2015 BUICK LACROSSE steering system

Black plate (43,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Instruments and Controls 5-43
Security Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicle
detects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the power steering
system and a chime may sound.
Take the vehicle to your dealer for
service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message is displayed if there is
a problem with the vehicle. Take the
vehicle to your dealer for service.
Starting the Vehicle
Messages
JUMP START ACTIVE WAIT TO
START
This message displays while
performing an on-board jump start
of the vehicle. See“Jump Starting
(On-board with eAssist Only).”
JUMP START COMPLETE
ATTEMPT START
This message displays while
performing an on-board jump start
of the vehicle. See “Jump Starting
(On-board with eAssist Only).”
JUMP START DISABLED SEE
OWNERS MANUAL
This message displays if there is a
problem with the on-board jump
start system, or the 12 volt battery is
too low to perform an on-board jump
start. Try using jumper cables and
performing a normal jump start. See
“Jump Starting (On-board with eAssist Only).”
Take the vehicle to
your dealer for service if this
message continues to be displayed.
Tire Messages
SERVICE TIRE MONITOR
SYSTEM
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS). See Tire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10-52.
TIRE LEARNING ACTIVE
This message displays when the
system is learning new tires. See
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10-52.
TIRE PRESSURE LOW ADD
AIR TO TIRE
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), this
message displays when the
pressure in one or more of the
vehicle's tires is low.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Sun Visor Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-7
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-8Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel on the outboard
side of the steering wheel.
Turn the control to the following
positions:
O(Off): Turns off the exterior
lamps. The knob returns to the
AUTO position after it is released.
Turn to off again to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
AUTO (Automatic): Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
6-4 Lighting
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button on the center
stack above the audio system, to
make the front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off. Press again
to turn the flashers off.
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times. The turn and lane-change signal
can be turned off manually by
moving the lever back to its original
position.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
might be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If the bulb is not burned
out, check the fuse. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 10-35.
Fog Lamps
If equipped with fog lamps, the
button is on the exterior lamp
control, left of the steering wheel.

Black plate (1,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
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 (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-33
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . 9-36
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . 9-36
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . 9-39
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Active Emergency Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Lane Change Alert . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-57

Black plate (3,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
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 manual for
more information on using 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 3-12.
.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.
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.
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.

Black plate (4,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
9-4 Driving and Operating
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 the 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.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
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 5-35.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 the 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 (5,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
Driving and Operating 9-5
{Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
for more than 15 seconds,
damage may occur to the power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Curve Tips
.Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
.Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
.Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve
.Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
allows steering while braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

Black plate (6,1)Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
7707475) - 2015 - CRC - 10/9/14
9-6 Driving and Operating
3. Turn the steering wheel to gostraight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible. If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
(Continued)