
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9159288) - 2016 - CRC - 10/5/15
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 18 Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 20
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 20
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Universal Remote System . . . . . 21
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
eAssist Features
eAssist®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
High Voltage Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Automatic Engine Start/Stop Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . . 23
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 24
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9159288) - 2016 - CRC - 10/5/15
Instruments and Controls 115
driving trips with the cap
properly installed may turn the
light off.
. Poor fuel quality can cause
inefficient engine operation and
poor driveability, which may go
away once the engine is warmed
up. If this occurs, change the
fuel brand. It may require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off. See
Fuel 0215.
If the light remains on, see your
dealer.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
If the vehicle requires an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test, the
test equipment will likely connect to
the vehicle's Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. Connecting devices that are
not used to perform an Emissions
Inspection/Maintenance test or to
service the vehicle may affect
vehicle operation See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0225. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
. The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is in ON/RUN
with the engine not running for
Key Access or in Service Only
Mode for Keyless Access.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9159288) - 2016 - CRC - 10/5/15
Instruments and Controls 133
unsafe temperatures for operation.
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. See
Engine Oil Life System0238, Driver
Information Center (DIC) 0123,
Engine Oil 0236, and Maintenance
Schedule 0314.
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 0236.
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.
Key and Lock Messages
NO REMOTE DETECTED
This message displays when the
RKE transmitter battery is weak on
vehicles with Keyless Access. See
“Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery”
underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 028.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9159288) - 2016 - CRC - 10/5/15
154 Lighting
Exit Lighting
Some exterior 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 lamps 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 automatically turn
on when a door is opened after the
ignition is changed to the OFF
position. The dome lamps also
come on after the ignition is
changed to the OFF position. See
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access)
0175 orIgnition Positions (Key
Access) 0176.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0139.
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, 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
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages
0130.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9159288) - 2016 - CRC - 10/5/15
178 Driving and Operating
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. The transmission is also
unlocked in this position.
The battery could be drained if the
key is left in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN position with the engine
off. The vehicle might not restart if
the battery is allowed to drain for an
extended period of time.
3 (START) :This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to ON/RUN for normal
driving.
A warning tone sounds when the
driver door is opened when the
ignition is still in ACC/ACCESSORY
and the key is in the ignition. If the
ignition becomes difficult to turn,
see Keys 026.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Add-On Electrical
Equipment 0225.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist. Starting Procedure (Key Access)
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of
the key.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine warms. Do not race
the engine immediately after
starting it. Allow the oil to warm
up and lubricate all moving
parts.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could