltage. If the voltage is in the
normal range, the value will display.
For example, the display may read
Battery Voltage 15.0 Volts. The
vehicle's charging system regulates
voltage based on the state of the
battery. The battery voltage can
fluctuate while viewing this
information on the DIC. This is
normal. See
Charging System Light
on page 5‑17 for more information.
If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, the DIC will
display a message
Compass
The vehicle may have a compass
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Compass on
page 5‑5 for more information.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{WARNING
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
For vehicles with the Head-Up
Display (HUD), some information
concerning the operation of the
vehicle is projected onto the
windshield. This includes the
speedometer reading, rpm reading,
transmission position, outside air
temperature, compass heading, and
a brief display of the current radio
station, including XM information or
CD track. It will also display
turn-by-turn navigation information if
the vehicle has a navigation radio.

Black plate (32,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
The images are projected through
the HUD lens located on the driver
side of the instrument panel.
Notice:If you try to use the HUD
image as a parking aid, you may
misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in one of three languages,
English, French, or Spanish. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed
in either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through the radio and the units of
measurement is changed through
the trip computer in the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
AM-FM Radio (Radio with CD/DVD/
MEM) on page 7‑18 orAM-FM
Radio (Radio with CD and
Touchscreen) on page 7‑21 and
Driver Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27.
HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD information appears as an
image focused out toward the front
of the vehicle.
When the ignition is placed in the
ON/RUN or ON/RUN/START
position, HUD will display an
introductory message for a short
time, until the HUD is ready. The following indicator lights come
on in the instrument panel when
activated and also appear on
the HUD:
.Turn Signal Indicators
.High-Beam Indicator Symbol
The HUD temporarily displays some
vehicle warnings, such as CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE and FUEL
LEVEL LOW when these messages
are on the DIC trip computer.
The HUD also displays the following
messages on vehicles with these
systems, when they are active:
.TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE
.STABILITRAK ACTIVE