2013 BUICK LACROSSE mount

Black plate (17,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Instruments and Controls 5-17
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If the vehicle is towing a trailer,
reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled as soon as it is
possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible. Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emissions control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑50. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It may require at least one full tank
of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑47.
If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Depending on where you live, your
vehicle may be required to
participate in an emission control
system inspection and maintenance
program. For the inspection, the
emission system test equipment will
likely connect to the vehicle's Data
Link Connector (DLC).

Black plate (26,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
5-26 Instruments and Controls
DIC Buttons
1.SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item when it is
displayed.
2.
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.
3. 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
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.

Black plate (27,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Instruments and Controls 5-27
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 asdriving 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.
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) afterwhich 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. See
OnStar 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

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Lighting 6-7
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 lamps and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. SeeIgnition Positions (Keyless
Access) on page 9‑15 orIgnition
Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑17.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑39.
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.
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

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-34
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . 9-37
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Object Detection Systems
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-40
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-47
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-47
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-49
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Driving and Operating 9-3
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
If equipped, refer to the navigation
manual for information on that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 3‑11.
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious
—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
9-4 Driving and Operating
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If your vehicle has electric power
steering it does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required. If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under
Vehicle Messages
on page 5‑32.
Variable Effort Steering
Some vehicles have a steering
system that varies the amount of
effort required to steer the vehicle in
relation to the speed of the vehicle.
The amount of steering effort
required is less at slower speeds to
make the vehicle more maneuverable and easier to park. At
faster speeds, the steering effort
increases to provide a sport-like feel
to the steering. This provides
maximum control and stability.
If the vehicle seems harder to steer
than normal when parking or driving
slowly, there may be a problem with
the system. You will still have power
steering, but steering will be stiffer
than normal at slow speeds. See
your dealer for service.
Hydraulic Power Steering
If your vehicle has hydraulic power
steering, it may require
maintenance. See
Power Steering
Fluid (2.4L L4 Engine and 3.6L
V6 Engine with FWD) on
page 10‑23 orPower Steering Fluid
(3.6L V6 Engine with AWD) on
page 10‑23.
If power steering assist is lost
because the engine stops or a
system malfunction, the vehicle can
be steered but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.

Black plate (7,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Driving and Operating 9-7
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10‑42.
.Turn off cruise control.
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park the vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep the interior
temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill.
Steering may also be affected
when ignition is off. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.