key BUICK CENTURY 2004 Owner's Guide

Torque Lock
If parking the vehicle on a hill and the transaxle is not
shifted into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle
may put too much force on the parking pawl in the
transaxle. It might be difficult to pull the shift lever out of
PARK (P). This is called torque lock. To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into
PARK (P) properly before leaving the driver’s seat. To
nd out how, seeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-26.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before releasing the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, another vehicle might have to
push yours a little uphill. This takes some of the
pressure off the parking pawl in the transaxle, enabling
the shift lever to be moved out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
The vehicle has an automatic transaxle shiftlock control
system which locks the shift lever in PARK (P) when
the ignition is in the OFF position. The regular brakes
have to be fully applied before the vehicle can be shifted
from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-22.
If the vehicle cannot be shifted out of PARK (P),
ease pressure on the shift lever and push the shift
lever all the way up into PARK (P) as brake application
is maintained. Then move the shift lever into the
desired gear.
If the brake pedal is held down but still cannot be
shifted out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACCESSORY. There is no
shift interlock in this key position.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift the transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the desired gear.
5. Have the system xed as soon as possible.
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Luxury and Leisure Plan

All Directions and Connections Plan services
Personal Concierge
OnStar®Personal Calling
With OnStar®Personal Calling, you have a safer way to
stay connected while driving. It’s a hands-free wireless
phone that’s integrated into your vehicle. You can place
calls nationwide using voice-activated dialing with no
contracts and no additional roaming charges. To nd out
more about OnStar
®Personal Calling, refer to the
OnStar®user’s guide in your vehicle’s glove box, or call
OnStar®at 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
OnStar®Virtual Advisor
With OnStar®Virtual Advisor you can listen to the news,
entertainment and informative topics, such as traffic
and weather reports. You are able to listen and reply to
your e-mail through your vehicle’s speakers.
Storage Areas
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box.
To open the glove box, lift the latch on its door.
Front Storage Area
To use the storage area, fold down the armrest located
in the center front seat. Press the latch on the front
edge and pull up to access the storage area.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
The hazard warning ashers let you warn others to use
caution when approaching your vehicle. They also
let police know you have a problem.The hazard warning
asher button is located on
the top of the steering
column.
Press the button to activate the front and rear turn
signals to ash on and off.
The hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position the key is in, and even if it is not in the ignition.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, the
individual turn signals will not operate.
Other Warning Devices
If you store reective, safety triangles in the vehicle, put
one at the side of the road, about 300 feet (100 m)
behind the vehicle to warn oncoming traffic of an
emergency situation.
3-4

Delayed Headlamps
Delayed headlamp illumination provides a period of
exterior lighting as you leave the vehicle’s area.
The feature is activated when the vehicle’s ignition is
turned off and the headlamps are on due to the
automatic headlamp control feature described previously
in this section. The headlamps will remain on until the
exterior lamps control is moved from OFF to the parking
lamp position or until a 90 second lighting period has
ended.
If the ignition is turned off while the exterior lamps
control is in the parking lamp or headlamp position, the
delayed headlamp illumination cycle will not occur.
This feature can be turned on or off by doing the
following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Close all the doors.
3. Press and hold the LOCK position on the power
door lock switch. While holding the LOCK position
on the door lock switch, cycle the exterior lamps
control on and off two times.4. Release the power door LOCK switch. These steps
must be carried out in a time period of less than
10 seconds, followed by a delay period of no more
than 10 seconds.
5. Then, press and hold the unlock position on the
power door switch. While holding the unlock
position, turn the exterior lamps control on and off
two times. Release the unlock position on the power
door switch. These operations must be carried
out in a time period of less than 10 seconds.
After releasing the unlock position on the power door
switch, a single chime will be heard if the delayed
headlamp illumination function has been turned off.
Two chimes will be heard if the feature has been turned
on. Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to a
year will not change the programmed operation for this
feature.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
The instrument panel lights can be brightened or
dimmed by turning the exterior lamps knob.
Turning the control all the way clockwise turns on the
courtesy lamps.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several courtesy lamps come
on to make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle.
These lamps can also be turned on by turning the
exterior lamps control all the way clockwise to MAX.
Entry Lighting
The courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever you press UNLOCK on the remote
keyless entry transmitter.
The lamps will stay on while a door is opened and then
turn off automatically about 25 seconds after it is
closed. If the UNLOCK button is pressed and a door is
not open, the lamps will turn off after about 40 seconds.Entry lighting includes a feature called theater dimming.
With theater dimming, the lamps do not turn off at
the end of the delay time. Instead, they slowly dim after
the delay time and then turn off.
The courtesy lamps are canceled if the ignition key is
turned to RUN or START and will not come on unless a
door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting lights the vehicle’s interior for a
period of time after all the doors have been closed.
The ignition must be off for delayed entry lighting
to work. After all the doors have been closed, the
delayed entry lighting feature will continue to work until
one of the following occurs:
The ignition is in RUN.
The doors are locked.
An illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened,
the timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on.
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Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior for a period of time
after the ignition key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed exit lighting to work.
When the ignition key is removed, interior illumination
will activate and remain on until one of the following
occurs:
The ignition is in RUN.
The power door locks are activated.
An illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened,
the timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the underside of the
rearview mirror. Press the button next to each lamp
to turn it on and off.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.
Battery Rundown Protection
This helps the vehicle’s battery from draining the battery
in case the interior courtesy lamps, reading lamps,
visor vanity lamps, trunk lamp, underhood lamp or glove
box lamps are left on. If any of these lamps are left
on while the ignition is off, they will automatically turn off
after 20 minutes. The lamps will not come back on
again until you do one of the following:
Turn the ignition on.
Turn the exterior lamps control off, then on.
Open a door.
If the vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on the
odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps after
only three minutes.
3-16

Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the ignition key is turned to RUN or START, a
chime will come on for several seconds to remind
occupants to fasten their safety belts.
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.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The system check includes the air bag modules, the
wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module. For
more information on the air bag system, seeAir Bag
Systems on page 1-49.
This light will come on
when the vehicle is
started, and it will ash for
a few seconds. Then
the light should go out.
This means the system is
functioning properly.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after the vehicle is
started, or comes on as the vehicle is being driven,
there may be an electrical problem and the air
bag system may not work properly. Have the vehicle
serviced right away.
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{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inate in a crash, or they
could even inate without a crash. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle serviced right away if the air bag
readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should ash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briey when
the ignition is turned
on, as a check to show
that it is working. Then it
should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while the vehicle is being
driven, there may be a problem with the charging
system. It could indicate that the vehicle has a loose
accessory belt or another electrical problem. Have
it checked right away. Driving while this light is on could
drain the battery.
If the vehicle must be driven a short distance with the
light on, be certain to turn off all the accessories,
such as the radio and air conditioner.
3-31

Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop the vehicle. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on briey when the ignition key
is turned to RUN. If it does not come on then, have
it xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking brake does not
release fully. If it stays on after the parking brake is fully
released, it means there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while the vehicle is being driven,
pull off the road and stop carefully. The pedal may
be harder to push. or it may go closer to the oor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-31.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service. United StatesCanada
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
LightIf the vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light will
come on for a few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to RUN. If the anti-lock brake system warning
light stays on longer than normal after the engine
has been started, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light
comes on and stays on while the vehicle is being driven,
stop as soon as possible and turn the ignition off.
Then start the engine again to reset the system. If the
light still stays on, or comes on again while driving,
the anti-lock brake system needs service. If the light is
on and the regular brake system warning light is not
on, the vehicle still has brakes, but it does not have
anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey when the ignition key is turned to RUN. This
is normal. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem. United States
Canada
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