lock BUICK CENTURY 1994 Owner's Manual

Ignition Key Positions
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With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
(A) Accessory: An “on” position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press
in the
ignition switch as you turn the top
of it toward you.
(B) Lock: The only position in which you can remove
the key. This locks
your steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle.
(C) Off: Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power
to any
accessories. Use this position
if your vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never
try to push-start your
vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if you open the
driver’s door when the ignition is off and the
key is in
the ignition.
(D) Run: An ‘‘on’’ position to which the switch returns
after you start your engine and release
the switch. The
switch stays
in the “Run” position when the engine is
running. But even when the engine is
not running, you
can use
“Run” to operate your electrical power
accessories, and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
(E) Start: Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return
to “Run”
for normal driving.
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NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in “Lock” and you can’t
. turn it, be sure it is all the way in. If it is, then turn
the steering wheel left and right while you turn
the key hard. But turn the key only with your
hand. Using a tool to force it could break the key
or the ignition switch. If none of this works, then
your vehicle needs service.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to “P” (Park) or “N” (Neutral).
Your engine won’t start in any other position
-- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use
“N’ (Neutral) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to “P” (Park) if your Buick is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to
“P” (Park) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
To start your engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to “Start.” When the engine starts,
let go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in “Start” for longer than 15
seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
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Engine Coolant Heater (Engine Block Heater) (Canada Only)
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged
in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt outlet.
I NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord
as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the weather, the kind
of oil
you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list
everything here, we ask that you contact a Buick dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle. The
dealer can give you the best advice for that particular
area.
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Automatic Transaxle
I
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
0 P (Park)
This locks your front wheels. It's the best position to
use when you start your engine because your vehicle
can't move easily.
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0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to “Lock.”
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in
“P’, (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in “P’, (Park) and your
‘parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P,’ (Park)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away
from “P” (Park)
without first pulling it toward you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into “P” (Park).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
“P’ (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of “P’ (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into “P” (Park) properly before
you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into ‘P’ (Park)” in
the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
“P’ (Park) BEFORE you release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of
the pressure from the transaxle, so you can pull the shift
lever out of “P” (Park).
Parking Over Things That Burn
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Wagon Rear Vent Windows (Option)
To open, pull the latch forward, then push on the center
of the latch to swing the window out into the open
position.
To close the window, pull the center of the latch and
then press the latch into the closed position.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows
you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give y6ur
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
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You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain
or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
“LO,” the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you
to the “LO” position. For high speed wiping,
turn the band further, to “HI.”
To stop the wipers, move
the band to
“OFF.”
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be sure
to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If they’re frozen to the
windshield, carefully loosen or thaw them.
If your
blades do become damaged, get new blades
or blade
inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Windshield Washer
At the top of the turn signalheadlight beam lever there’s
a paddle with the word “PUSH” on it.
To spray washer
fluid on the windshield, push the paddle.
If you push the paddle less than one second, washer
fluid will spray three
to four times while the wiper
blades
cycle. If you push the paddle longer than one
second, washer fluid will spray as long
as the paddle is
held. When
you release the paddle, the wiper blades will
cycle three to four more times to clear the window and
then either stop or return to your preset speed.
Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous.
A bad
mud splash can
block your vision. You could hit another
vehicle or go off the road. Check your washer fluid level
often.
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Of course, you may still turn on the headlights any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition
is in the “Off’ or “Lock”
position. Then start the vehicle. The
DRL will stay off
until you release the parking brake.
Press the switch to turn the
map light on and off.
Front Seat Reading Lights (Option)
.. . , ..
L
Press the switch to turn the front seat reading lights on
or off.
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Interior Lights Delay
When you pull on the driver’s outside door handle, the
dome and courtesy lights will go on and stay on for
about
40 seconds, or until you turn the ignition on.
If you pull on the driver’s inside door handle within 30
seconds of switching off the ignition, the interior lights
will go
on and stay on for about 5 seconds, to allow you
to unlock your door(s).
Courtesy Lights
When any door is opened, several lights go on. These
lights are under
the instrument panel. Optional lights are
on the rear doors. They make it easy for you to enter and
leave
the vehicle. You also can turn these lights on by
rotating the interior lights switch to
“HI.”
Mirrors
Inside Mirror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror
so you can see clearly behind you car.
The day-night adjustment allows
you to reduce glare
from lights behind you, pull the lever toward
you to the
night position.
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