Buick LaCrosse: Towing

Buick LaCrosse: Towing

• General Towing Information
• Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips
• Trailer Towing (Except eAssist)
• Trailer Towing (eAssist)
• Towing Equipment

General Towing Information

Only use towing equipment that has been designed for the vehicle.

Contact your dealer or trailering dealer for assistance with preparing the vehicle for towing a trailer.

See the following trailer towing information in this section:

• For information on driving while towing a trailer, see “Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips.”.

• For maximum vehicle and trailer weights, see “Trailer Towing.”.

• For information on equipment to tow a trailer, see “Towing Equipment.”.

For information on towing a disabled vehicle, see Towing the Vehicle. For information on towing the vehicle behind another vehicle such as a motor home, see Recreational Vehicle Towing.

Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips

WARNING!
The driver can lose control when pulling a trailer if the correct equipment is not used or the vehicle is not driven properly. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well—or even at all. The driver and passengers could be seriously injured. The vehicle may also be damaged; the resulting repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer only if all the steps in this section have been followed. Ask your dealer for advice and information about towing a trailer with the vehicle.

The vehicle can tow a trailer when equipped with the proper trailer towing equipment. For trailering capacity, see Trailer Towing (Except eAssist) or Trailer Towing (eAssist).

Trailering changes handling, acceleration, braking, durability, and fuel economy. With the added weight, the engine, transmission, wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder and under greater loads. The trailer also adds wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements. For safe trailering, correctly use the proper trailering equipment.

The following information has important trailering tips and rules for your safety and that of your passengers. Read this section carefully before pulling a trailer.

Pulling a Trailer

Here are some important points:

• There are many laws, including speed limit restrictions that apply to trailering. Check for legal requirements.

• Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 1 600 km (1,000 mi) the new vehicle is driven. The engine, axle, or other parts could be damaged.

• During the first 800 km (500 mi) that a trailer is towed, do not drive over 80 km/h (50 mph) and do not make starts at full throttle.

This reduces wear on the vehicle.

• The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).

Use a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often.

• Obey speed limit restrictions. Do not drive faster than the maximum posted speed for trailers, or no more than 90 km/h (55 mph), to reduce wear on the vehicle.

Driving with a Trailer

Towing a trailer requires experience.

Get familiar with handling and braking with the added trailer weight. The vehicle is now longer and not as responsive as the vehicle is by itself.

Check all trailer hitch parts and attachments, safety chains, electrical connectors, lamps, tires, and mirror adjustments. If the trailer has electric brakes, start the vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working.

During the trip, check regularly to be sure that the load is secure, and the lamps and trailer brakes are working properly.

Towing with a Stability Control System

When towing, the sound of the stability control system might be heard. The system is reacting to the vehicle movement caused by the trailer, which mainly occurs during cornering. This is normal when towing heavier trailers.

Following Distance

Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when driving the vehicle without a trailer.

This can help to avoid situations that require heavy braking and sudden turns.

Passing

More passing distance is needed when towing a trailer. Because the rig is longer, it is necessary to go farther beyond the passed vehicle before returning to the lane.

Backing Up

Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. To move the trailer to the left, move that hand to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your hand to the right.

Always back up slowly and, if possible, have someone guide you.

Making Turns

Notice:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the vehicle. The vehicle could be damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.

When turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal so the trailer will not strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects. Use the turn signal well in advance and avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers.

Turn Signals when Towing a Trailer

The turn signal indicators on the instrument panel flash whenever signaling a turn or lane change.

Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps also flash, telling other drivers the vehicle is turning, changing lanes, or stopping.

When towing a trailer, the arrows on the instrument panel flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.

Driving on Grades

Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.

The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).

Use a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often.

When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, engine coolant boils at a lower temperature than at normal altitudes. If the engine is turned off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, the vehicle could show signs similar to engine overheating.

To avoid this, let the engine run while parked, preferably on level ground, with the transmission in P (Park) for a few minutes before turning the engine off. If the overheat warning comes on, see Engine Overheating.

Parking on Hills

WARNING!
Parking the vehicle on a hill with the trailer attached can be dangerous. If something goes wrong, the rig could start to move.
People can be injured, and both the vehicle and the trailer can be damaged. When possible, always park the rig on a flat surface.

If parking the rig on a hill:

1. Press the brake pedal, but do not shift into P (Park) yet. Turn the wheels into the curb if facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.

2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.

3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the brake pedal until the chocks absorb the load.

4. Reapply the brake pedal. Then apply the parking brake and shift into P (Park).

5. Release the brake pedal.

Leaving After Parking on a Hill

1. Apply and hold the brake pedal while you:

1.1. Start the engine.

1.2. Shift into a gear.

1.3. Release the parking brake.

2. Let up on the brake pedal.

3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.

4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.

Maintenance when Trailer Towing

The vehicle needs service more often when pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule. Things that are especially important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid, engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling system, and brake system. Inspect these before and during the trip.

Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.

Engine Cooling when Trailer Towing

The cooling system may temporarily overheat during severe operating conditions. See Engine Overheating.

Trailer Towing (Except eAssist)

Before pulling a trailer, there are three important considerations that have to do with weight:

• The weight of the trailer.

• The weight of the trailer tongue.

• The total weight on your vehicle's tires.

Weight of the Trailer

How heavy can a trailer safely be?

For a vehicle with a V6 engine, it should never weigh more than 454 kg (1,000 lbs). But even that can be too heavy.

It depends on how the rig is used.

For example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature, and how much the vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all important. It can depend on any special equipment on the vehicle, and the amount of tongue weight the vehicle can carry.

See “Weight of the Trailer Tongue” later in this section for more information.

Maximum trailer weight is calculated assuming only the driver is in the tow vehicle and it has all the required trailering equipment. The weight of additional optional equipment, passengers, and cargo in the tow vehicle must be subtracted from the maximum trailer weight.

Ask your dealer for trailering information or advice, or write us at our Customer Assistance Offices.

See Customer Assistance Offices (U.S. and Canada) or Customer Assistance Offices (Mexico) for more information.

Weight of the Trailer Tongue

The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure because it affects the total gross weight of the vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo carried in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle.

If there are a lot of options, equipment, passengers, or cargo in the vehicle, it will reduce the tongue weight the vehicle can carry, which will also reduce the trailer weight the vehicle can tow. If towing a trailer, the tongue load must be added to the GVW because the vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See Vehicle Load Limits for more information.

The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10 to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).

After loading the trailer, weigh the trailer and then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights are proper. If they are not, adjustments might be made by moving some items around in the trailer.

Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires

Be sure the vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper limit for cold tires. These numbers can be found on the Information label. See Vehicle Load Limits.

Make sure not to go over the GVW limit for the vehicle, including the weight of the trailer tongue.

Trailer Towing (eAssist)

The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer.

Towing Equipment

Hitches

Use the correct hitch equipment.

See your dealer or a hitch dealer for assistance.

• The rear bumper on the vehicle is not intended for hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to the bumper.

• Will any holes be made in the body of the vehicle when the trailer hitch is installed? If there are, seal the holes when the hitch is removed. If the holes are not sealed, dirt, water, and deadly carbon monoxide (CO) from the exhaust can get into the vehicle. See Engine Exhaust.

Safety Chains

Always attach chains between the vehicle and the trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer to help prevent the tongue from contacting the road if it becomes separated from the hitch.

Leave enough slack so the rig can turn. Never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.

Trailer Brakes

Does the trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so they are installed, adjusted, and maintained properly.

Because the vehicle has antilock brakes, do not tap into the vehicle's brake system. If this is done, both brake systems will not work well, or at all.

FuelConversions and Add-Ons