bulb BUICK CENTURY 1998 Owner's Manual

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Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:

Turn and Lane Change Signals

Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer

Flash
-To-Pass Feature

Windshield Wipers and Washer

Cruise Control
Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or
down. When the turn is finished, the lever will
return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
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 arrows don't
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won't see your turn signal.

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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 the fuse and check for burned
-out
bulbs. See ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the Index.
Turn Signal Reminder
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile,
a chime will sound. To turn off the chime, move the turn
signal lever to the off position.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low, pull the turn signal lever toward you until you
hear a click. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light on the
instrument panel will also
be on.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you a little,
but not so far that you hear a click.
Your high
-beam headlamps will stay on as long as you
hold the lever toward you. The high
-beam indicator on
the dash will also come on. Release the lever to turn the
high
-beam headlamps off.
Windshield Wipers

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2-73 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
Your vehicle has a gage that
shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, your engine is too hot!
This 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, stop your
vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The ªProblems on the Roadº section in this manual
explains what to do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
When this light comes on,
the cooling system is low
on coolant.
As a bulb check, it will come on for two to four seconds
and then go off when the ignition is in RUN. If the light
doesn't come on, have the vehicle serviced.
If the coolant level is low, the light will come back on
and a warning chime will sound. If this happens, see
ªEngine Coolantº in the Index for the proper cooling
system fill procedure.
After the coolant level is returned to its proper level, the
LOW COOLANT light will go off after 20 seconds or
remain off during the next ignition cycle.

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2-77 Oil Pressure Light
This light tells you if there
could be a problem with
your engine oil pressure.
When this light comes on and stays on, it means oil isn't
going through your engine properly. You could be low
on oil, or you might have some other oil problem.
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.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
Check Oil Level Light
The CHECK OIL LEVEL
light is lit for two to four
seconds as a bulb check
each time the ignition key is
turned to RUN.
If the light doesn't come on, have your vehicle serviced.
If the engine oil is more than 1 qt. (0.95 L) low, this
light will turn on for about one minute and then will
remain off until the next time you start the vehicle only
if the vehicle has been shut off for at least eight minutes.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light comes back on, the
engine oil should be checked at the dipstick then
brought up to the proper level if necessary. See ªEngine
Oilº in the Index.

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4-37 Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you're about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Your vehicle has bulb warning lights. When you plug a
trailer lighting system into your vehicle's lighting
system, its bulb warning lights may not let you know if
one of your lamps goes out. So, when you have a trailer
lighting system plugged in, be sure to check your
vehicle and trailer lamps from time to time to be sure
they're all working. Once you disconnect the trailer
lamps, the bulb warning lights again can tell you if one
of your vehicle lamps is out.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If you cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a
lower speed may help avoid overheating your engine
and transaxle.
Parking on Hills
CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People can
be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.

6-
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6
-2 Service
6
-3 Fuel
6
-5 Filling Your Tank
6
-8 Filling a Portable Fuel Container
6
-8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6
-11 Engine Oil
6
-15 Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
6
-17 Supercharger Oil
6
-18 Automatic Transaxle Fluid
6
-20 Radiator Pressure Cap
6
-21 Engine Coolant
6
-25 Windshield Washer Fluid
6
-26 Brakes
6
-29 Battery
6
-31 Bulb Replacement6
-39 Tires
6
-47 Appearance Care
6
-48 Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle
6
-51 Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle
6
-54 Underbody Maintenance
6
-54 Chemical Paint Spotting
6
-55 GM Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials
6
-56 Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
6
-57 Electrical System
6
-61 Removing the Rear Seat Cushion
6
-66 Replacement Bulbs
6
-66 Capacities and Specifications
6
-67 Air Conditioning Refrigerants
6
-67 Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

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Bulb Replacement
The following procedure tells you how to replace your
headlamp bulbs. For the type of bulb, see ªReplacement
Bulbsº in the Index.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer's service department.
Halogen Bulbs
CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
A. Headlamp
B. Front Turn Signal
The entire front headlamp assembly must be removed to
replace the headlamps. If more hand clearance is
required, you may find it easier to remove the engine air
cleaner/filter assembly before replacing bulbs on the
driver's side.

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The driver's side low-beam headlamp access area
is behind and between the high
-beam area and the
air cleaner.
1. Loosen the two bolts on the inboard edge of the
headlamp assembly. This allows you to pull out
the assembly for more hand clearance when
changing bulbs.
2. Reach into the assembly
and turn the bulb socket
one
-quarter of a turn
toward the center of the
engine compartment,
while pressing it firmly.
3. Remove the wire connector from the bulb by
lifting the lock tab (B) and pulling it away from the
plastic base.
4. Install the bulb by putting the small tab (D) into the
small notch in the lamp (E).5. Turn the bulb socket one
-quarter of a turn making
sure the tab is properly engaged in the panel slot.
6. To reassemble, attach the wire connector (A) to the
plastic base making sure the lock tab (B) is over the
lock (C).
7. Replace the headlamp assembly and tighten the two
bolts on the inboard edge of the assembly.
Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has a headlamp system equipped with
horizontal and vertical aim indicators. The aim has been
pre
-set at the factory and should need no further
adjustment. This is true even though your vertical and
horizontal aim indicators may not fall exactly on the ª0º
(zero) marks on their scales.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the headlamp
aim may be affected. Aim adjustment may be necessary
if it is difficult to see lane markers (for horizontal aim),
or if oncoming drivers flash their high beams at you (for
vertical aim). If you believe your headlamps need to be
re
-aimed, we recommend that you take it to your dealer
for service; however, it is possible for you to re
-aim
your headlamps as described in the following procedure.

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2. Turn the vertical aiming screw (C) until the level
bubble (D) is lined up with zero.
Front Turn Signal Lamps
The turn signal bulb is located in the front fascia.
1. Remove the panel on the underside of the bulb assembly
by pulling the two fasteners that hold it in place.
2. Reach in to press the locking tab and twist the bulb
socket one
-quarter of a turn counterclockwise and
pull the bulb out of the socket.
3. Replace the bulb, then reassemble by reversing Steps
1 and 2.
Taillamps/Rear Turn Signal/Back-Up
Lamps
Taillamps: A, B and C
Rear Turn Signal: A and C
Back
-Up Lamps: D
The entire taillamp assembly must be removed to
change any of these bulbs.

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3. Pull the taillamp assembly away from the vehicle
carefully, to avoid scratching the paint. The taillamp
has safety straps to help you hold the assembly while
replacing the bulbs.
The following instructions explain how to change
each bulb.1. Remove the bulb socket assembly by squeezing the
plastic lock and turning it one
-quarter of a turn
counterclockwise.