
Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
7-2 Infotainment System
To minimize taking your eyes off the
road while driving, do the following
while the vehicle is parked:
.Become familiar with the
operation and controls of the
audio system.
.Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset radio
stations.
For more information, see Defensive
Driving on page 9‑3.
Notice: Contact your dealer
before adding any equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere with
the operation of the engine, radio,
or other systems, and could
damage them. Follow federal
rules covering mobile radio and
telephone equipment.
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) on page 9‑24. The vehicle may have a base radio
that is included in this manual. See
the separate infotainment manual
for information on the connective
radio and the navigation system,
audio players, phone, and voice
recognition. There is also
information on settings and
downloadable applications
(if equipped).
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The theft-deterrent feature works by
learning a portion of the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) to the
infotainment system. The
infotainment system does not
operate if it is stolen or moved to a
different vehicle.

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
7-6 Infotainment System
Setting a Value
1. Turn the Multifunction knob tochange the current value of the
setting.
2. Press SELECT to confirm the setting.
Turning a Function On or Off
1. Turn the Multifunction knob to highlight the function.
2. Press SELECT to turn the function on or off. Entering a Character Sequence
1. Turn the Multifunction knob to
highlight the character.
2. Press SELECT to select the character.
Press the
/BACK button to delete
the last character in the sequence
or press and hold to delete the
entire character sequence.
Audio Settings
The audio settings can be set for
each radio band and each audio
player source.
To quickly reset an audio setting
value to 0:
1. Press the TONE button.
2. Select the audio setting. 3. Press and hold the SELECT
button until the value changes
to 0.
Press the
/BACK button to go
back to the Tone Settings menu.
Adjusting the Treble, Midrange,
and Bass
1. Press the TONE button.
2. Select Treble, Midrange, or Bass.
3. Select the value.
Press the
/BACK button to go
back to the Tone Settings menu.

Black plate (9,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Infotainment System 7-9
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Playing the Radio
Audio Source
VOL/
O(Volume/Power):
1. Press to turn the radio on or off.
2. Turn to increase or decrease the volume.
The steering wheel controls can
also be used to adjust the volume.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
RADIO/BAND:
1. Press to change the band while listening to the radio.
2. Select the radio while listening to another audio source.
Infotainment System Menus
Tone Settings
To access the tone settings, press
the TONE button on the faceplate. Use the tone settings to adjust the
following features:
.Setting the tone
.Adjusting the speakers
Setting the Tone
To adjust the tone:
.Treble: Press Treble and then
press + or −to change the level.
.Middle (Midrange): Press Middle
and then press + or −to change
the level.
.Bass: Press Bass and then
press + or −to change the level.
Adjusting the Speakers
To adjust the speaker balance:
.Press the left arrow on the
bottom for more sound from the
left speakers or the right arrow
on the bottom for more sound
from the right speakers. The
middle position balances the
sound between the left and right
speakers. To adjust the speaker fade:
.Press the upper arrow for more
sound from the front speakers
and the lower arrow for more
sound from the rear speakers.
The middle position balances
the sound between the front and
rear speakers.
EQ Settings
The EQ settings are selected
through the tone menu. Press the
left or right arrows to cycle through
the EQ options. The available
choices are Talk and Manual.
Finding a Station
To select the band, see “Audio
Source” earlier in this section.
Turn the Multifunction knob to find a
radio station. To select a preset
station, choose a preset button.
Seeking a Station
Press
gorlto search for a
station.

Black plate (10,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
7-10 Infotainment System
Changing the Sources
Press the RADIO/BAND button on
the faceplate to change (AM, FM,
SiriusXM
®, CD, or AUX) audio
sources.
Storing Radio Station Presets
There are a few ways to store
presets.
Up to 36 preset stations can be
stored. AM, FM, and SiriusXM,
if equipped, can be mixed.
1. From the AM, FM, or SiriusXM main page, press and hold one
of the preset screen buttons at
the bottom of the screen. After a
few seconds, a beep will be
heard and the new preset
information will display on that
screen button.
2. Touch and hold a preset button to store the currently active
station. After a few seconds, a
beep will be heard and the new
preset information will display on
a small pop-up display at the
bottom of the screen. 3. Repeat the steps for each
preset.
To change the number of preset
pages, see “Mixed-Band Presets”
following.
Recalling a Preset Station
To recall a preset station, do the
following:
.Press the FAV button on the
faceplate to display the FAV
pop-up. Select the desired
preset from the pop-up.
.Press the FAV screen button at
the top bar to display the preset
pop-up that appears at the
bottom of the page. Press one of
the preset screen buttons to go
to the selected preset station.
.In the AM, FM, or SiriusXM (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 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
SiriusXM®Satellite Radio
Service
Vehicles with an SiriusXM satellite
radio tuner and an SiriusXM satellite
radio subscription can receive
SiriusXM programming.
SiriusXM is a satellite radio service
based in the 48 contiguous United
States and 10 Canadian provinces.

Black plate (35,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Driving and Operating 9-35
If there is a problem detected with
TCS, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL is displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
SeeRide Control System Messages
on page 5‑37. When this message
is displayed and
dcomes on and
stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system.
To reset:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on, the
vehicle needs service.
Notice: Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
TCS can be turned off by pressing
and releasing the TCS/StabiliTrak
button. When TCS is turned off,
i
comes on, and the appropriate DIC
message also displays. See Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑37. With TCS turned off, the
system does not limit wheel slip.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly. See Traction Off Light
on page 5‑20.
Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button again to turn the
system back on. It may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle gets stuck
in sand, mud, or snow and rocking
the vehicle is required. See
If the
Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑9 for
more information. See also Winter
Driving on page 9‑8 for information
on using TCS when driving in snowy
or icy conditions.
Adding non-GM accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle may have a vehicle
stability enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer-controlled system that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively

Black plate (36,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
9-36 Driving and Operating
applies braking pressure to the
vehicle brakes to help steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
StabiliTrak comes on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started. To
assist with directional control of the
vehicle, the system should always
be left on.
When StabiliTrak activates,
d
flashes on the instrument panel.
A noise may be heard or vibration
may be felt in the brake pedal. This
is normal. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light on page 5‑21.
If a problem is detected with
StabiliTrak, SERVICE
STABILITRAK is displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑37. When this message
is displayed and
dcomes on and
stays on, the vehicle is safe to drive
but the system is not operational.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly. If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system.
To reset:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on, the
vehicle needs service.
.To turn off both StabiliTrak and
TCS, press and hold the TCS/
StabiliTrak button, located on the
instrument panel, until
iandg
illuminate and the appropriate
DIC message is displayed. See
Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑37.
When StabiliTrak is turned off,
the system will not assist with
directional control of the vehicle
or limit wheel spin. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.
See Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light on
page 5‑21.
.Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button again to turn
the system back on.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, cruise control
will automatically disengage. Press
the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑37.

Black plate (13,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Vehicle Care 10-13
Viscosity Grade
SAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity
grade for the vehicle. Do not use
other viscosity grade oils such as
SAE 10W-30, 10W-40, or 20W-50.
Cold Temperature Operation: In an
area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below−29°C
(−20°F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be
used. An oil of this viscosity grade
will provide easier cold starting for
the engine at extremely low
temperatures. When selecting an oil
of the appropriate viscosity grade,
always select an oil of the correct
specification. See “Specification”
earlier in this section for more
information.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils with the dexos
specification and displaying the
dexos certification mark are all that
is needed for good performance and
engine protection. Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash or pouring it on the ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies of water. Recycle it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on. See
Engine Oil Messages on page 5‑35.
Change the oil as soon as possible
within the next 1 000 km (600 mi).
It is possible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must

Black plate (14,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
10-14 Vehicle Care
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
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.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off and the REMAINING
OIL LIFE 100% message is
displayed.
If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer service department and have
it repaired as soon as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, you should
have this done at your dealer
service department. Contact your
dealer for additional information or
the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
on page 13‑16.