phone BUICK CENTURY 2005 Owner's Manual

Safe and Sound Plan

Automatic Notication of Air Bag Deployment
Emergency Services
Roadside Assistance
Stolen Vehicle Tracking
AccidentAssist
Remote Door Unlock/Vehicle Alert
Remote Diagnostics
Online Concierge
Directions and Connections Plan

All Safe and Sound Plan services
Driving Directions
RideAssist
Information and Convenience Services
Luxury and Leisure Plan

All Directions and Connections Plan services
Personal Concierge
OnStar®Personal Calling
As an OnStar®subscriber, the Personal Calling
capability is available if your hand-held cell phone is
lost, forgotten, or has a low battery. It is a hands-free
wireless phone that is integrated into the vehicle.
Calls can be placed nationwide using simple voice
commands with no additional contracts and no additional
roaming charges. To nd out more about OnStar
®
Personal Calling, refer to the OnStar®user’s guide in
the vehicle’s glove box or visit www.onstar.com or
www.onstarcanada.com; or speak with an OnStar
advisor by pressing the OnStar
®button or by calling
1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
OnStar®Virtual Advisor
Virtual Advisor is a feature of OnStar®Personal Calling
that uses minutes to access up-to-date weather and
traffic reports for your area, news and sports updates,
stock quotes, entertainment and more. You are also able
to listen and reply to your e-mail through your vehicle’s
speakers. Customize your information prole at
www.myonstar.com. See the OnStar
®user’s guide for
more information.
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Audio System(s)
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can
be added by checking with your dealer. Also,
check federal rules covering mobile radio and
telephone units. If sound equipment can be added,
it is very important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems, and
even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment that
has been added improperly.
Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, nd
out what your audio system can do, and how to operate
all of its controls.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off.
See “Retained Accessory Power (RAP)” under
Ignition Positions on page 2-18.
Setting the Time
Press and hold H until the correct hour appears on the
display. AM will appear for morning hours. Press and
hold M until the correct minute appears on the display.
The time can be set with the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an FM station broadcasting
Radio Data System (RDS) information, press and
hold H and M at the same time until TIME UPDATED
appears on the display. If the time is not available from
the station, NO UPDATE will appear on the display.
RDS time is broadcast once a minute. After tuning to an
RDS broadcast station, it may take a few minutes for
the time to update.
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SCAN:Scan the stations within a PTY by performing
the following:
1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode.
The PTY symbol will appear on the display.
2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY.
3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and
hold either SEEK arrow, and the radio will begin
scanning the stations in the PTY.
4. Press either SEEK arrow to stop at a station.
If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will
scan for stations with the selected PTY and
traffic announcements.
BAND (Alternate Frequency):Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. To turn alternate frequency on,
press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to stations
with a stronger frequency.
To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND
again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations.RDS Messages
ALERT!:Alert warns of local or national emergencies.
When an alert announcement comes on the current
radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will
hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or
a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play will stop during
the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be
turned off.
ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency
broadcast system. This feature is not supported by
all RDS stations.
INFO (Information):If the current station has a
message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this
button to see the message. The message may display
the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc.
If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the
message will appear every three seconds. To scroll
through the message, press and release the INFO
button. A new group of words will appear on the display
after every press of the button. Once the complete
message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from
the display until another new message is received.
The last message can be displayed by pressing the
INFO button. You can view the last message until a new
message is received or a different station is tuned to.
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SCAN:You can scan the stations within a PTY by
performing the following:
1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode.
The P-TYPE symbol will appear on the display.
2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY.
3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and hold
either SEEK arrow, and the radio will begin
scanning the stations in the PTY.
4. Press and hold either SEEK arrow to stop
at a station.
If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will
scan for stations with the selected PTY and
traffic announcements.
BAND (Alternate Frequency):Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. To turn alternate frequency on,
press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to
stronger stations.
To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND
again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations.
When you turn the ignition off and then on again,
the alternate frequency feature will automatically
be turned on.RDS Messages
ALERT!:Alert warns of local or national emergencies.
When an alert announcement comes on the current
radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will
hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted
or a cassette tape or CD is playing. If a cassette tape or
CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement.
You will not be able to turn off alert announcements.
ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency
broadcast system. This feature is not supported by
all RDS stations.
INFO (Information):If the current station has a
message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this
button to see the message. The message may display
the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc.
If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the
message will appear every three seconds. To scroll
through the message at your own speed, press
the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will
appear on the display with each press. Once the
complete message has been displayed, INFO will
disappear from the display until another new message
is received. The old message can be displayed by
pressing the INFO button. You can view and old
message until a new message is received or a different
station is tuned to.
3-57

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-6.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the
road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
4-2

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle.
If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle
can be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-53.
4-19

Customer Assistance and Information...............7-2
Customer Satisfaction Procedure......................7-2
Online Owner Center......................................7-4
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone
(TTY) Users...............................................7-4
Customer Assistance Offices............................7-4
GM Mobility Program for Persons
with Disabilities...........................................7-6
Roadside Assistance Program..........................7-6
Courtesy Transportation...................................7-8
Vehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders..........................................7-9Reporting Safety Defects................................7-10
Reporting Safety Defects to the
United States Government..........................7-10
Reporting Safety Defects to the
Canadian Government................................7-11
Reporting Safety Defects to
General Motors.........................................7-11
Service Publications
Ordering Information..................................7-11
Section 7 Customer Assistance and Information
7-1

STEP THREE:Both General Motors and your dealer
are committed to making sure you are completely
satised with your new vehicle. However, if you continue
to remain unsatised after following the procedure
outlined in Steps One and Two, you should le with the
BBB Auto Line Program to enforce any additional
rights you may have. Canadian owners refer to your
Warranty and Owner Assistance Information booklet for
information on the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration
Plan (CAMVAP).
The BBB Auto Line Program is an out of court program
administered by the Council of Better Business
Bureaus to settle automotive disputes regarding vehicle
repairs or the interpretation of the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. Although you may be required to
resort to this informal dispute resolution program prior to
ling a court action, use of the program is free of
charge and your case will generally be heard within
40 days. If you do not agree with the decision given in
your case, you may reject it and proceed with any other
venue for relief available to you.You may contact the BBB Auto Line Program using
the toll-free telephone number or write them at the
following address:
BBB Auto Line Program
Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
4200 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22203-1804
Telephone: 1-800-955-5100
This program is available in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia. Eligibility is limited by vehicle age,
mileage and other factors. General Motors reserves the
right to change eligibility limitations and/or discontinue
its participation in this program.
7-3

Online Owner Center
The Owner Center is a resource for your GM ownership
needs. Specic vehicle information can be found in
one place.
The Owner Center allows you to:
Get e-mail service reminders.
Access information about your specic vehicle,
including tips and videos and an electronic
version of this owner’s manual. (United States only)
Keep track of your vehicle’s service history and
maintenance schedule.
Find GM dealers for service nationwide.
Receive special promotions and privileges only
available to members. (United States only)
Refer to the web for updated information.
To register your vehicle, visit www.MyGMLink.com.
(United States) or My GM Canada within
www.gmcanada.com (Canada).
Customer Assistance for Text
Telephone (TTY) Users
To assist customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or
speech-impaired and who use Text Telephones (TTYs),
Buick has TTY equipment available at its Customer
Assistance Center. Any TTY user can communicate
with Buick by dialing: 1-800-83-BUICK. TTY users
in Canada can dial 1-800-263-3830.
Customer Assistance Offices
Buick encourages customers to call the toll-free number
for assistance. If a U.S. customer wishes to write to
Buick, the letter should be addressed to Buick’s
Customer Assistance Center.
7-4

United States – Customer Assistance
Buick Customer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33136
Detroit, MI 48232-5136
1-800-521-7300
1-800-832-8425 (For Text Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance: 1-800-252-1112
Fax Number: 313-381-0022
From Puerto Rico:
1-800-496-9992 (English)
1-800-496-9993 (Spanish)
Fax Number: 313-381-0022
From U.S. Virgin Islands
1-800-496-9994
Fax Number: 313-381-0022
Canada – Customer Assistance
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
1-800-263-3777 (English)
1-800-263-7854 (French)
1-800-263-3830 (For Text Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance: 1-800-268-6800
Overseas – Customer Assistance
Please contact the local General Motors Business Unit.
Mexico, Central America and
Caribbean Islands/Countries
(Except Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin
Islands) – Customer Assistance
General Motors de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Customer Assistance Center
Paseo de la Reforma # 2740
Col. Lomas de Bezares
C.P. 11910, Mexico, D.F.
01-800-508-0000
Long Distance: 011-52-53 29 0 800
7-5