
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
2017 - crc - 9/7/16
Keys, Doors, and Windows 27
The vehicle has the keyless ignition.
The key can be used for the locks.
Press the button on the RKE
transmitter to access the key.If it becomes difficult to turn the key
in a vehicle lock, inspect the key
blade for debris. Periodically clean
with a brush or pick.
See your dealer if a new key is
needed.
With an active OnStar subscription,
an OnStar Advisor may remotely
unlock the vehicle. See
OnStar
Overview 0325.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
See Radio Frequency Statement
0 321.
If there is a decrease in the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) operating
range:
. Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
. Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
. Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section. .
If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Keyless Access system allows
for vehicle entry when the
transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft). See
“Keyless Access Operation” later in
this section.
The transmitter functions may work
up to 60 m (197 ft) away from the
vehicle.
Other conditions can impact the
performance of the transmitter.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
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28 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Q:Press to lock all doors.
The turn signal indicators may flash
and/or the horn may sound on the
second press to indicate locking.
See Vehicle Personalization 0138.
If the driver door is open when
Qis
pressed and enabled through
vehicle personalization, all doors will
lock and the driver door will
immediately unlock.
If the passenger door is open
when
Qis pressed, all doors lock.
Pressing
Qmay also arm the
theft-deterrent system. See Vehicle
Alarm System 040.
K:Press to unlock the driver door.
Press again within five seconds to
unlock all doors. The RKE
transmitter can be programmed to
unlock all doors on the first button
press. See Vehicle Personalization
0 138.
The turn signal indicators may flash
to indicate unlocking. See Vehicle
Personalization 0138.
Pressing
Kwill disarm the
theft-deterrent system. See Vehicle
Alarm System 040.
Memory seat positions may be
recalled when unlocking the vehicle.
See Memory Seats 053 and
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
X:Press twice quickly to release
the trunk.
7: Press and release to initiate
vehicle locator. The exterior lamps
flash and the horn chirps three
times. Press and hold
7for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the
turn signals flash until
7is pressed
again or the vehicle is started.
/: If equipped, pressQand
release and then immediately press
and hold
/for at least
four seconds to start the engine
from outside the vehicle using the
RKE transmitter. See Remote
Vehicle Start 033.
Keyless Access Operation
If equipped with a Keyless Access
system, it allows for locking and
unlocking the doors and accessing
the trunk without removing the RKE
transmitter from your pocket, purse,
briefcase, etc. The RKE transmitter
should be within 1 m (3 ft) of the
trunk or door being opened. If the
vehicle has this feature, there will be
buttons on the outside of the door
handles.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
2017 - crc - 9/7/16
Keys, Doors, and Windows 29
Keyless Access can be
programmed to unlock all doors on
the first unlock/lock button press
from the driver door. SeeVehicle
Personalization 0138.
Keyless Unlocking/Locking from
the Driver Door
When the doors are locked and the
RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft)
of the driver door handle, pressing
the lock/unlock button on the driver
door handle will unlock the driver
door. If the lock/unlock button is
pressed again within five seconds,
all passenger doors will unlock.Pressing the lock/unlock button will
cause all doors to lock if any of the
following occur:
. It has been more than
five seconds since the first lock/
unlock button press.
. Two lock/unlock button presses
were used to unlock all doors.
. Any vehicle door has opened
and all doors are now closed.
Keyless Unlocking/Locking from
Passenger Doors
When the doors are locked and the
RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft)
of the door handle, pressing the
lock/unlock button on that door
handle will unlock all doors.
Pressing the lock/unlock button will
cause all doors to lock if any of the
following occur:
. The lock/unlock button was used
to unlock all doors.
. Any vehicle door has opened
and all doors are now closed. Passive Locking
With Keyless Access the vehicle will
lock several seconds after all doors
are closed if the vehicle is off and at
least one transmitter has been
removed or none remain in the
interior.
If other electronic devices interfere
with the RKE transmitter signal, the
vehicle may not detect the RKE
transmitter inside the vehicle.
If passive locking is enabled, the
doors may lock with the RKE
transmitter inside the vehicle. Do
not leave the RKE transmitter in an
unattended vehicle.
To customize the doors to
automatically lock when exiting the
vehicle, see
Vehicle Personalization
0 138.
Temporary Disable of Passive
Locking Feature
Temporarily disable passive locking
by pressing and holding
Kon the
interior door switch with a door open
for at least four seconds, or until
three chimes are heard. Passive
locking will then remain disabled

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
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30 Keys, Doors, and Windows
untilQon the interior door is
pressed, or until the vehicle is
turned on.
Remote Left in Vehicle Alert
When the vehicle is turned off and
an RKE transmitter is left in the
vehicle, the horn will chirp three
times after all doors are closed. To
turn on or off see Vehicle
Personalization 0138.
Remote No Longer in Vehicle Alert
If the vehicle is on, with a door
open, and then all doors are closed,
the vehicle will check for RKE
transmitter(s) inside. If an RKE
transmitter is not detected, the DIC
will display NO REMOTE
DETECTED and the horn will chirp
three times.
This occurs only once each time the
vehicle is driven.
See Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Key Access
To access a vehicle with a weak
transmitter battery, see Door Locks
0 35.Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to the vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
The vehicle can be reprogrammed
so that lost or stolen transmitters no
longer work. Any remaining
transmitters will need to be
reprogrammed. Each vehicle can
have up to eight transmitters
matched to it.
Programming with Recognized
Transmitters
A new transmitter can be
programmed to the vehicle when
there are two recognized
transmitters. To program, the vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters, both currently
recognized and new, must be
with you.
1. Place the two recognized transmitters in the cupholder. 2. Remove the key lock cylinder
cap on the driver door handle.
See Door Locks 035.
3. Insert the vehicle key of the new transmitter into the key
lock cylinder on the outside of
the driver door and turn the key
to the unlock position five times
within 10 seconds.
The Driver Information Center
(DIC) displays READY FOR
REMOTE #2, 3, 4 or 5.
4. Place the new transmitter intothe transmitter pocket inside
the armrest storage area.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 31
5. Press ENGINE START/STOP.When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
6. Remove the transmitter from the transmitter pocket and
press
K.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 3–5.
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
7. Put the key back into the transmitter.
Programming without Recognized
Transmitters
If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle must be off and all of the
transmitters you wish to program
must be with you.
1. Remove the key lock cylinder cap on the driver door handle.
See Door Locks 035.
2. Insert the vehicle key of the transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key to
the unlock position five times
within 10 seconds.
The Driver Information Center
(DIC) displays REMOTE
LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
3. Wait for 10 minutes until the DIC displays PRESS ENGINE
START BUTTON TO LEARN
and then press ENGINE
START/STOP.
The DIC display will again
show REMOTE LEARN
PENDING, PLEASE WAIT.
4. Repeat Step 2 two additional times. After the third time, all
previously known transmitters
will no longer work with the vehicle. Remaining transmitters
can be relearned during the
next steps.
The DIC display should now
show READY FOR
REMOTE #1.
5. Place the new transmitter into
the transmitter pocket inside
the armrest storage area.
6. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is learned
the DIC will show that it is
ready to program the next
transmitter.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
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32 Keys, Doors, and Windows
7. Remove the transmitter fromthe transmitter pocket and
press
K.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6.
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP
button for 12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
8. Put the key back into the transmitter.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
When starting the vehicle, if the
transmitter battery is weak or there
is interference with the signal, the
DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED or NO REMOTE KEY
WAS DETECTED PLACE KEY IN
TRANSMITTER POCKET THEN
START YOUR VEHICLE. See Key
and Lock Messages 0132.
To start the vehicle:
1. Place the transmitter in the transmitter pocket inside the
armrest storage area.
2. With the vehicle in P (Park) or N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and ENGINE START/
STOP. See Starting the Engine
0 175 for additional information
about the vehicle's keyless
ignition with pushbutton start.
Replace the transmitter battery as
soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the DIC
displays a reminder message.
Caution
When replacing the battery, do
not touch any of the circuitry on
the transmitter. Static from your
body could damage the
transmitter.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
1. Press the button on the transmitter to remove the key.

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Keys, Doors, and Windows 33
2. Insert a flat tool into the bottomof the transmitter and separate
the transmitter into two halves.
3. Remove the battery by pushing on the battery and sliding it
toward the bottom of the
transmitter.5. Insert the new battery, positiveside facing up. Push the
battery down until it is held in
place. Replace with a CR2032
or equivalent battery.
6. Snap the battery cover back on to the transmitter.
Remote Vehicle Start
If available, this feature allows the
engine to be started from outside
the vehicle.
The
/button will be on the RKE
transmitter if the vehicle has remote
start. Laws in some local communities
may restrict the use of remote
starters. For example, some laws
may require a person using remote
start to have the vehicle in view.
Check local regulations for any
requirements.
Starting the Engine Using Remote
Start
To start the engine using the remote
start feature:
1. Aim the RKE transmitter at the vehicle.
2. Press and release
Q.
3. Immediately after completing Step 2, press and hold
/for at
least four seconds or until the
turn signal lamps flash. The
turn signal lamps flashing
confirms the request to remote
start the vehicle has been
received.
When the engine starts, the
parking lamps will turn on and
remain on as long as the

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-9803782) -
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34 Keys, Doors, and Windows
engine is running. The doors
will be locked and the climate
control system may come on.
Start the engine to drive the vehicle.
The engine will shut off after
10 minutes unless a time extension
is done or the engine is started.
The climate control system will use
the previous setting during a remote
start. The rear defog may come on
during remote start based on cold
ambient conditions. The rear defog
indicator light does not come on
during remote start. Vehicles with
heated or heated and ventilated
front seats can have this feature
turn on automatically during a
remote start. See Vehicle
Personalization 0138.
Extending Engine Run Time
The engine run time can also be
extended by another 10 minutes,
if during the first 10 minutes
Steps 1–3 are repeated while the
engine is still running. An extension
can be requested, 30 seconds after
starting. This provides a total of
20 minutes. The remote start can only be
extended once.
When the remote start is extended,
the second 10-minute period is
added on to the first 10 minutes for
a total of 20 minutes.
A maximum of two remote starts,
or a remote start with an extension,
are allowed between ignition cycles.
The vehicle's ignition must be
changed to ON/RUN/START and
then back to OFF before the remote
start procedure can be used again.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start, do any of
the following:
.
Aim the RKE transmitter at the
vehicle and press and hold
/
until the parking lamps turn off.
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Turn the vehicle on and then off. Conditions in Which Remote Start
Will Not Work
The remote start will not operate if:
.
The transmitter is in the vehicle.
. The hood is not closed.
. The hazard warning flashers
are on.
. There is an emission control
system malfunction.
. The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
. The oil pressure is low.
. Two remote vehicle starts have
already been used.
. The vehicle is not in P (Park).