Buick LACROSSE 2007 Owner Manual

2007 Buick LaCrosse Owner Manual M

Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Airbag System Restraint System Check

Features and Controls

Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors OnStar Universal Home Remote System Storage Areas Sunroof

....................................................... 87

.............................................. 9

............................................. 14

............................................ 16

...................................... 39

........................................ 66

................................ 85

.................................... 96

............................................... 102

.................................................. 124

System

................................................ 143

................................... 126

...................................... 141

....................... 7

......................... 82

....................... 104

..... 109

.......... 130

Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and

Indicators Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s)

Driving Your Vehicle

Your Driving, the Road, and

Your Vehicle Towing

Service and Appearance Care

Service Fuel Checking Things Under

Headlamp Aiming Bulb Replacement

...................................................... 343

the Hood

....................................... 145

................................... 168

.......................................... 179

................................... 238

................................. 285

..................................... 286

................................................. 325

................................................. 340

........................................... 348

................................. 391

................................ 394

................... 148

............ 199

.................. 337

Windshield Replacement

....................... 401

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Tires Appearance Care Vehicle Identiﬁcation Electrical System

..................................................... 402

.................................. 438

............................. 448

.................................. 449

Capacities and Speciﬁcations

... 401

................ 454

Maintenance Schedule

.............................. 457

.......................... 458

Customer Assistance Information

Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects

Index

.......................................................... 497

...................... 494

............. 477

... 478

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK, the BUICK Emblem, and the name LACROSSE are registered trademarks 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.

This manual describes features that may be available in this model, but your vehicle may not have all of them. For example, more than one entertainment system may be offered or your vehicle may have been ordered without a front passenger or rear seats.

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.

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

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.

Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 15863017 A First Printing

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.

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.”

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.

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:

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats ..................................................... 9

Power Seats ................................................. 9

Power Lumbar ............................................. 10

Heated Seats .............................................. 10

Reclining Seatbacks .................................... 11

Head Restraints .......................................... 13

Center Seat ................................................ 14

Rear Seats .................................................... 14

Split Folding Rear Seat ............................... 14

Safety Belts .................................................. 16

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ........... 16

Questions and Answers About

Safety Belts ............................................. 20

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly ............. 21

Driver Position ............................................. 22

Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment ................. 29

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy .............. 30

Right Front Passenger Position ................... 30

Center Front Passenger Position ................. 31

Rear Seat Passengers ................................ 32

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ................ 35

Safety Belt Pretensioners ............................ 38

Safety Belt Extender ................................... 38

Child Restraints ............................................ 39

Older Children ............................................. 39

Infants and Young Children ......................... 42

Child Restraint Systems .............................. 45

Where to Put the Restraint .......................... 50

Lower Anchors and Tethers for

Children (LATCH) .................................... 51

Securing a Child Restraint in a

Rear Seat Position ................................... 58

Securing a Child Restraint in the

Center Front Seat Position ....................... 61

Securing a Child Restraint in the

Right Front Seat Position ......................... 61

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Airbag System .............................................. 66

Where Are the Airbags? .............................. 68

When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .................. 71

What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? ................... 73

How Does an Airbag Restrain? ................... 73

What Will You See After an Airbag

Inﬂates? ................................................... 74

Passenger Sensing System ......................... 75

Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...... 80

Adding Equipment to Your

Airbag-Equipped Vehicle .......................... 81

Restraint System Check ............................... 82

Checking the Restraint Systems .................. 82

Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash ........................................... 83

Front Seats

Power Seats

Driver’s Side shown, Passenger Side similar

If the vehicle has power seats, the controls used to operate them are located on the outboard side of the seats. To adjust the seat, do any of the following:

• Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding

the control forward or rearward.

• Raise or lower the front part of the seat

cushion by moving the front of the control up or down.

• Raise or lower the rear part of the seat

cushion by moving the rear of the control up or down.

• Raise or lower the entire seat by moving the

entire control up or down.

Power Lumbar

Your driver’s seat may have power lumbar. The control is located on the outboard side of the 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 the high heat setting. Both indicator lights on the button will come on. Press the button again to select the 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

{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.

Your seats have manual reclining seatbacks. The lever used to operate them is located on the outboard side of the seats.

{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 push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

Driver’s Side shown, Passenger Side similar

To recline the seatback, do the following:

1. Lift the recline lever.

2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release the lever to lock the seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to an upright position, do the following:

1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback and the seatback will return to the upright position.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

{CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their job when you are reclined like this.

The shoulder belt cannot 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 cannot 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.

Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

Head Restraints

Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Pull the head restraint up to raise it.

To lower the head restraint, press the button, located on the top of the seatback, and push the head restraint down.

Center Seat

Your vehicle may have a front center seat. There are cupholders on the underside of the seat cushion. To use them, raise the seat cushion. This seat can also be converted to a storage area by lowering the armrest. See Center Console Storage Area on page 142.

For information on safety belts for this position, see Center Front Passenger Position on page 31.

Rear Seats

Split Folding Rear Seat

If your vehicle has this feature, both sides of the rear seatback can be folded down. This gives direct access to the trunk. Make sure the front seats are not reclined. If they are, the rear seatback(s) may not fold down all the way.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.

To lower the rear seatback, pull the tab located on the outboard side of the seatback and fold the seatback forward.

{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 push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

To raise the rear seatback, lift the seatback up until it latches. Push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked in position.

The seatbacks should be kept in the upright, locked position when they are not being used to extend the cargo area.

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 cannot 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 indicators to remind you and your passengers to buckle your safety belts. See Safety

Belt Reminder Light on page 181 and Passenger Safety Belt Reminder Light on page 182.

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 40 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.

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.

The rider does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...

or the instrument panel...

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.

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?

A: Airbags 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 39 or Infants and Young Children on page 42. 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

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.

3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get twisted.

The lap-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.

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 38.

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.

5. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 29.

6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.

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.

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.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly

as much protection this way.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs.

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.

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.

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.

To unlatch the belt, 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 height 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. Incorrect positioning of the shoulder belt can reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt.

To move it down, press down on the release lever (A) and move the height adjuster to the desired position. You can move the height adjuster up just by pressing up on the shoulder belt guide.

After you move the height adjuster to where you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the release lever to make sure it has locked into position.

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

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.

Right Front Passenger Position

To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety belt properly, see Driver Position on page 22.

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.

When the safety belt is not in use, slide the latch plate up so that it is stored on the safety belt stitching, near the guide loop.

If your vehicle has a center passenger position, be sure to use the correct buckle when buckling your lap-shoulder belt. If the latch plate will not go fully into the buckle, see if you are using the buckle for the center passenger position.

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