key BUICK CENTURY 1996 Owner's Manual

Battery Light
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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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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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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon
as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On
Steady” following. If the light
is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle
to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle
of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light
off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently
as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the
fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel
cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
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~ Drunken Driving The
obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving what if people do? How much is “too much” if the
I is a national Itragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
i the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims , think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
every year. here is some general information on the problem.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
0 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, some 18,000 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 2 1 ,
it’s against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
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 a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
consume the alcohol.
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Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, pull out on the collar. When
the hazard warning flashers are on, your
turn signals
won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
~f you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up
at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and
some jumper cables to start your
Buick. But please use the following steps to do
it safely.
A CAUTION:
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some
or all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
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To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
U
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
Always use
T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle
is being towed, have the ignition
key
in the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped
in a straight-ahead position, with a
clamping device designed for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The
transaxle should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
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Standard Wheel Cover Wire Wheel Cover
You
will be using the flat end of the wheel wrench to
remove the wheel cover. Pry along the edge
of the wheel
cover until it comes
off.
Removing the wire wheel cover requires this wire wheel
key wrench.
A. Put the flat end into the notch and carefully pry the
small center cover off.
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B. Remove the theft deterrent wheel nut by placing
the key end of the wire wheel wrench over the
nut and turning it to the left. Pull off the wire
wheel cover.
C. Next, attach the wheel wrench to the bolt on the end
of the jack. Raise the jack a little by rotating the
wheel wrench clockwise
(to the right).
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. Using the wheel wrench, loosen all the wheel nuts.
Don't remove them yet.
2. Position the jack under the vehicle nearest the
tire to be changed. The jack location should be
approximately
5 inches (12.7 cm) from the
wheel well.
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Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
I NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your Buick
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your Buick, see “Servicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Buick” in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in
the lamp switch. An electrical overload will cause the
lamps to
go on and off or, in some cases, to remain off.
If this happens, have your headlamp system checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to heavy
snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools. If
the overload is caused by some electrical problem, have
it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed.
Engine A/C, EGR, Relays, SIR Crank and
Safety Belt Fuses
These fuses are located behind the glove box. The fuse
holders are taped together with gray tape.
Other - uses
The Safety Belt/Chime (ICAM) Module fuse and the
Remote Keyless Entry fuse are located behind the fuse
block, above the hush panel.
The Fuel Pump, A/C CONT and the ECM fuses are
located under the hood.
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