Buick LaCrosse 2005 User Manual
2005 Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual M
Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats
Rear Seats
Safety Belts
Child Restraints
Airbag System
............................................... 1-3
............................................... 1-8
............................................. 1-10
....................................... 1-31
......................................... 1-51
Restraint System Check
Features and Controls
Keys
Doors and Locks
Windows
........................................................ 2-2
...................................... 2-10
................................................. 2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems
........................... 1-1
............................ 1-65
..................................... 2-1
............................ 2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
Mirrors
OnStar
HomeLink
Storage Areas
Sunroof
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview
Climate Controls
.................................................... 2-32
®
System
®
Transmitter
...................................... 2-34
............................. 2-36
......................................... 2-40
.................................................. 2-42
............................................. 3-1
.......................... 3-4
...................................... 3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Audio System(s)
....................................... 3-79
........... 2-21
........ 3-30
.................. 3-47
Driving Your Vehicle
....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
Towing
Service and Appearance Care
Service
Fuel
Checking Things Under the Hood
Headlamp Aiming
Bulb Replacement
................................................... 4-34
.......................... 5-1
..................................................... 5-3
......................................................... 5-5
............... 5-10
..................................... 5-43
.................................... 5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Vehicle Identification
Electrical System
Capacities and Specifications
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule
...................................................... 5-52
..................................... 5-78
................................. 5-86
...................................... 5-87
..................... 5-92
..................................... 6-1
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information
Customer Assistance and Information
Reporting Safety Defects
................................................................ 1
Index
........................... 7-10
..... 4-2
......... 5-51
.............. 7-1
........... 7-2
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK,
and the BUICK Emblem are registered trademarks, and
the name LACROSSE is a trademark of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without notice. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada
Limited” for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears
in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is
needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is
sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05LACROSSE A First Edition
ii
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or “Do Not
let this happen.”
iii
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Vehicle Symbols
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
iv
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the
following topics:
• Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
• Features and Controls in Section 2
• Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
• Climate Controls in Section 3
• Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
• Audio System(s) in Section 3
• Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v
✍ NOTES
vi
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Six-Way Power Seats .....................................1-4
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-5
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Center Seat ...................................................1-7
Rear Seats .......................................................1-8
Split Folding Rear Seat ...................................1-8
Safety Belts ...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-15
Driver Position ..............................................1-15
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-22
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-23
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-23
Center Front Passenger Position .....................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-25
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ....................1-27
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-30
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-30
Child Restraints .............................................1-31
Older Children ..............................................1-31
Infants and Young Children ............................1-33
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-37
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40
Top Strap ....................................................1-41
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-43
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System ...............................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position ............................................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position ....................................1-48
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position ....................................1-48
Airbag System ...............................................1-51
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-53
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-56
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-57
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-57
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-58
1-1
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-60
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-64
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-64
1-2
Restraint System Check ..................................1-65
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-65
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a
Crash ......................................................1-65
Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
Lift the bar located under
the front seat cushion to
unlock the seat.
Slide the seat to the desired position and release the
bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to make sure it
is locked in place.
1-3
Six-Way Power Seats
Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has power seats, the controls are located
on the outboard sides of the seat cushions.
• To move the entire seat forward or rearward, move
the control forward or rearward.
• To raise or lower the entire seat, move the control
up or down.
• To raise or lower the front of the seat, move the
front of the control up or down.
• To raise or lower the rear of the seat, move the
rear of the control up or down.
1-4
Your vehicle may have power lumbar. The control is
located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat cushion.
Press the front of the control to increase lumbar
support. Press the rear of the control to decrease
lumbar support.
Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as
it may during long trips, so should the position of
your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the buttons are
located on the climate
control panel.
Press the button once to activate a high heat setting.
Both indicator lights above the button will come on.
Press the button again to select a lower temperature
setting. Only one indicator light will come on. Press the
button a third time to turn the heat off.
This feature only works when the ignition is on.
Reclining Seatbacks
Lift the lever located on the outboard side of the seat to
release the seatback, then move the seatback to the
desired position. Release the lever to lock the seatback
in place.
1-5
But do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can not do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can not do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can not do its job either. In a
crash the belt could go up over your abdomen.
The belt forces would be there, not at your
pelvic bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
1-6
Head Restraints
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of the occupant’s head in each
front seat. This position reduces the chance of a neck
injury in a crash. Push the release button, located under
the head restraint, to lower the head restraint.
Center Seat
Your vehicle may have a front center seat. This seat
can be converted to a storage area by lowering
the armrest. See Center Console Storage Area on
page 2-41.
For information on safety belts for this position, see
Center Front Passenger Position on page 1-24.
1-7
Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
If your vehicle has this feature, both sides of the rear
seatback can be folded down in the vehicle. Make sure
the front seat is not reclined. If it is, the rear seatback
may not fold down all the way.
To lower the rear seatback, follow these steps:
1. Disconnect the rear center lap-shoulder belt latch, if
equipped, by using a pointed object to press the
release button.
2. Pull forward on the
seatback tab located
on the outboard side
of the rear seat
cushion to fold the
seatback down.
This gives direct access to the trunk.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
1-8
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
2. Reconnect the center
safety belt latch plate
to the buckle.
To raise the rear seatback, follow these steps:
1. Raise the seatback up and make sure it latches.
Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is
locked in position.
Make sure the safety belt label is pointing to the release
button, and that both are facing the front of the
vehicle. Make sure the belt is not twisted. Push and pull
on the latch plate to be sure it is secure.
When the seat is not in use, the seatback should be
kept in the upright, locked position.
1-9
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-32.
1-10
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter...a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
1-11
Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
1-12
does not stop.
The person keeps going until stopped by something. In
a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
or the instrument panel...
1-13
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an accident
if I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you are upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-14
A: Airbags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has
airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q: If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-31
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-33. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
1-15
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-30.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
1-16
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would
be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
1-17
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give nearly
as much protection this way.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt
is too loose. In a crash, you would move
forward too much, which could increase injury.
The shoulder belt should fit against your body.
1-18
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if your belt is
buckled in the wrong place like this. In a crash,
the belt would go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at the pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries. Always buckle your belt into the
buckle nearest you.
1-19
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should
be worn over the shoulder at all times.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the
shoulder belt under your arm. In a crash, your
body would move too far forward, which would
increase the chance of head and neck injury.
Also, the belt would apply too much force to
the ribs, which are not as strong as shoulder
bones. You could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
1-20
Q: What is wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
{CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured by a twisted belt.
In a crash, you would not have the full width of
the belt to spread impact forces. If a belt is
twisted, make it straight so it can work
properly, or ask your dealer to fix it.
1-21
To unlatch the belt, just push the button on the buckle.
The belt should go back out of the way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt is out of the
way. If you slam the door on it, you can damage
both the belt and your vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
Adjust the height so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should
be away from your face and neck, but not falling off
your shoulder.
To move it down, push
down on the release
lever (A) move the height
adjuster to the desired
position. You can move
the adjuster up just
by pushing up on the
shoulder belt guide.
After you move the adjuster to where you want it, try to
move it down without squeezing the release lever to
make sure it has locked into position.
1-22
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more
likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, see Driver Position on page 1-15.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the
same way as the driver’s safety belt — except for
one thing. If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the
belt out all the way, you will engage the child restraint
locking feature. If this happens, just let the belt go back
all the way and start again.
1-23
Center Front Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has a front bench seat, someone can sit
in the center position.
When you sit in the center front seating position, you
have a lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make
the belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along
the belt.
To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt is not long
enough, see Safety Belt Extender on page 1-30.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if you ever had to.
1-24
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