ESP BUICK CENTURY 2004 Owner's Manual

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q:Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so youcanunbuckle and get out, ismuchgreater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they workwith
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the
use of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that
has air bags, you still have to buckle up to get
the most protection. That’s true not only in frontal
collisions, but especially in side and other
collisions.
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Security Feedback
The remote keyless entry transmitter can be
programmed so that when the LOCK or UNLOCK
button is pressed, the vehicle gives visual or audible
feedback conrmation. Each lock or unlock command
verication must be programmed individually. The
ignition must be OFF for this feature to work.
Programming the LOCK Command
One of four modes can be selected to conrm a
LOCK command.
Mode 1 (One Chime):No Verication
Mode 2 (Two Chimes):Horn Chirp
Mode 3 (Three Chimes):Headlamps Flash
Mode 4 (Four Chimes):Horn Chirp and
Headlamps Flash
The vehicle was originally programmed to Mode 3.
The mode may have been changed since then.
To determine the current lock mode mode, or to change
the lock mode, do the following:
1. Close all doors and turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Press and hold the power door lock switch in
the LOCK position.3. While holding the power door lock switch in the
LOCK position, press and release the remote
keyless entry transmitter LOCK button.
A series of one to four chimes will sound,
corresponding to the current lock mode.
4. Press the remote keyless entry transmitter LOCK
button to advance to the next lock mode.
If cycled beyond Mode 4, the vehicle will
enter Mode 1.
5. To set a mode, release the power door LOCK
switch after the chime sequence of the desired
mode is heard.
Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to a year will
not affect the programmed mode.
Programming the UNLOCK Command
One of four modes can be selected to conrm an
UNLOCK command.
Mode 1 (One Chime):No Verication
Mode 2 (Two Chimes):Horn Chirp
Mode 3 (Three Chimes):Headlamps Flash
Mode 4 (Four Chimes):Horn Chirp and
Headlamps Flash
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The vehicle was originally programmed to Mode 3.
The mode may have been changed since then.
To determine the current unlock mode mode, or to
change the unlock mode, do the following:
1. Close all doors and turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Press and hold the power door lock switch in
the unlock position.
3. While holding the power door lock switch in the
unlock position, press and release the remote
keyless entry transmitter UNLOCK button.
A series of one to four chimes will sound,
corresponding to the current unlock mode.
4. Press the remote keyless entry transmitter UNLOCK
button to advance to the next unlock mode.
If cycled beyond Mode 4, the vehicle will
enter Mode 1.
5. To set a mode, release the power door unlock
switch after the chime sequence of the desired
mode is heard.
Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to a year will
not affect the programmed mode.Delayed Locking
This feature can be turned on or off. It delays the
locking of the doors for ve seconds after the power
door LOCK position or the LOCK button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed and the last
door is closed.
If a door is opened before ve seconds, the delayed
lock is cancelled. When all doors are closed again,
delayed locking begins again.
Three chimes will sound to indicate that this feature is
on. The chime will sound only when the key is not in the
ignition and a door is open.
To cancel delay locking, do any of the following:
Press the unlock portion of the power door
lock switch.
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
Press the LOCK portion of the power door lock
switch a second time.
Press the LOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter a second time or.
Insert the ignition key into the ignition.
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Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle will not open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors are not locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock the vehicle.
From the outside, use the door key or remote keyless
entry transmitter. From the inside use the manual
or power door locks.
To manually lock or unlock the driver’s door from the
outside, insert the key and turn it clockwise or
counterclockwise.
To lock or unlock the doors from the inside, push the
manual lock lever forward or rearward.
2-10

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the windows
closed is dangerous. A child can be overcome
by the extreme heat and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from heat stroke. Never
leave a child alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or hot weather.
2-15

Sun Visors
To block out glare, swing down the sun visors. They
can also be moved to the side windows. The sun visors
also have extenders that can be pulled out for added
coverage.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Open the cover on the sun visor to expose the
vanity mirror.
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirrors
If the vehicle has the lighted vanity mirrors, the lamps
come on when the cover is opened.
Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
PASS-Key®II
The vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key®II
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key
®II is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
It works when the ignition
key is inserted or
removed from the ignition.
PASS-Key
®II uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that matches a decoder in the vehicle.
When the PASS-Key
®II system senses that the wrong
key has been inserted into the ignition, it shuts down
the vehicle’s starter and fuel systems. The starter will not
work and fuel will not go to the engine for about three
minutes. If someone tries to start the vehicle again with
the wrong key, or uses another incorrect key during
this time, the vehicle will not start. This discourages
someone from randomly trying keys with different
resistor pellets in an attempt to make a match.
2-17

Daytime Running Lamps/Automatic
Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Daytime running
lamps are required to function at all times on all
vehicles rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it is not covered.
The DRL system will make the front turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is off.
The parking brake is released.
While the DRL are on, the front turn signal lamps also
will be on. The headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps will not be on. The instrument panel
will not be lit up either.When it is dark enough outside, the front turn signal
lamps will turn off and the vehicle’s headlamps
and parking lamps will turn on. The other lamps that
come on with the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the front turn signal lamps will come on.
To idle the vehicle with the DRL and automatic
headlamp control off, set the parking brake while the
ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start the vehicle. The
DRL, headlamps and parking lamps will stay off until
the parking brake is released.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it is
dark outside, move the exterior lamps control to
the parking lamp position. The parking lamps will remain
illuminated and the headlamps will turn off.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.
3-13

SCAN:Press this button and SCAN will appear on the
display. The radio will go to the rst preset station
on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go to
the next preset station. The radio will scan preset
stations with a strong signal only. Press SCAN again to
stop scanning.
AM FM:Press this button to choose FM1, FM2, or AM.
If a cassette tape or CD is playing, press this button
to listen to the radio. The inactive cassette or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to play a cassette
tape or CD when listening to the radio.
MUTE:Press this button to silence the audio system.
Press it again to turn on the sound.
wVOLx(Volume):Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease volume.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise.
FM
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and
extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate
properly or they may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLEAN
PLAYER to indicate that you have used your tape player
for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If
this message appears on the display, your cassette tape
player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but
you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent
damage to your tapes and player. If you notice a
reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to
see if the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this
other cassette has no improvement in sound quality,
clean the tape player.
3-63

There is something else about drinking and driving that
many people do not know. Medical research shows
that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash
injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal
cord or heart. This means that when anyone who has
been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not been
drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness
and judgment can be affected by even a
small amount of alcohol. You can have a
serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive
after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or
ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering
and the accelerator. All three systems have to do their
work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-9.
4-5

Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time
to cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic
following distances, you will eliminate a lot of
unnecessary braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on
the instrument panel will come on briey when you
start your vehicle.United States
Canada
4-6