light BUICK CENTURY 1997 User Guide

Trunk Lock
To unlock the trunk from
the outside, insert the door
key and turn
it. You can also
press the car symbol on
your remote keyless
entry transmitter.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Buick has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways
you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it. When
you park your Buick and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear
a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them
in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best
to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if
you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your trunk
or glove
box.
0 Lock the glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key and remote keyless entry
transmitter with
you.
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PASS-Key@ I1
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key I1
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key I1
is a passive
theft-deterrent system. It
works when you insert or
remove the key from
the ignition.
PASS-Key I1 uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that matches
a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Key I1 system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down
the vehicle’s starter and
fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter won’t
work and fuel won’t go to the engine.
If someone tries to
start your vehicle again or uses another
key during this
time, the vehicle will not start. This discourages someone
from randomly trying different keys with different resistor
pellets in
an attempt to make a match.
The ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s inserted
in the ignition or the engine may not start. If the engine
does not start and the SECURITY light is flashing, the key
may be dirty or wet.
Turn the ignition off. Clean and dry the
key. Wait about three minutes and
try
again. If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the
Index). If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may be faulty. See your Buick dealer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key
11.
If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work and the
SECURITY light will come on. But you don’t have to
wait three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Buick dealer or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and SECURITY light comes on,
you will be able to restart your engine if you
turn it off.
Your PASS-Key I1 system, however, is not working
properly and must be serviced by your Buick dealer. Your
vehicle
is not protected by the PASS-Key II system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key
I1 ignition key, see
your Buick dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key I1 to have a new key made.
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LOCK (B): Before you put the key into the ignition
switch, the switch is in
LOCK. It’s also the only position
from which you
can remove your key. This position
locks your ignition, steering wheel and transaxle. It’s
a
theft-deterrent feature.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn
the steering wheel, It doesn’t lock the steering
wheel like
LOCK. Use OFF if you must have your
vehicle pushed or towed.
RUN (D): This position is where the key returns after you
start your vehicle. With the engine off, you can use RUN
to display some of your warning and indicator lights.
START (E): This position starts your engine.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver’s
door when the ignition is
in OFF, LOCK or ACC and
the key is in the ignition.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure you are using the correct. key; if
so, is it 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.
In case you cannot remove
your key from the ignition,
find the access
slot which is located underneath the
steering column below the lock cylinder.
To use this slot, remove the trim cap. Insert
a key or
screwdriver into the access slot and rotate the lock
cylinder.
You will now be able to remove your key from
the ignition. Be sure to replace the trim cap after use.
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To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts
to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrow
flashes faster than normal, a signal bulb may be burned
out and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If
the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check
the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’
in the Index).
A chime will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than
3/4 mile (1.2 km).
Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change your headlamps
from low beams to high
beams, or high
to low, pull
the multifunction lever all
the way toward you. Then
release
it. When the high
beams are on, a light on
the
instrument panel also will
be on.
Flash-to-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even if your headlamps are
off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you a little,
but not
so far that you hear a click.
If your headlamps are off or on low beam, your
high-beam headlamps will turn
on. They’ll stay on as
long as you hold the lever toward you and the
high-beam indicator
on the dash will come on. Release
the lever to turn the high-beam headlamps off.
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Windshield Wipers
I
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked WIPER. For a single wiping cycle, turn the band
to MIST. Hold it there until the wipers start, then let go.
The wipers will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles,
hold the band on MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band to LO. For
high-speed wiping, turn the band further,
to HI. To stop
the wipers, turn the band to OFF.
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.
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 wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
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Windshield Washer
At the top of the multifunction lever, there’s a paddle with
the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, push the paddle. The wipers will run
for
several sweeps and then either stop or return to your preset
speed. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in the Index.
LOW WASH
The LOW WASH light on
your instrument panel
cluster will glow when the
fluid level
is low.
I
In freezlng weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help
on long trips. Cruise
control does
not work at speeds below about 25 mph
(40 km/h).
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When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts
off.
/tl CAC LION:
Setting Cruise Control
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't
drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning,
and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and
go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
off until you want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SETKOAST
button at the end
of the
lever
and release it. The
CRUISE light on the
instrument panel will
come on.
'1 1
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the SETKOAST button until you reach the
To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
lower speed
you want, then release
it.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to
the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going downhill,
you may
have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you
out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
0 Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, or
shift into PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N), your cruise
control
set speed memory is erased.
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Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic
Headlamp Control
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful
in many different driving
conditions, but
they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system
will make your front turn signal lamps
come on when:
0 The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off and
0 The parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your your front turn signal
lamps will be on. The headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won’t be
on. Your instrument panel
won’t be lit up either. When it’s
dark enough outside, your front turn signal
lamps will turn off and your vehicle’s headlamps and
parklamps will turn on. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, your headlamps will go
off and your front turn signal lamps will come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in
OFF or LOCK. Then start
your vehicle. The DRL, headlamps and parklamps will
stay off
until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need
it.
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Twilight Sentinel
Twilight Sentinel provides a period of exterior
illumination as you leave the vicinity of your vehicle.
The feature is activated when your vehicle’s headlamps
are on due to the automatic headlamp control feature
described previously
in this section, and when your
vehicle’s ignition is turned off. Your headlamps will
then remain
on until the headlamp switch is moved from
OFF to the parklamp position or until a 90 second
illumination period has elapsed.
If you turn off the ignition with the headlamp switch in
the parklamp or headlamp position, the Twilight
Sentinel cycle will not occur.
You can customize the vehicle
to activate the Twilight
Sentinel when your vehicle’s ignition is turned off under
the conditions described above, or you may choose not
to activate this feature under any conditions. The
enabled/disabled state of this feature will be toggled
when you perform the following sequence with the
doors closed and the ignition key
in the RUN position: Press
and hold
the power door lock switch. While
holding
the door lock switch, cycle the headlamp switch
on and then off two times. Release the power door lock
switch. These operations must be carried out
in a time
period
of less than 10 seconds, followed by a delay
period of no more than
10 seconds. Then, press and hold
the power door unlock switch. While holding the door
unlock switch, cycle the headlamp switch on and then
off two times. Release the courtesy door unlock switch.
These operations must be carried out
in a time period of
less than 10 seconds.
After releasing the door unlock switch, a single chime
will be heard if the Twilight Sentinel function has been
disabled; two chimes
will be heard if the feature has
been enabled. This feature will be enabled when your
vehicle is shipped from the factory. Disconnecting the
vehicle’s battery for up to a year will not change the
programmed operation of this feature.
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