weight BUICK CENTURY 2005 Owner's Manual

Q:What are the different types of add-on
child restraints?
A:Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height,
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs.
{CAUTION:
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn infant’s
neck is weak and its head weighs so much
compared with the rest of its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into
the restraint, so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders.
Infants always should be secured in
appropriate infant restraints.
1-32

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 2-25.
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 2-21.
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.
2-26

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21,
it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol
and then drive. But what if people do? How much is
“too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than
many might think. Although it depends on each person
and situation, here is some general information on
the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka.It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada,
sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC
limit for all commercial drivers in the United States
is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
4-4

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.
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.
4-6

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. If you have
the Enhanced Traction System, you should turn the
system off. SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth between
REVERSE (R) and FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear.
The Enhanced Traction System will be turned off
in FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. Spin the wheels as
little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning
your wheels in the forward and reverse directions,
you will cause a rocking motion that may free your
vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few tries,
you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-36.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading
Information label and the Vehicle Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-31

Tire and Loading Information Label
The Tire and Loading Information label is attached to
the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s door
open, you will nd the label attached below the door
lock post (striker). The tire and loading information label
lists the number of occupant seating positions (A),
and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.The Tire and Loading Information label also lists the tire
size of the original equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire ination pressures (D). For more
information on tires and ination, seeTires on
page 5-53andInation - Tire Pressure on page 5-60.
There is also important loading information on the
Certication label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for the front and rear axle, see “Certication
Label” later in this section.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX pounds” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. United States version shown, Canada similar
4-32

4. The resulting gure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be ve
150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400−750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight
may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from
your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load capacity
for your vehicle.
If your vehicle can tow a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-38for important information on towing a
trailer, towing safety rules, and trailering tips.
Item Description Total
AMaximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 1=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×2=300 lbs (136 kg)
CAvailable Occupant and
Cargo Weight=700 lbs (317 kg) Example 1
4-33

Item Description Total
AMaximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 2=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
150 lbs (68 kg)×5=750 lbs (340 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=250 lbs (113 kg)Item Description Total
AMaximum Vehicle
Capacity Weight for
Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant Weight
200 lbs (91 kg)×5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
C Available Cargo Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information
label for specic information about your vehicle’s
maximum vehicle capacity weight and seating positions.
The combined weight of the driver, passengers, and
cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s maximum
vehicle capacity weight. Example 2
Example 3
4-34

Certication Label
The Certication label is found on the rear edge of the
driver’s door.
The label shows the gross weight capacity of your
vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel, and cargo.Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front
or rear axle.
If the vehicle is going to carry a heavy load, spread it
out. Do not carry more than 167 lbs (75 kg) in
your trunk.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose
control and crash. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
Notice:Overloading your vehicle may cause
damage. Repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not overload your vehicle. United States version shown, Canada similar
4-35