key BUICK CENTURY 1997 Owner's Manual

Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
I NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Buick is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to
PARK (P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
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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2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but then stops), it
could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for up to 15 seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0” F (- 1 8 “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.
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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
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
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It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the enginc
running, be sure your vehicle is in
PARK (P) anu your
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn't fully locked into PARK
(P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) 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 PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK
(P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) 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 parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Buick has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
must fully apply your regular brakes before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in RUN. See
“Automatic Transaxle Operation” in the Index.
If
you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing
it all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Then move
the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
If
you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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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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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
moving the LIGHTS dial.
If you turn the dial past
MAX, your courtesy or interior lamps will come on.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle.
You can also turn these
lamps
on by moving the interior lamps dial all the way
to the right.
Illuminated Entry
Your courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever you press UNLOCK on the remote
keyless entry transmitter.
If you open a door, the lamps will stay on while it’s open
and then turn
off automatically about 25 seconds after
you close it. If you press UNLOCK and don’t open a
door, the lamps will turn off after about 40 seconds.
Illuminated Entry includes
a feature called theater
dimming. With theater dimming, the lamps don’t just
turn off at the end of the delay time. Instead, they slowly dim after the delay time until they go out. The delay
time
is canceled if you turn the ignition key to RUN or
START,
so the lamps will dim right away.
When the ignition is on, Illuminated Entry is inactive,
which means the courtesy lamps won’t come on unless a
door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed Entry Lighting illuminates your vehicle’s
interior for
a period of time after all the doors have been
closed.
The ignition must be off for Delayed Entry Lighting
to
work. Just after all the doors have been closed, the
Delayed Entry Lighting feature will continue to
work until:
0 The ignition is turned to the RUN position.
The doors are locked.
An illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during
the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the interior lamps will remain on since a door is open.
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Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates your vehicle’s interior for a
period
of time after the ignition key is removed from
the ignition.
The vehicle’s ignition must be
off for Delayed Exit
Lighting to work. When the ignition key is removed,
interior illumination will activate and remain on until:
0 The ignition is turned to the RUN position.
0 The power door locks are activated.
0 An illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on since a door is open.
Rearview Mirror Reading Lamps
(If Equipped)
Use the switch next to each lamp to turn them on
and
off.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open the doors.
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Battery Rundown Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery in case you accidentally leave the
interior courtesy lamps, reading/map lamps, visor vanity
lamps, trunk lamp, underhood lamp or glove box lamps
on. If you leave any of these lamps on, they will
automatically turn off after
20 minutes, if the ignition is
in
the OFF position. The lamps won’t come back on
again until you:
0 Turn the ignition on,
0 Turn the lamp switch off, then on; or
Open a door.
Note that if your vehicle has less than
15 miles (25 km)
on the odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.
Retained Accessory Power (If Equipped)
With retained accessory power, your power windows,
audio system and sunroof will continue to work
up to
10 minutes after the ignition key is turned to the OFF
position and none of the doors is opened.
Mirrors
Adjust all the mirrors so you can see clearly when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lamps behind you, pull the lever
toward you (to the night position).
To return the mirror
back to the day position, push the lever away from you.
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Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, lift the latch.
Storage Armrest (If Equipped)
To use the storage area, fold down the armrest located in
the center front seat. Press the latch on the front edge
and pull
up. Dual oversized cupholders will fold out
from within the storage armrest.
You may also have an armrest located within the center
back seat of your vehicle. It may have a storage area and
cupholders.
To open, pull up on the lever at the end of
the armrest and
lift. Two cupholders will then be
accessible and you will have access to
the storage
compartment area.
Convenience Net (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a convenience net. You’ll see it
on the back wall of the trunk.
Put small loads, like grocery bags, behind
the net. It can
help keep them from falling over during sharp turns or
quick starts and stops.
The
net isn’t for larger, heavier loads. Store those in the
trunk
as far forward as you can.
You can unhook the net so that it will lie flat when
you’re not using it.
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When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when
you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder 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.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. 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 modules, the wiring
and the crash sensing and diagnostic module. For more
information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in
the Index.
This right will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should
go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays
on after you start the
engine 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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