Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
160 Climate Controls
control and the direction of the
airflow is controlled manually. Press
AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
To change the current mode, select
one or more of the following:
6:Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air to the
windshield and side windows.
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
X: Clears the windows of fog or
moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield.
1MAX : Air is directed to the
windshield, the fan runs at a higher
speed, and the temperature of the
air is increased if not already at
maximum. This mode overrides the
previous mode selected and clears
fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. When the control is
pressed again, the system returns
to the previous mode setting and
fan speed. 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 window fogging.
A/C :
Touch A/C on the climate
control display to cycle between the
MAX, ECO, and OFF modes. The
MAX, ECO, or OFF indicator will
appear on the display. If the fan is
turned off, the air conditioner will not
run and the indicator light will
turn off.
Touch AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs automatically as needed. The
A/C will return to ECO A/C
operation.
For MAX A/C, touch A/C.
For ECO A/C, touch A/C again. This
setting balances fuel economy and
air conditioning comfort. This setting allows higher humidity inside the
vehicle, and window fogging may
occur before the engine restarts.
@:
Press to turn on recirculation.
An indicator light comes on. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the
inside of the vehicle or to reduce the
entry of outside air and odors.
If selected during cool or cold
weather, the windshield and
windows may fog. Turn off
recirculation to help clear the
windshield and windows.
Auto Defog : If equipped, the
climate control system may have a
sensor to automatically detect high
humidity inside the vehicle. When
high humidity is detected, the
climate control system may adjust to
outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner. The fan speed may
slightly increase to help prevent
fogging. If the climate control
system does not detect possible
window fogging, it returns to normal
operation. For eAssist vehicles,
there may be shorter and less
frequent Auto Stops when auto
defog is in use.
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Climate Controls 161
To turn Auto Defog off or on, see
“Climate and Air Quality”under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Ionizer : If equipped with an ionizer,
this feature helps to clean the air
inside the vehicle and remove
contaminants such as pollen, odors,
and dust. If the climate control
system is on and the ionizer is
enabled, the ionizer status indicator
will be lit on the climate control
display. To turn the ionizer on or off,
see “Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window
defogger on or off. An indicator light
on the control comes on to show
that the rear window defogger is on.
The rear window defogger only
works when the engine is running.
It turns off when the ignition is
turned off or in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The rear window defogger can be
set to automatic operation. See
“Climate and Air Quality” under
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
When Auto Rear Defog is selected, the rear window defogger turns on
automatically when the interior
temperature is cold and the outside
temperature is about 4 °C (40 °F)
and below. The auto rear defogger
turns off automatically after about
10 minutes, or after five minutes if
the outside temperature is not
as cold.
For eAssist vehicles, auto rear
defog will only run during a remote
start and the feature is not available
in the Vehicle Personalization menu.
The upper gridlines on the rear
window are antenna lines and are
not intended to heat when the
defogger is activated.
The heated outside mirrors turn on
when the rear window defogger
control is on and help to clear fog or
frost from the surface of the mirror.
See
Heated Mirrors 046.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other
material from the inside of the
front windshield and rear window
with a razor blade or anything
else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window
defogger grid and affect the
radio's ability to pick up stations
clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Heated and Ventilated Seats
MorL:If equipped, pressMorLto heat the driver or passenger seat.
Cor{:If equipped, pressCor{to ventilate the driver or
passenger seat. See Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats 059.
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation : The climate control
system may run when the vehicle is
started remotely. If equipped with
heated or ventilated seats, they may
come on during a remote start.
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
164 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 169
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 169
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 171
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 175
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Stop/Start System (WithouteAssist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Stop/Start System (With eAssist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Active Fuel Management . . . . . 185
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 187
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 193
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 195
Regenerative Braking (eAssist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Selective Ride Control . . . . . . . . 198
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 201
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 208
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 210
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 220
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 222
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 224
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
166 Driving and Operating
{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 section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, 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 seat belt. See Seat Belts063.
. 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.
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.
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
170 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear.
. Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, crash). .
Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0196.
. Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops, but the brakes
should be applied sooner than when on dry pavement. See
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
0
193.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
. Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
mode. See All-Wheel Drive
0 192.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 027. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Driving and Operating 171
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.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 0186.
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
0 196.
{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
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
176 Driving and Operating
Caution (Continued)
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start. If the pushbutton start is not
working, the vehicle may be near a
strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) system. See
Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 029.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be on and the brake pedal
must be applied.
Stopping the Engine/OFF (No
Indicator Light) : When the vehicle
is stopped, press ENGINE START/
STOP once to turn the vehicle off.
If the vehicle is in R (Reverse), D
(Drive) or M (Manual Mode), the
vehicle will shift to P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0181.
If the vehicle is in N (Neutral), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and display the
message SHIFT TO PARK in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition will turn off.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the ignition must be shut off in an
emergency: 1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop and shift to P (Park).
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
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Driving and Operating 177
4. Set the parking brake. SeeElectric Parking Brake 0193.
Press ENGINE START/STOP
to turn the vehicle off.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) : This mode allows
you to use some electrical
accessories when the ignition is off.
With the ignition off, pressing
ENGINE START/STOP once without
the brake pedal applied will place
the ignition system in ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after
10 minutes to prevent battery
rundown.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) : This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off and the
brake pedal applied, pressing
ENGINE START/STOP once will
place the ignition system in ON/ RUN/START. Once engine cranking
begins, release the button. Engine
cranking will continue until the
engine starts. See
Starting the
Engine 0177. The ignition will then
remain in ON/RUN.
Service Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics. Service
Mode is also available to verify the
proper operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
With the ignition off and the brake
pedal not applied, pressing and
holding ENGINE START/STOP for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Mode. The
instruments and audio systems will
operate as they do in ON/RUN, but
the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Mode. Press ENGINE
START/STOP again to turn the
vehicle off.Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral).
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
0 233.