warning BUICK CENTURY 1996 User Guide

Safety Belt Warning Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START a chime will
come
on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 20 seconds, then
it
will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither
the chime nor the
light will come on.
/r CAUTION:
-
1 urour safety belt light ever comes on or stays on
after the front doors are closed and the driver’s
belt is buckled, have your vehicle fixed.
If you don’t, the belt might not work as it should,
and
you might not have the protection you’d
need in a crash.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air bag sensors, the air bag module,
the wiring and the diagnostic module.
For more
information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in
the Index.
AIR
BAG
You will see this light flash
for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition
to RUN
or START. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
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Battery Light
I-+I
The battery warning light is
designed to come on briefly
when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as
a check to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while
you
are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If
you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Buick’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right
away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If
it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If the light comes on while you
are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It
may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have the
vehicle towed for service.
(See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light” and ‘Towing Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
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A 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 or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing
after you’ve pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay
on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have
a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
Domestic
~~
Canadian
With the anti-lock brake system, one of these lights will
come on when you start your engine and will stay
on for
three seconds. That’s normal.
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If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull
off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to the floor. It may take longer
to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
I
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock
brake system warning light flashing can lead
to an accident. After you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, 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 you’re driving, your Buick needs service.
If the
light is on
but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there is a problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake S A
LOW
TRACTION
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brakg system active light will come on.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay
on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
there to tell you when the system
is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning
Light
This warning light is
designed to tell you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn the engine off as soon as possible.
The section “Problems on the Road,” in this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
II k
TEMPERATURE -Z
Domestic Canadian
This
gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red area, your engine is too hot!
That reading means the same thing
as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, and stop your
engine as soon as possible.
The section “Problems on the Road,” in this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
Malfunction.Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Domestic Canadian
Your
Buick is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation
of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause
the light
to turn on.
If
you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you
use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel
to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper
test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this oil pressure
warning light may stay
on
after you start your engine,
or come
on when you are
driving. Stop your vehicle
and shut
off the engine if
this light stays on.
This indicates that oil is
not going through your
engine quickly enough
to keep it lubricated.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have
some other oil problem. Have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
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The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come
on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when
you turn the
ignition to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition, you may have
a problem with the fuse or a
bulb. Have
it fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
light
may blink on and off. This
is normal.
moment. This
is normal.
A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
Liftgate Ajar Warning Light (Wagon)
The TAILGATE AJAR
reminder light on your instrument panel will come
on if your liftgate is not
TAILGATE
AJAR
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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’re driving, brake
normally but don’t 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. Your
vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS
is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
Domestic Canadian
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on or flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.
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Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Buick’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal. If
your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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