2018 BUICK LACROSSE tow

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
Instruments and Controls 129
always reflect the most recent
distance on the right side. This
display cannot be reset.
ECO Index :The bar graph
provides feedback on the efficiency
of current driving behavior. The
green ECO ball indicates low fuel
consumption. The amber ECO ball
indicates high fuel consumption.
More economical driving will keep
the ball in the ECO range.
Head-Up Display (HUD)
{Warning
If the HUD image is too bright or
too high in your field of view, it
may take you more time to see
things you need to see when it is
dark outside. Be sure to keep the
HUD image dim and placed low in
your field of view.
If equipped with HUD, some
information concerning the
operation of the vehicle is projected
onto the windshield. The information
is projected through the HUD lens on the driver side of the instrument
panel and focused out toward the
front of the vehicle.
Caution
If you try to use the HUD image
as a parking aid, you may
misjudge the distance and
damage your vehicle. Do not use
the HUD image as a parking aid.
The HUD information can be
displayed in various languages. The
speedometer reading and other
numerical values can be displayed
in either English or metric units.
The language selection is changed
through vehicle personalization and
the units of measurement is
changed through the instrument
cluster. See Vehicle Personalization
0 133 and“Options” under
Instrument Cluster 0110.
HUD Display on the Vehicle
Windshield
The HUD may display some of the
following vehicle information and
vehicle messages or alerts:
. Speed
. Tachometer
. Audio
. Phone
. Navigation
. Collision Alert
. Cruise Control
. Lane Departure
. Low Fuel

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
Lighting 145
;:Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
Push the turn signal lever away
from you and release to turn the
high beams on. To return to low
beams, push the lever again or pull
it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever toward you, and
release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
If equipped with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps, the
dedicated DRL will come on when
all of the following conditions
are met:
. The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
. The light sensor determines it is
daytime. .
The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor the
ignition is off. For vehicles first sold
in Canada, the DRL can only be
turned off when the vehicle is
parked.
This vehicle may have a DRL
disabling function. When the DRL
are on and a turn signal is activated,
the DRL on that side will be off until
the turn signal goes off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
Driving and Operating 159
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 163
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 164
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 166
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 170
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 181
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 188
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Automatic Vehicle Hold (AVH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . . 192
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 195
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 203 Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 204
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 214
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 216
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 219
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
160 Driving and Operating
Driving Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{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.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
166 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0180.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 190.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0297.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
168 Driving and Operating
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred toyour vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing 0224 for
important information on towing
a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 2 = 136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 5 = 340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight
= 113 kg (250 lbs).

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
Driving and Operating 177
Warning (Continued)
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
shift to P (Park). SeeShifting Into
Park 0176. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips 0221.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it.
If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
0 221.
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic transmission. The shift
lock release button is designed to
prevent inadvertent shifting out of
P (Park) while the vehicle is running. The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery.
See
Jump Starting - North America
(with or without eAssist) 0294 or
Jump Starting - North America
(On-board with eAssist Only) 0293.
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Press ENGINE START/STOP.
3. Press the shift lock release button.
4. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
5. The P indicator will turn white and the gear indicator on the
shift lever will turn red when
the vehicle is no longer in
P (Park).
6. After releasing the shift lever, it will return to the center
position. If the vehicle cannot shift from
P (Park), a Driver Information Center
(DIC) message will be displayed.
See your dealer for service.
Manual Park Release
{Warning
The transmission will be placed in
N (Neutral) when the manual park
release is pulled. The vehicle can
roll and you or others could be
injured. Ensure the vehicle is on
level ground.
Caution
The manual park release is not
intended to be used for towing.
Damage may result from using
the manual park release in this
way. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.

Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10999169) -
2018 - crc - 3/28/17
Driving and Operating 181
Automatic
Transmission
The shift pattern is displayed in the
top of the shift lever. The selected
gear position will illuminate red on
the shift lever, while all others will
be displayed in white. If the shift is
not immediate, as in very cold
conditions, the indicator on the shift
lever may blink until it is fully
engaged.The shift lever always starts from a
center position, represented by an
amber dot on the shift pattern. After
releasing the shift lever, it will return
to the center position.
The transmission does not operate
when the ignition is off.
If the ignition is in ACC/
ACCESSORY, the transmission can
be shifted into P (Park).
If the ignition is turned off while at a
relatively high vehicle speed, the
transmission will automatically shift
to N (Neutral). Once the vehicle is
stopped, P (Park) can be selected.
P :
This position locks the drive
wheels. It is the best position to use
when you start the engine because
the vehicle cannot move easily.
{Warning
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the transmission is not
in P (Park) with the parking brake
set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If the engine
has been left running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
on fairly level ground, always set
the parking brake and place the
transmission into P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0176 and
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0221.