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
234 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 235
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 236
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 244
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 245
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 250
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Battery - North America . . . . . . 255
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 256
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 256
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 257
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 259
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 260
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 261
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 286
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Vehicle Care 269
performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0269.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see
Buying New Tires 0282.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
(1) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section.
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
Vehicle Care 283
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. SeeTire Sidewall
Labeling 0269.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the
performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See
Tire
Rotation 0281. However, if it is
necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’ maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
(Continued)
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
284 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0276.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 172.Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0282 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 236.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
340 Customer Information
.Lock-Out Service: Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
. Emergency Tow from a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Buick dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is not given
when the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, or snow.
. Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
. Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty event, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 500 miles.
Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
.
Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
. Legal fines.
. Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices.
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 liters. Diesel fuel
delivery may be restricted.
Propane and other fuels are not
provided through this service.
. Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
150 km from where your trip was
started to qualify.
Pre-authorization, original
detailed receipts, and a copy of
the repair orders are required.
Once authorization has been
received, the Roadside
Assistance advisor will help you
make arrangements and explain
how to receive payment.
. Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside
Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
362 Index
ArmrestRear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Armrest Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 210
Auto Stop Stop/Start System . . . . . . . 178, 179
Automatic Dimming Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Forward Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
B
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Battery (cont'd)
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . .255, 301, 302
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 256
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 124
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 196
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Automatic Forward . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Braking System Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 218
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 175
Bulb Replacement
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 259
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
California
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . 235, 255, 301, 302,
Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 103
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 122
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12032549) -
2019 - crc - 8/20/18
370 Index
Special Application Services . . . . 325
Specifications andCapacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . 178, 179
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Storage Areas Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 102
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Sun Visor Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Sunshade
Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156, 348
Systems
Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 338
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 44 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Tires (cont'd)
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275, 276
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 277
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 276
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Terminology and Definitions . . 272
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 286
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 227
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 227