Buick 2008 Lucerne User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats .............................................. 1-11
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-12
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-33
Airbag System ......................................... 1-58
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-74
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10
Windows ................................................. 2-15
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-20
Mirrors .................................................... 2-34
Object Detection Systems .......................... 2-39
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-46
Universal Home Remote System ................ 2-49
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-56
Sunroof .................................................. 2-58
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-32
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-48
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-75
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-25
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-53
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-56
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-59
Tires ...................................................... 5-60
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-94
Vehicle Identification ............................... 5-104
Electrical System .................................... 5-105
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-113
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy ........... 7-17
Index ................................................................ 1
2008 Buick Lucerne Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK,
the BUICK Emblem, and the name LUCERNE 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 further 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 for quick reference.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer/retailer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de ce guide en français
auprès de concessionnaire ou à l’adresse suivante:
Helm Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 15862328 A First Printing
©
2007 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Using this Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle to learn
about the vehicle’s features and controls. Pictures
and words work together 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.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. A
box with the word CAUTION is used to tell about things
that could hurt you or others if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
We tell you what the hazard is and what to do to help
avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you do not, you or others could be hurt.
A circle with a slash
through it is a safety
symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do Not do this”
or “Do Not let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
You will also find notices in this manual.
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.
The notice tells 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 which use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
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.
iv

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats .................................................1-4
Heated and Cooled Seats ................................1-5
Memory Seat and Mirrors ................................1-6
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-7
Head Restraints ............................................1-10
Center Seat .................................................1-11
Rear Seats .....................................................1-11
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door ........................1-11
Safety Belts ...................................................1-12
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt .........................................1-25
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-31
Lap Belt ......................................................1-31
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-32
Child Restraints .............................................1-33
Older Children ..............................................1-33
Infants and Young Children ............................1-36
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-40
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH) ......................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position ...................................................1-50
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Front
Seat Position ............................................1-53
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-54
Airbag System ...............................................1-58
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-60
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-63
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-65
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-65
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-66
Passenger Sensing System ............................1-67
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-72
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-72
Restraint System Check ..................................1-74
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-74
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-75
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

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.
To move a manual seat forward or rearward:
1. Lift the bar to unlock
the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the
desired position and
release the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat
is locked in place.
1-2

Power Seats
To adjust a power 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.
On vehicles with power reclining seatbacks, see “Power
Reclining Seatbacks” under Reclining Seatbacks on
page 1-7.
Power Lumbar
If your vehicle has this feature, the power lumbar control
is located on the outboard side of the front seats.
Press the lumbar control forward to increase support
and rearward to decrease support in the lower seatback.
Press the control up or down to raise or lower the
support mechanism.
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.
1-3

Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have heated front seats. To operate
the heated seats, the ignition must be on.
The buttons are located on
the front doors.
J(Heated Seat Cushion and Seatback): Press this
button to turn on the heated seat cushion and
seatback.
I(Heated Seatback): Press this button to turn on the
heated seatback.
Press the button to turn on the desired feature. A light
on that button will display to show which feature is on.
There are three temperature settings for each feature.
A column of three lights next to the buttons will display
which setting the feature is in: high, medium or low.
Three lights indicate the highest setting, two lights
indicate medium and one light indicates the lowest
setting.
When you press a button, the feature will turn on at the
highest setting. Each time you press the button, the
feature will decrease one temperature setting.
To turn the feature off, keep pressing the button until
the display lights turn off.
If your vehicle has remote vehicle start and is started
using the remote keyless entry transmitter, the front
heated seats will be turned on to the high setting if it is
cold outside. See “Remote Vehicle Start” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2-5. When the key is inserted into the ignition and
the ignition is turned on, the heated seat feature will
turn off. To turn the heated seat feature back on, press
the desired button.
Driver’s Side Buttons
shown
1-4

Heated and Cooled Seats
The front seats may have the heated and cooled seat
feature. To heat or cool the seats, the ignition must
be on.
The buttons are located on
the front doors.
J(Heated Seat Cushion and Seatback): Press this
button to heat the seat cushion and seatback.
I(Heated Seatback): Press this button to heat the
seatback.
H(Cooled Seat Cushion and Seatback): Press this
button to cool the seat cushion and seatback.
Press each button to turn on the desired feature. A light
on that button will display indicating which feature is on.
There are three temperature settings for each feature.
A column of three lights next to the buttons will display
which setting the feature is in: high, medium or low.
Three lights indicate the highest setting, two lights
indicate medium and one light indicates the lowest
setting.
When you press a button, the feature will turn on at the
highest setting. Each time you press the button, the
feature will decrease one temperature setting.
To turn the feature off, keep pressing the button until
the display lights turn off.
If your vehicle has remote vehicle start and is started
using the remote keyless entry transmitter, the front
heated seats will be turned on to the high setting if it is
cold outside. See “Remote Vehicle Start” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation on
page 2-5. When the key is inserted into the ignition and
the ignition is turned on, the heated seat feature will
turn off. To turn the heated seat feature back on, press
the desired button.
Driver’s Side Buttons
shown
1-5

Memory Seat and Mirrors
On vehicles with the memory feature the buttons are
located on the driver’s door.
1: Saves the seating position for driver 1.
2: Saves the seating position for driver 2.
B:Recalls the easy exit position.
For more programming information, see DIC Vehicle
Customization on page 3-66.
To save your positions in memory:
1. Adjust the driver’s seat, including the seatback
recliner and lumbar, and both outside mirrors to
your preferred position.
2. Press and hold button 1 until two beeps sound to
let you know that the position has been stored.
3. Repeat the procedure for a second driver using
button 2.
The vehicle must be in PARK (P) to recall your memory
positions.
Press and release either button to recall the stored
setting. Each time a memory button is pressed, a single
beep sounds.
If you use the remote keyless entry transmitter to enter
your vehicle and the remote recall memory feature
is on, automatic seat and mirror movement occurs.
To stop recall movement of the memory feature, press
one of the power seat controls, memory buttons, or
power mirror buttons.
If something has blocked the driver’s seat while recalling
a memory position, the driver’s seat recall may stop
working. If this happens, press the control for the area
that is not recalling for two seconds, after the obstruction
is removed. Try recalling the memory position again
by pressing the appropriate memory button. If the
memory position is still not recalling, see your
dealer/retailer for service.
Easy Exit Seat
B:With the vehicle in PARK (P), press to recall the
exit position.
You will hear a single beep and the driver’s seat
moves back.
1-6

Reclining Seatbacks
Manual 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.
{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.
If the seats have manual reclining seatbacks, the lever
used to operate them is located on the outboard
side of the seats.
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.
Passenger’s Seat shown
1-7

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.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
If the seats have power reclining seatbacks, the controls
used to operate them are located on the outboard
side of the seats.
•Tilt the top of the control rearward to recline the
seatback.
•Tilt the top of the control forward to raise the
seatback.
Driver’s Seat with Power Seat Control, Power
Recline, and Power Lumbar shown
1-8

{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. 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 the seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
1-9

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.
1-10

Center Seat
Your vehicle may have a front center seat. This seat
can be converted to a storage area by lowering
the seatback. See Center Flex Storage Unit on
page 2-57.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Pass-Through Door
Your vehicle has a pass-through door that provides
access to the trunk from the rear seats. See “Rear Seat
Pass-Through Door” under Trunk on page 2-13.
1-11

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 harder or be ejected
from it and 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 passenger(s) are
restrained 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 as a reminder to buckle your
safety belts. See Safety Belt Reminders on page 3-34.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the
law requires wearing safety belts. Here is why:
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 serious 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!
1-12

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.
1-13

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...
1-14

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.
1-15

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if
I am wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so you can unbuckle
and get out, is much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are
upside down.
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.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
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 a
crash — even one that is not your fault — you and
your passenger(s) 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.
1-16