
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 (30,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
5-30 Instruments and Controls
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
When the HUD is on, the
speedometer reading is continually
displayed. The current radio station
or CD track number will display for a
short period of time after the radio
or CD track status changes. This
happens whenever radio information
is changed. The speedometer size
is reduced when radio, CD
information, warnings, or turn-by-turn navigation
information are displayed on
the HUD.The HUD control is located to the
left of the steering wheel.
To adjust the HUD image so that
items are properly displayed, do the
following:
1. Adjust the driver seat to a
comfortable position.
2. Start the engine.
3. Adjust the HUD controls. Use the following settings to adjust
the HUD.
OFF:
To turn HUD off, turn the HUD
dimming knob fully counterclockwise
until the HUD display turns off.
Brightness: Turn the dimming knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the display.
«(Up) orª(Down): Press the
up or down arrows to center the
HUD image in your view. The HUD
image can only be adjusted up and
down, not side to side.
PAGE: Press to select the display
formats. Release the PAGE button
when the format number with the
desired display is shown on the
HUD. If vehicle messages are
displayed, pressing PAGE may clear
the message.

Black plate (35,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Instruments and Controls 5-35
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
SeeEngine Oil Life System on
page 10‑13, Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑25, Engine
Oil on page 10‑11, and Maintenance
Schedule on page 11‑2.
ENGINE OIL HOT, IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine oil temperature is too hot.
Stop and allow the vehicle to idle
until it cools down.
ENGINE OIL LOW —ADD OIL
On some vehicles, this message
displays when the engine oil level
may be too low. Check the oil level
before filling to the recommended
level. If the oil is not low and this
message remains on, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑11.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate. If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on, but
maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL LEVEL LOW
This message displays when the
vehicle is low on fuel. Refuel as
soon as possible.
TIGHTEN GAS CAP
This message displays when the
fuel cap is not on tight. Tighten the
fuel cap.

Black plate (2,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
8-2 Climate Controls
eAssist Vehicles
1. Power
2. Driver Temperature Control
3. Defrost
4. Fan Control
5. Air Delivery Mode Control
6. Recirculation/Automatic Recirculation
7. Passenger Temperature Control
8. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
9. Rear Window Defogger 10. Eco Air Conditioning
11. Comfort Air Conditioning
12. ZONE
Climate Control Influence on
eAssist Operation and Fuel
Economy (If Equipped)
The climate control system is
dependent upon other vehicle
systems for heat and power input.
Certain climate control settings can
lead to higher fuel usage and/or
fewer auto stops.The following are climate control
settings that use more fuel:
.Comfort air conditioning mode.
.The Defrost mode.
.Extreme temperature settings,
such as 15°C (60°F) or 32°C
(90°F).
.High fan speed settings.
To help reduce fuel usage:
.Use the full automatic control as
described under “Automatic
Operation”.
.Use eco air conditioning, instead
of the comfort air conditioning.
.Select a temperature setting that
is higher in hot weather and
lower in cold weather.
.Turn off the air conditioning
when it is not needed.
.Only use defrost to clear the
windows.

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
Climate Controls 8-3
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle to
the desired temperature.
When the AUTO indicator light is
on, the system is in full automatic
operation. If the air delivery mode,
fan speed, recirculation, or air
conditioning setting is adjusted, the
AUTO indicator turns off and the
selected settings will appear on the
display.
To place the system in automatic
mode do the following:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow thesystem time to stabilize. Adjust
the temperature as needed for
best comfort.
To improve fuel efficiency and to
cool the vehicle faster, recirculation
may be automatically selected in
warm weather. The recirculation light will not come on. Press>to
select recirculation; press it again to
select outside air.
QTEMPR(Driver and Passenger
Temperature Control): The
temperature can be adjusted
separately for the driver and the
passenger. Press to increase or
decrease the temperature.
ZONE: Press to link all climate
zone settings to the driver settings.
The ZONE indicator light will turn
off. When the passenger settings
are adjusted, the ZONE indicator
light is on.
Manual Operation
O(Power): Press to turn the fan off
or on.
Q A R(Fan Control): Press to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
The fan speed setting appears on
the main display. Pressing either
button cancels automatic fan control
and the fan is controlled manually.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
Q N R(Air Delivery Mode
Control): Press to change the
direction of the airflow. The current
mode appears in the display screen.
Pressing either button cancels
automatic air delivery control and
the direction of the airflow is
controlled manually. Press AUTO to
return to automatic operation.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-Level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
outlets and the floor outlets.
C(Tri-Level): Air is divided
between the windshield, instrument
panel, and floor outlets.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
-(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 9/7/12
8-4 Climate Controls
0(Defrost):Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
For best results, clear all snow and
ice from the windshield before
defrosting.
For eAssist vehicles that have the
auto defog feature, auto stops can
occur in defrost mode. In this mode,
the auto stops are shorter and less
frequent than other air delivery
modes to prevent instant fogging.
A/C (Comfort Air Conditioning):
Press to turn the air conditioning
system on or off. If the climate
control system is turned off or the
outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioner will
not run.
Pressing this button cancels
automatic air conditioning and turns
off the air conditioner. Press AUTO
to return to automatic operation and
the air conditioner runs
automatically as needed. When the
indicator light is on, the air conditioner runs automatically to
cool the air inside the vehicle or to
dry the air needed to defog the
windshield faster.
For eAssist vehicles, an auto stop
may occur if the climate control
system determines the a/c
compressor can be shut off and still
maintain comfort levels with minimal
windshield fogging.
Eco
#(Eco Air Conditioning, If
Equipped): This setting balances
fuel economy and air conditioning
comfort. In warm weather
conditions, auto stops may occur
more frequently and the vehicle
interior may be warmer as
compared to the comfort air
conditioning. The eco a/c setting
allows higher humidity inside the
vehicle and window fogging before
the engine restarts.
Pressing the
0button during an
auto stop will restart the engine to
prevent window fogging. To reach
comfort levels quickly during an
auto stop, the engine will restart if the air conditioner is off and the
AUTO, eco
#, or A/C is selected.
The engine also restarts if the
Ois
pressed on and the system is set to
AUTO, eco
#, or A/C.
If temperature controls are adjusted
cooler by more than 1°C (1°F)
during an auto stop, the engine will
restart to ensure that comfort is
reached.
@(Recirculation/Auto
Recirculation): Press to change to
automatic control of air recirculation
inside the vehicle. When the auto
recirculation indicator light is on, the
air is automatically recirculated as
needed to help quickly cool the air
inside the vehicle.
In auto recirculation control, the Air
Quality Control system may operate
when pollution is detected. To adjust
the sensitivity of the Air Quality
Control, see “Climate and Air
Quality” underVehicle
Personalization on page 5‑39.

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