instrument cluster BUICK CENTURY 2003 Owner's Manual

Trunk Assist Handle
The vehicle may have an
assist handle located on
the inside of the trunk
lid toward the driver's side
of the vehicle.
Pull down on the handle to lower the trunk lid. Then
close the trunk with your other hand. If the trunk is not
properly closed, the DOOR/TRUNK ajar warning
light will appear in the message center of your
instrument panel cluster. See
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning
Light on page 3-36for more information.
Notice:The trunk assist handle is not designed to
be used to tie down the trunk lid or as an anchor
point when securing items in the trunk. Improper
use of the trunk assist handle could damage it.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:The emergency trunk release handle is not
designed to be used to tie down the trunk lid or
as an anchor point when securing items in the trunk.
Improper use of the emergency trunk release
handle could damage it.
The vehicle may have a glow-in-the-dark emergency
trunk release handle located inside the trunk on
the latch. This handle will glow following exposure to
light. Pull the release handle up to open the trunk from
the inside.
2-14

Automatic Transaxle Operation
The shift lever for the automatic transmission is on the
steering column.
The graphic shown above is displayed on your
instrument panel cluster and will indicate the gear your
vehicle is in.
Maximum engine speed is limited on automatic transaxle
vehicles when you're in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) to
protect driveline components from improper operation.
There are several different positions for your shift lever.{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle won't move, even when
you're on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See ªShifting Into Park (P)º in the
Index. If you're pulling a trailer, see ªTowing a
Trailerº in the Index.
PARK (P):This position locks your front wheels.
It's the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can't move easily.
2-23

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-3
Other Warning Devices...................................3-4
Horn.............................................................3-4
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-5
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-11
Interior Lamps..............................................3-14
Auxiliary Power Connection
(Power Drop)............................................3-16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-16
Climate Controls............................................3-17
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-17
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-22
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-23
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-24
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-24
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-25
Charging System Light..................................3-26
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-27
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-28
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light.........3-28
Low Traction Light........................................3-29Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-29
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-30
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-30
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-31
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-34
Low Oil Level Light.......................................3-35
Change Engine Oil Light................................3-35
Security Light...............................................3-36
Cruise Control Light......................................3-36
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light.....................3-36
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning Light........................3-36
Service Vehicle Soon Light............................3-37
Fuel Gage...................................................3-37
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-38
Audio System(s).............................................3-39
Setting the Time...........................................3-39
AM-FM Radio...............................................3-40
Radio with Cassette and CD..........................3-42
Theft-Deterrent Feature..................................3-48
Audio Steering Wheel Controls.......................3-50
Understanding Radio Reception......................3-50
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player.................3-51
Care of Your CDs.........................................3-52
Care of Your CD Player................................3-52
Fixed Mast Antenna......................................3-52
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of the instrument panel are the
following:
A. Exterior Lamps Control. See
Exterior Lamps on
page 3-11.
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-5.
C. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-23.
D. Audio Steering Wheel Controls. See
Audio Steering
Wheel Controls on page 3-50.
E. Gear Shift Lever. See
Automatic Transaxle
Operation on page 2-23.
F. Air Outlets. See
Outlet Adjustment on page 3-20.
G. Side Window Defogger Outlet.
H. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-11.
I. Tilt Wheel Lever. See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-4.
J. Horn. (See
Horn on page 3-4.
K. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-39.
L. Ashtray. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-16.
M. Climate Control. See
Dual Climate Control System
on page 3-17.
N. Glove Box.
O. Instrument Panel Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-89.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ¯ashers let you warn others.
They also let police know you have a problem. Your
front and rear turn signal lamps will ¯ash on and off.
3-3

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward positions for right and
two downward positions for left. These positions
allow you to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is ®nished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ¯ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to ¯ash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself
when you release it.If the arrow ¯ashes faster than normal as you signal a
turn or a lane change, a signal bulb may be burned
out and other drivers won't see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you signal
a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-89.
A chime will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than 3/4 mile (1.2 km).
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change your headlamps from low beams to
high beams, or high to low, pull the multifunction lever
all the way toward you. Then release it.
This light, located on the
instrument panel cluster,
will come on while the
high-beam lamps are on.
3-6

Windshield Washer
J
(Windshield Washer):At the top of the
multifunction lever, there is a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer ¯uid on the windshield,
push on the paddle. The wipers will run for several
sweeps and then either stop or return to your preset
speed. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
The LOW WASH light on
your instrument panel
cluster will come on when
the ¯uid level is low.
Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don't use cruise control on
slippery roads.
3-8

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See
Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-10. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you're
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don't want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release it. The CRUISE light on the instrument
panel cluster will come on.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
3-9

Instrument Panel Cluster
The instrument panel cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast
you're going, about how much fuel is in your tank and many other things you need to drive safely and economically.
United States version with Enhanced Traction System and ABS shown; Canada Base Level similar
3-23

Speedometer and Odometer
The speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). The
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven
in either miles (used in the United States) or in
kilometers (used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper-resistant odometer. If you
see ERROR, you'll know someone has probably
tampered with it and the numbers may not be accurate.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs
a new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to
the mileage total of the old odometer, then that will
be done. But if it can't, then it will be set at zero and a
label must be put on the driver's door to show the
old mileage reading when the new odometer was
installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer tells how far you have driven since
you last reset it. To set it to zero, press the button on the
right side of the instrument panel cluster.
The trip/select reset button will go back and forth
between the odometer and the trip odometer if the
button is pressed and released within 1.5 seconds.If the button is pressed and held for longer than
1.5 seconds while in the trip odometer mode, it will be
reset to zero. If the button is pressed and held for longer
than 1.5 seconds while in the odometer mode, it will
have no effect.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for several seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver's safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for several seconds,
then it will ¯ash for several
more.
If the driver's belt is already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come on.
3-24

Here are four things that some owners ask about. All
these things are normal and do not indicate that
anything is wrong with the fuel gage:
·At the gas station, the pump shuts off before the
gage reads full.
·It takes more (or less) fuel to ®ll up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it
took more (or less) than half of the tank's
capacity to ®ll it.
·The gage pointer may move while cornering,
braking or speeding up.
·The gage may not indicate empty when the ignition
is turned off.
Low Fuel Warning Light
If your fuel is low, a circular light on your instrument
panel cluster will come on and stay on and a chime will
sound periodically until you add fuel.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you ®rst
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working.
If it doesn't come on then, have it ®xed.United States
Canada
3-38