warning light BUICK CENTURY 2000 Owner's Guide

6-21
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX
-COOL
engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX
-COOL
extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating or if you need to add coolant to your
radiator, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL
coolant will:

Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).

Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).

Protect against rust and corrosion.

Help keep the proper engine temperature.

Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.

6-27
Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is on the driver's
side of the engine compartment. It is filled with DOT
-3
brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking outof the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won't work well, or won't work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to ªtop offº your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
CAUTION:
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See ªBrake System Warning
Lightº in the Index.

6-29 Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built
-in wear indicators that
make a high
-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7
of this manual under Part C ªPeriodic
Maintenance Inspections.º
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.

6-46 Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system
does not apply to deep tread, winter
-type snow tires,
space
-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited
-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, andmay depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
-- AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight
-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature
-- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.