
Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, BUICK, the
BUICK Emblem, and LACROSSE
are trademarks and/or service
marks of General Motors LLC, its
subsidiaries, affiliates, or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name
“General
Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick
Motor Division wherever it appears
in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 22859705 B Second Printing©2011 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved. 

Black plate (20,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
1-20 In Brief
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located in the
center of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems. The controls for
the DIC are located on the turn
signal lever.
A.SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item when it is
displayed.
B.
w/x: Use the thumbwheel
to scroll through the items in
each menu. C.
MENU: Press to display the
Trip/Fuel Menu and the Vehicle
Information Menu. This button is
also used to return to or exit the
last screen displayed on
the DIC.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑27.
Vehicle Personalization
Some vehicle features can be
programmed by using the audio
system controls. These features
include:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Collision/Detection Systems
.Language
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock/Unlock
.Return to Factory Settings See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑43.
Ultrasonic Parking Assist
If available, Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system uses sensors
on the rear bumper to assist with
parking and avoiding objects while
in R (Reverse). It operates at
speeds less than 8 km/h (5 mph).
URPA uses audible beeps to
provide distance and system
information.
Keep the sensors on the vehicle's
rear bumper clean to ensure proper
operation.
See Ultrasonic Parking Assist on
page 9‑44 for more information. 

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 

Black plate (43,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-43
Vehicle
Personalization
The audio system controls are used
to access the personalization
menus for customizing vehicle
features.
CONFIG (Configuration):Press to
access the Configuration
Settings menu.
Menu Knob: Turn to scroll through
the menus.
SELECT: Press to enter the menus
and select menu items.
/BACK: Press to exit or move
backward in a menu. Entering the Personalization
Menus
1. Press CONFIG to access the
Configuration Settings menu.
2. Turn the Menu knob to highlight Vehicle Settings.
3. Press SELECT to select the Vehicle Settings menu.
The following list of menu items may
be available:
.Climate and Air Quality
.Comfort and Convenience
.Collision/Detection Systems
.Language
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock/Unlock/Start
.Return to Factory Settings
Turn the Menu knob to highlight the
menu. Press SELECT to select it.
Each of the menus is detailed in the
following information.
Climate and Air Quality
Select the Climate and Air Quality
menu and the following may be
displayed:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Air Quality Sensor
.Auto Heated Seats
.Air Conditioning Mode
.Remote Start Auto Heated Seats
.Remote Start Cooled Seats
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Speed
This will allow you to select the
automatic fan speed. It can be
adjusted to run lower or higher than
normal.
Press SELECT when Auto Fan
Speed is highlighted to open the
menu. Turn the Menu knob to
highlight High, Medium, or Low. 

Black plate (46,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
5-46 Instruments and Controls
This allows you to turn the park tilt
mirrors feature on or off.
Press SELECT when Park Tilt
Mirrors is highlighted. Turn the
Menu knob to select Driver &
Passenger or Off. Press SELECT to
confirm the selection. Press
/BACK to move to the last menu.
Collision/Detection Systems
Select the Collision/Detection
Systems menu and the following will
be displayed:
.Side Blind Zone Alert System
Side Blind Zone Alert System
If equipped, this feature allows the
Side Blind Zone Alert System
feature to be turned on or off.
Press SELECT when Side Blind
Zone Alert System is highlighted.
Turn the Menu knob to select On or
Off. Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu.
Language
Select the Language menu and the
following will be displayed:
.English
.French
.Spanish
Turn the Menu knob to select the
language. Press SELECT to confirm
the selection. Press
/BACK to
move to the last menu.
Lighting
Select the Lighting menu and the
following will be displayed:
.Exit Lighting
.Vehicle Locator Lights
Exit Lighting
This allows selection of how long
the exterior lamps stay on when
leaving the vehicle and it is dark
outside. Press SELECT when Exit Lighting is
highlighted. Turn the Menu knob to
select Off, 30 Seconds, 1 Minute,
or 2 Minutes. Press SELECT to
confirm the selection. Press
/BACK to move to the last menu.
Vehicle Locator Lights
This allows the vehicle locator lights
to be turned on or off. The vehicle
locator lights come on when
unlocking the vehicle with the RKE
transmitter.
Press SELECT when Vehicle
Locator Lights is highlighted. Turn
the Menu knob to select On or Off.
Press SELECT to confirm the
selection. Press
/BACK to move to
the last menu. 

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 (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 (50,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2012
7-50 Infotainment System
Audio/Video (A/V) Jacks
If available, the A/V jacks are
located on the rear of the floor
console. They allow audio or video
cables to be connected from an
auxiliary device such as a
camcorder or a video game system.
The A/V jacks are color coded:
.Yellow for video input.
.White for left audio input.
.Red for right audio input.
Power for auxiliary devices is not
supplied by the radio system.
To use the auxiliary inputs of the
RSE system:
1. Connect the auxiliary device cables to the A/V jacks.
2. Power on both the auxiliary device and the RSE video
screen. Changing the Source on the Video
Display Screens
The image from the auxiliary device
can be switched between the video
display screens.
To change the display:
1. Press the AUX button on the
remote control to change the
source of both video screens
from the DVD player to the
auxiliary device.
2. Press the AUX button a second time to change the left video
screen source to the DVD player
and the right video screen to the
auxiliary device.
3. Press the AUX button a third time to change the left video
screen source to the auxiliary
device and the right video
screen to the DVD player. 4. Press the AUX button a fourth
time to change the source of
both video screens to the DVD
player.
Changing the RSE Video Screen
Settings
The screen display mode,
brightness, and language can be
changed from the setup menu using
the remote control. To change a
setting:
1. Pressz.
2. Use
n,q,p,o, andrto
select the settings.
3. Press
zagain to exit the
setup menu.