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2010+ Buick Lacrosse Interior

e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
edited October 2014 in Buick
As the title says, issues related to Interior, except where there is a more specific discussion.
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  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I have now learned that the dead zones have greatly increased over what was present in a 2009 Malibu. After driving through familiar areas I located a dozen dead zones I did not know existed.
    As I already posted elsewhere, a problem spot I was already familiar with quadrupled in size. And looking for logic I found the antenna painted and in my case with metal flake which definitely could block signal. The paint alone could be causing such because special paint is needed for antennae.

    Is anyone else having dropouts?
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I wanted to keep this point going because I've seen enough complaints about the headrest with complaints of discomfort to pain.
    I see it as a safety issue where it could cause more harm than good.
    I certainly would like to see them replaced with fore and aft adjustment.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    This also big topic.
    Many have had issue with it relocating as we think it should.
    So far I've learned that easy exit on is necessary for the seat to move back upon exiting.
    But in that mode the seat moves forward upon opening driver door, before you have a chance to get in. This is a complaint.
    And it only works this way if you go through the entire order of door closed, engine started. engine shut off, door opened, closed then locked. And then the system get confused with key left in car message.
    The programmers really mess this up.
    This needs fixing, and since it is programming, maybe they can alter the function of seat memory buttons. Change them to momentary rather than hold, which may actually need a hold command inserted in that language. Perhaps there is room in the routines to allow for two new memorized positions so as to have two possible setting for day and two night. Or other preferred settings matching your conditions.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    A new wrinkle has developed. A couple of times it has now failed to move to the previous settings. I know I read in the manual that it is supposed to auto-memory from the settings before shutting down.
    Does anyone know what this could be?
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I'm not able to figure out some usage of the system.
    Maybe someone can Help?

    I see where it says that up to 10GB is available for recording music.
    I don't understand how it handles a CD. Purchased one that has .CDA files on it.
    It says you can record music to the HDD and the formats supported are: mp3, mp3-Pro, WMA, Audible.com -which is a site for purchasing books on disks, & m4a.
    So what does it do with the CD?
    Does it make an exact copy of the CD which would then be .CDA files. It would seem they'd have to make a special effort to stop you from inputing CDA files via USB devices?
    If recorded in one of the formats that says is supported, which one? There is no way to select!
    I'm sure we'd all like the highest quality audio possible.
    If you must use one of the supported formats listed, then there is some good news. It will handle mp3 of the highest bit rate, and sampling. 320kbs @ 48KHz.
    I don't know much about the Pro version currently, but when it came out it was intended to be used with the lower bit rates and compress them further to still lower bit rates. Making it quicker to download when many were still bandwidth restricted such as dial-up.
    WMA, know what they are and shyed away because of MS making it proprietary and licensed.
    I explained the books as best I can.
    But still better is the m4a. It is supposed to be lossless. I have no idea how much space files use other than it must be lower than CDA yet equal quality. I'm dabbling with finding encoder and other software to handle the conversion and recording. This is the type of audio file you'd find on a Blu-ray disk where they have the capability of recording a separate track for each speaker on a 7.1 surround sound.
    It will be interesting to see how the HK surround handles that. It is likely that pressed discs will be made that way.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello E_net_rider,
    Have you taken your vehicle to the dealership so they can look into the concern further? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Not yet Mariah. I've only had the car 11 days so I am still learning the vehicle. But on the seat not moving to last position, that seems to be a definite since it did it twice last evening. The first time I reset the seat manually via the buttons to where I wanted it. The second time I used seat memory button 1 and that worked, although the button has to be held.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello E_net_rider,
    Did you save the setting to the same number each time driver 1 or driver 2? Also, if you have another driver of the vehicle and are using the same key fob for the vehicle it will recognize the previous driver unless you push your driver button. However, if you are still experiencing a concern with the seat I would recommend going back to the dealership to have them look at it. They can also check the key fob to make sure that it is also working correctly. If you have any further questions please let me know. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    edited October 2010
    Have been saving to button 1. Always using same key and only driver to date. First time this morning it positioned wrongly. I corrected with seat button 1. The second time it was moving to far by time I attempted to get in, so I stopped it and backed it up enough to get in, then used button 1. The third time it moved to where it was supposed to, but it moves forward as soon as door is opened always if complete cycle is done. Shutdown, exit, lock, unlock, open door.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I would think the moving to memorized position would be tied to the same conditions that the easy exit is. Easy exit requires engine shut down and door opened. It would seem that it would not move forward until door is closed and engine started, but I don't know full programing or if that might interfere with something else.
    The dealer is aware of seat moving ahead upon opening door. It was not moving back when exiting and found easy exit not turned on. That is when it started moving into position before getting in. I showed the saleman before I even signed. His comment, "Well that is pretty dumb!"
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello E_net_rider,
    I am not a service tech and cannot tell you if it is programmed correctly. However, did the salesperson check to see why the easy exit wasn't working properly and to make sure the key fob was working correctly? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Can you tell us what issues the new memory module part number addresses?
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello E_net_rider,
    Can you please e-mail me your VIN so I can look to see if you currently have a recall on your vehicle? You can get my e-mail by clicking on gmcustsvc. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • tom2246tom2246 Member Posts: 29
    Had my car 10 months, 8500 miles, and that's exactly how my system works. Service checked all my software and all were current.

    I suspect the sales guy was correct,
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The service manager was going to look into the issue and let me know.
    VIN is 1G4GE5GD0BF183398
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    edited October 2010
    Guess I hit a wrong button and got a blank message. What I intended to say was:

    The description of the DIC in the owner manual says there is a function for displaying instantaneous MPG. I have no such function in the DIC in my 2011 CXS. Is this a programming error that I need the dealer to have corrected? My old 2001 Regal GS had this and I found it very valuable/informative. I miss it.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    I have a couple of issues here. The meager space under the armrest (well, that's also a misnomer for my 2011 CXS - who can get a comfortable arm rest position on this thing even when slid forward?) cannot accommodate a CD in its case. Where are you supposed to store those things? I also don't understand why there isn't an additional power outlet outside the storage compartment. Who wants to have a cord hanging out of the center console storage for their electronic devices? Give me an old cigarette lighter to plug into.

    I would also like to see a padded side to the console as it extends from under the dash. When I use the cruise control, I find I rest my knee on that and the plastic is hard and annoying. I could keep my leg extended but a softer resting spot would be welcome to my knee. I paid for leather trim and that should be part of the comfort package, IMO.

    Am I asking too much? Otherwise, I love the car - mostly.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Agree completely, including INST MPG. You can add that they really should have put some sort of shroud on the NAV screen to lessen the chance of the sun hitting it and making it very hard to see. Too many stupid mistakes when it comes to luxury design. Makes me wish I had looked at Lincoln or other luxury vehicles. Or even hunted down an Aurora in good condition and rebuild if necessary. It was a superior ride to this machine.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I read the manual again. It mentions using the unlock on remote with door open or open after command, to get seat to move to the remote's memorized position.
    That works as stated.
    Also the manual implies there are four memory positions. One for each memory button and one for each remote, being the position when shutting down.
    I can verify there are at least three and I've never used the other remote.
    It will be interesting to check out using the other and to have both onboard. Will both remember the same 'last position' when the vehicle is shut down?
    I'll post back what I learn.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The manual tells how to get the latest DVD. I went to the site and it is not even available for 2011. It seems we are getting the 2010 version on our 2011's?
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I like this and had it on Aurora but it was initiated by momentary contact of MEM button.
    In the owners manual, it describes some of the easy exit. It tells what happens if the seat is blocked. Clear it and re-initiate the Easy Exit.
    Just how are you supposed to do that it does not say.
    Do you have to close door, start engine, shutdown engine, open door?
    If so, that is just dumb! Mem button should be enabled to do that with momentary contact. Holding MEM button for 2-3 seconds could be used to initiate memorizing position to button 1 or 2.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    e_net_rider,
    Good morning. I spoke with NavDisk and the said the update disk should be available in the new few weeks. I would recommend checking back with NavDisk at 1877-NAV-DISK. I hope you have a great weekend!
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Has anyone tried or been successful using an M4A file?
    I burned a long one to CD and it won't play. I copied it to HDD and has same issue. Computer plays disk fine.

    M4A claims advantages over MP3.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    Christina:
    Would you please look into why the 2011 CXS DIC does not have an Instantaneous Fuel Economy display as explained on page 5-25 of the owner manual? The scroll sequence skips from Average Fuel Economy to Average Vehicle Speed. Or is my CXS lacking and in need of dealer attention? Thanks.
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    Just an fyi, my 2010 is the same as yours. No instant fe.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The reason I ask about NAV update is the very first time I used it sent me to a non-existant location. My wife wanted an Arby's sandwich. It took me to a location about 3 miles from where it actually existed.
    Learning the system, yesterday it would not recognize any of the streets in a subdivision my daughter lives in. She has lived there about 5 years.

    I also have issues with it's function. How often should I have to reboot system?
    Knowing the list is longer than what is displayed, it refuses to scroll sometimes. Also it sometimes will not respond at all when touching the screen.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    Why is there no way to open the trunk without having the key fob on your person? I was doing some work in the garage today and wanted to put something in the trunk that I needed to have in it tomorrow and didn't want to forget. I couldn't open it and had to go into the house to find the fob. My prior Buick Regal GS had a button in the glove box that we used often when we didn't have the key fob. Why no such device on the 2011 LaCrosse? Or have I missed some secret means?
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    You have not missed it. Some might say it is anti-theft.
    I personally have a peave about the fuel cap/door. Nothing to stop tampering with it. Theft and vandalism could be concerns, but even worse could be done. Wife is driving late. They pour a couple of gallons of water in tank. She drives, they follow, engine dies and before she can contact anyone they pop window and you can guess the rest.
    Some will say buy locking gas cap but what was the purpose of these key fobs then? You'd be forced to carry that extra key.
    We've got a system so smart that it won't lock your fob in yet it won't immediately autolock door when you get in. Weight on seat would tell it has occupant.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I stopped by service the other day to have key fob checked as suggested. Mechanic told me the fob remembers nothing, it is remembered onboard and identified by which fob is present.
    He told me there are things they can do that are not shown on option menus and that I have to make an appointment.

    Maybe they can turn the Inst Fuel back on?
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I see I'm not the only one to discover the bass quality of this system is terrible. Bass drum notes mostly sound very muffled like it was stuffed with pillows, very much lacking clean crispness. Other low notes such as low end of bass guitar also sound terrible much like a speaker cone is torn. Equalizer settings are all neutral. I've listened to same CD in Aurora with Bose system and it sounded fantastic. Even in my wife's KIA, it does not have the distortion although it may cutoff those very low frequencies.
    Note that since I hear it no matter which quadrant I direct the sound to it shows it is not an individual speaker. Maybe all of them are bad quality.

    The only specs I've seen are what is on the window sticker. 384 watts, eleven speakers.
    Has anyone discovered more specs?
    I would like to know the frequency range of the amplifier. It might be putting out low notes the speakers just can't handle.
    Thus I'd like to know the specs on the speakers.
    The size of the speakers seems to indicate this is where the quality problem exists. Next to impossible to get really low notes out of speakers this size, Bose technology is best at doing that.
    Maybe issue can be fixed by speaker replacement. But some of the notes sound very low like they need my 16" speakers in home. Or the big ones you see at live performances.
    Knowing more about the specs might reveal another method such as installing cross-over, high & low pass filters, along with a speaker that can handle the bass notes. (sort of a sub-woofer thing)
  • gberpagberpa Member Posts: 44
    It could be your speakers or your preferences. To me, my Nav radio sounds great for a factory unit. I crank down the base 2-3 notches, up the mid range a bit and up the treble 1 or 2 notches and voila!. I also moved the sound center a bit right and rear of driver from a comment I saw elsewhere. My late 90s Pontiac Grand Prix, with the factory premium radio had bigger rear speakers as well as a fully adjustable equalizer, big pluses vs the LaCrosse. But, I'm still pleased overall with the newer technology and Sirius XM package.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Distortion is a preference?
    I was browsing through HK site earlier today. It appears their amps will go from 0 to 23KHz+.
    They have speakers for bass that will go from as low as 20Hz.
    They did not show this exact radio/amp so I plan on contacting them to see if I can get specs. At least on unit, but I suspect the speakers are not HK.
    At this point my suspicion is that the amp is covering the entire range with no low end cut-off, thus pushing low notes the speakers can not handle. Some of their units have an adjustable cut-off which is very different from working with the equalizer which will effect a entire band of frequencies. That is if you are decreasing the bass to overcome distortion on the low end, you are going about it the wrong way, in part because you are also decreasing the bass notes that the system might handle properly.
    The easiest fix would be if the amp has an adjustable cross-over with the low frequencies going to a separate output for sub-woofer. This assumes the amp is distortion free.
  • gberpagberpa Member Posts: 44
    edited November 2010
    I agree the programming leaves a lot on the table.
    I like the easy exit feature but, as you note, following the manual, unlocking the door with the fob button moves the seat back to last driver memory position and possibly a clunk on the head (for me) when you enter. The 'fix' I use is: configure to easy exit, configure to auto open when holder of fob approaches (either driver door only or all four depending on your preferences and type of neighborhood you're in), then don't follow the manual by pressing the button on the fob to unlock. What happens, when you approach the vehicle, it unlocks and the seat stays pretty close to the easy exit position (sometimes it moves slightly-don't know why). Then you have to push the seat memory 1 button making sure to hold until it stops the positioning cycle.
    This works with one driver and both fobs but I'm not sure for two separate users as spouse has yet to drive the car.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    OK, good to know it's just something I have to get used to and be angry that I don't have an alternative to the fob for the trunk. I'll get over it.

    Doesn't bother me about the filler cap. Most vehicles don't include a locking cap these days. I liked the dual release levers inside my Honda for both the trunk and the fuel cap. I don't dwell on the myriad scenarios of potential vandalism. That seems to be a fatalistic approach to how we live our lives.I don't want to have to park my car only in covered and supervised spaces for fear it might be "keyed". That paranoia will keep you awake at night. I just want to understand how my car works.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    I'm not a total audiophile but do have an appreciation (I think) for good-soundiing systems. I rate the HK system as very good and basically flat, out of the box. For car audio comparison I am recalling the experience in my recently-departed 2001 Regal GS with the "Monsoon" system, which did not have a mainstream home audio acknowledgment as HK, Bose, or Pioneer, which my 2010 Equinox has. (My wife drives the Chevy so I haven't done a listening comparison HK>Pio but that's a whole different cabin environment.)

    I am perfectly satisfied with the HK system. Some may prefer heavy bass or strident strings. I have only played with the EQ briefly but I have listened to one of my stalwart CDs, Eagles, Hell Freezes Over, and find it more similar to my home listening environment than the Monsoon system provided, even though the Monsoon had a very solid subwoofer . It just sounds more natural with the HK and I like it. Just a bit more tweeking might be in order before I settle on what I perceive as the best sound.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    If by auto unlock you mean that pulling the door handle unlocks, that is the way mine is configured. I would like clarification on that just to make sure I'm not missing something or we've discovered another odd behavior. Either manually opening or using FOB the seat automatically moves forward.
    If I'm quick about entering I can get in with the manual method before it moves too much for easy entry.
    But using this method of entry, it only goes to last used settings about 50% of time. The rest it goes to some deeply reclined position that reminds me of the factory setting it had when I first got in.
    Still need to check other FOB.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden is where I find the terrible distortion of bass on some tracks, where there are a lot of very low notes.
    No problem with it on home system, Pioneer with 16" woofers. No equalization cranked into either system.
    Are you running in stereo or surround? I can do both on home unit as well with 2, 3, or 5 speakers.
    Maybe an issue. Are the holes in the trunk liner under speakers plugged? On the Bose I had, each of the speakers was covered from the back side with thick acoustic padding so no extraneous noise could enter through the speaker cone.
    And from what I read at HK auto site it seems their speakers are supposed to be ported back into the vehicle as well, that is not using the trunk as part of the tuned cavity.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Is there some way to learn how much room remains on HDD that I might have missed?
    I am very interested in what format the music is recorded to HDD. I certainly hope it is lossless when pushing such to the HDD.

    My confusion is what exactly can be recorded, format?
    Owners manual says for MEM system (no HDD), "record from Audio CD's, MP3/WMA/AAC discs and USB storage devices."
    It does not say anything as to what exactly it will accept from "USB storage". Can we assume it will accept any of the four mentioned, "Audio CD, MP3/WMA/AAC"?
    With only 1.1GB of storage in that system you don't have much room if it copies Audio CD in native format.
    For those of us with HDD, 10GB of storage is available. But formats listed are a bit different. MP3/MP3-Pro/WMA/Audible.com/M4A, with no mention of "Audio CD". That is "Audible.com" likely uses a proprietary format for speech only to save room. Some claim MP3-Pro has some advantages over regular MP3 as to compression ratio. The last I delved into it that was at lower bit rates and it lost its edge around 128Kb/s. They may have come up with better CODEC (coder & decoder) since then. Under Windows, the Franhoffer CODEC has been stripped of its ability to do above 128Kb/s. Up to XP there was another Franhoffer that might have came with W9x, but by WME you had to manually install it and it allowed up to 320Kb/s. It will not install to XP and I have no experiece as to what Vista or 7 come with. The wisest thing to do is find another CODEC with full capabilities for MP3, if that is your favorite format.
    I prefer .ogg, although lossy as well it has much higher quality at a lower rate. It is suggested that you need to use at least 224Kb/s for MP3 to acheive true CD (stamped) quality. Ogg wil reach that at 160Kb/s. Alas it is not one of the listed, but I will continue to stream from
    http://live.urn1350.net:8080/urn_high.ogg
    http://ogg.smgradio.com/vr160.ogg
    http://ogg.smgradio.com/vc160.ogg
    because I like their rock and it is very high quality. Far higher than many of the pay sites that limit MP3 to 128Kb/s.
    I stream to my HDD (foobar2000) and then cut into usable segments. I'm trying to transcode some of it to M4A now. My first attempt, copied to vehicle HDD, would not play.
    It appears the best file type to use currently is M4A. From another site: The M4A file type is primarily associated with 'MPEG-4 Audio Layer'. Files in .M4A format are actually the audio layer of (non-video) MPEG 4 movies. M4A is slated to become the new standard for audio file compression. This format is also known as Apple Lossless, Apple Lossless Encoder, or ALE. It is a new codec designed to provide lossless encoding in less storage space.
    And there are claims that because the coding is the same between these you simply change the file extension. It is LOSSLESS!
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    So that would be a maybe on fixing my issue. Easy exit was originally off and I did not pay much attention before turning on. I do now have random movement as to where it stops at.

    You are correct about the CD issue. Were you running the engine at the time so it did not time out on ACC? You might try again if successful with another disk.
  • bobinorbobinor Member Posts: 63
    I don't have the nav pkg on my CXS so I don't have the rear view camera. It's on my Equinox and it's very cool. In spite of those shortcomings I have chosen to not have the exterior mirrors point down when I shift into reverse. I found it very distracting to be looking at the ground when backing out of my garage. I'd rather see if there was anything behind me (not trusting the audible warnings for objects behind the car?). This is probably a result of me doing it the way I have always done it and not taking advantage of the technologies to improve safety. Where I live and drive I rarely find myself having to parallel park so curbs are not a constant issue. The mirrors will stay "up" when I back up. Just glad I have the option. YMMV

    One other thing: I think I'm getting used to the blind spot caused by the right front pillar and mirror. It still is bothersome when making a right turn with the car headed up hill and turning onto a downhill street. I really have to careful then.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    For normal driving I always set my mirrors a bit wide. I don't need to be looking at the side of my car, I know where it is. And at night I move them down some so I'm not getting the direct reflection of headlights. And when curbing I'd move them to see the rear tire area, which is seldom.
    I'm not sure that the reverse option moves them to the correct position. It seems to just move them down. It seems this should be another adjustable memory position. Maybe it is and I just don't know it yet.
    As to it having memory. My brother was in a rental a couple of weeks back. He made a wide right turn to get in turn lane and cut someone off. He blamed the mirrors for not showing wide enough. I mentioned to him I adjust mine wide to aid such. He responded then you can't see where you are backing and you'd have to move them everytime. I suggested he needed mirror memory.
  • gberpagberpa Member Posts: 44
    I mean using the passive entry feature along with easy exit. When I do that, and don't push the fob button to unlock, it opens at a position close to the easy exit position.
    However, this doesn't seem to work if I lock the vehicle with the exterior handle button,
    something I started to do recently when using an over sized cell phone belt case which has a pocket to hold my fob.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    That is the combination I've been using mostly during the past three weeks (FOB in pocket full time). But you run into quirk this way, as other ways. That is you need FOB in hand to cycle easy exit if you forgot something and need to get out or you must shut door, start & shut down to get easy exit.
    Terrible software designers it seems. Definitely terrible testers.
    But as said earlier, this method hits target 50% and some unknown setting the rest of the time. It seems both get blown when you cycle easy exit twice which moves the seat way back which prompted me to think it function by how long the motor runs rather than position sensing servos. That is the position it ends up at automatically seems proportional from the position at easy exit. MEM buttons will put it to either memorized position.
  • gfieldlacrossegfieldlacrosse Member Posts: 14
    So, over the weekend, I copied another CD. It worked great - all the artist/song information came along with every song. I thought it must just have been the first CD that I tried - some quirk in the CD itself.

    However, the next time I started the car, it wouldn't stop trying to read the HDD, and then rebooting the system. It would come back up, play 5 seconds of a song, then reboot again. It kept doing this no matter what I did - I tried switching to radio (all 3 bands), turning the stereo off, turning the car off and starting it again - nothing worked. It kept rebooting the hard drive and trying to read it until I completely erased the HDD! It still kept trying until I shut the car off. The next time I turned it on, it behaved normally again. I then reluctantly copied another CD (not the troublesome one, but a 3rd option) - it has behaved fine since then, but I'm not happy with how the weekend went. I have a call in to my dealer to see what they can figure out... any thoughts? (I confess, I haven't searched the boards to see if anyone else has had this problem - so I'm sorry if I've missed a post that's on-point).
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Search, but I have not seen anything that is close to your situation.
    To me, this does not bode well. If I had such behavior on a new computer I would take it back and a good chance they'd replace with a new one. But I've built my own last few computers.
    And this system stymies me because I know so little about it. I've been personally hoping it is using a known OS such as Linux which will greatly enhance the possibilities.
    But no matter what type of computer or OS, an absolute must is clean power. There was such an issue with 95 Aurora and up and to my surprise also with 09 Malibu. The source of noise was the cooling fans. The fix was adding a diode jumper harness to the fan circuit to stop the inductive kick spikes that was killing some components. To learn the 09 Malibu had the same exact issue and the same fix was alarming.
    I wish I had wiring diagrams for this car to investigate if the same situation exists. Spikes will not only kill electronics, they can damage, leading to premature death which could be after warranty expires. Computer systems and components are very fussy about having clean power.
    Good luck.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >I wish I had wiring diagrams for this car to investigate if the same situation exists.

    helminc.com

    $150 plus shipping and handling IIRC.

    Factory service manual.
    It may or may not include specifics about the operation of the hard drive within the radio system. I have bought manuals for 90% of my cars and the factory manuals (all have been from Helm) are great reading.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • gberpagberpa Member Posts: 44
    edited November 2010
    I just spoke with a rep on the NAV tel #. There is yet no update currently for my 2011 (7/10 production) and won't be until sometime in 2011. My version is U40D V 20.09.03. The rep said we should get 1 free Nav disk from the dealer. I didn't, did any one get one? After the first one, was told updates would be about $200 US. The only disk in my owners packet was an Onstar Audio CD with instructions/service summaries. I'm thinking of waiting until the update comes out to request the DVD as mine works pretty well . One 2+ year old major shopping center with a big movie plex wasn't there...Onstar provided input to find it...
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    As I mentioned earlier, it has no clue of where my daughter lives and those roads have existed probably at least 5 years. And on the way home from there it tried to direct me on a road that does not yet exist. The turn out for it exists but I was met by an old rusty gate. In the headlights I could see it was a marshy area that had no sign of work being done.
    It would be interesting to know if those last digits represent a date as different formats are used in different parts of the world. One that comes to mind would indicate the date as 20 SEP 2003.
    BTW, being directed to turn into a narrow cutout with tall grass either side, in the dark especially, and the pavement abruptly changing to loose gravel on a downslope and a steel gate just 10' beyond is a safety hazard.
    If the disk was not shipped with vehicle, then GM owes us the update disk, not the dealer. How certain was the rep you spoke to. Get it in writing if you can and I'd like a copy.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Foolow up here:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f21a670/22#MSG22

    I chose to put in options because it is for most LaCrosse.
    Check the test tunes mentioned.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    edited November 2010
    For those who have complaints about the headrest, you might be able to gleen some info from this:
    http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/Rulemaking/Rules/Associated20Files/202FinalRule.p- - df

    It is roughly 174 pages of stuff and shows the government ruling against concerns for those who sit in a more erect position despite concerns brought forth by automakers that a little over 10% of the populations chooses that upright position. Further, at one point they were considering allowing more space between headrest and head for taller people, the very ones that tend to ride more inclined.
    Also the average factory design was an angle of 23 degrees but in their mandate the testing is to meet requirements must be 25degrees 'or greater'. (Was this panel stacked with blacks driving from the back seat?)
    And something that smells like prejudice to me, some automakers have active head restraints (none from Detroit). They mandated that those systems meet the same criteria as to positioning before becoming active so the same machine used for testing would also work on those systems. There was quite a bit of discussion about which machine to use and some of them sounded better to me. NHTSA(aka NHTWTS, nit wits) ruled to use what seems like an antiquated machine because it was the most common in use.

    Give me your interpretation of that document.
    It appears to get this fixed, complaining to GM/Buick is just a start. We will need to beat up NHTSA and talk to our Congress about the stupidity that exists in NHTSA's house.
    Maybe we can get NHTSA to pay for this mistake.
    That is I've noticed the trend of these terribly inclined headrests in several models over the last couple of years. This Buick one is the worst.
    Those of you who have good backs and necks might think this does not concern you. But, whether by accident or aging your orthopedic or chiropractor tells you good posture is a must to reduce pain, you will then know how important it is to sit upright and not have something slapping the back of your head. Can I enlist your support, please?
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