BUICK CENTURY 2000 Owner's Manual

6-29 Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built
-in wear indicators that
make a high
-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7
of this manual under Part C ªPeriodic
Maintenance Inspections.º
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.

6-30 Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top
-quality GM brake
parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts. If you
don't, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example, if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change
-- for the worse. The braking
performance you've come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco
battery. When it's time for a new battery,
get one that has the replacement number shown on
the original battery's label. We recommend an
ACDelco battery.
Vehicle Storage
If you're not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days
or more, remove the black, negative (
-) cable from
the battery. This will help keep your battery from
running down.
CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode. You can be badly hurt if you
aren't careful. See ªJump Startingº in the Index
for tips on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see ªTheft
-Deterrent
Featureº in the Index.

6-31
Bulb Replacement
In this section you'll find directions for changing the
bulbs on your vehicle. See ªReplacement Bulbsº in the
Index to find the type of bulb you should use.
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your dealer 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
For the type of bulb, see ªReplacement Bulbsº in the Index.
1. Open the hood.
2. Pull up on the headlamp retainers to release the
assembly locator tabs.
3. Slide the headlamp assembly out of the slots.
4. Remove the bulb socket from the headlamp assembly.

6-32
5. Remove the rubber access cover (from behind the
bulb you are replacing).
6. Turn the bulb socket one
-quarter turn and remove it
from the lamp.
7. Lift the plastic locking tab on the electrical
connector and pull the connector from the headlamp
bulb socket.8. Connect the new headlamp bulb to the wiring
harness, making sure the connector tab snaps
into place.
9. Insert the bulb socket into the headlamp assembly.
10. Reverse all steps to reassemble the headlamp
assembly, then check the lamps.
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.

6-33
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow these instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
To check the aim, the vehicle should be properly
prepared as follows:

The vehicle must have all four tires on a perfectly
level surface.

If necessary, pads may be used on an uneven surface.

The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
attached to it.

The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other
work stopped while headlamp aiming is being done.

There should not be any cargo or loading of the
vehicle, except it should have a full tank of fuel and
one person or 160 lbs. (75 kg) on the driver's seat.

Close all doors.

Tires should be properly inflated.

Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspension.
Driver's Side Headlamp Shown
A. Vertical aim adjustment screw
B. Horizontal aim adjustment screw
Open the hood and locate the vertical and horizontal aim
indicators. The aiming screw for the vertical aim
indicator (A) is at the center of the headlamp cover and
the aiming screw for the horizontal aim indicator is on
the outboard side of the headlamp cover (B).

6-34
Passenger's Side Headlamp Shown
A. Horizontal aim adjustment screw
B. Horizontal block index plate
C. Vertical aiming level
Start with the horizontal aim. The adjustment screws can
be turned with an E8 Torx

socket.Once the horizontal aim is adjusted, then adjust the
vertical aim.
1. Turn the horizontal aiming screw until the indicator
is lined up with zero.
2. Turn the vertical aiming screw until the level bubble
is lined up with zero.
Front Parking and Turn Signal Lamp
1. Remove the headlamp assembly. Refer to the
removal procedure earlier in this section.
2. Remove the rubber bulb access cover.
3. Twist the sidemarker lamp socket counterclockwise
from the headlamp assembly.
4. Holding the base of the bulb, pull the bulb from
the socket.
5. Push the new bulb into the socket.
6. Reverse these steps to reinstall the lamp assembly.

6-35 Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
1. Open the trunk.
2. Reach through the access opening in the trunk.
3. Remove the bulb by turning it one-quarter
turn counterclockwise.
4. Place the new bulb into the bulb socket.
5. Turn the bulb one
-quarter turn clockwise to reinstall.
6. Close the trunk.

6-36 Tail/Stop/Turn Signal Lamp
1. Remove the plastic wing nuts (A). (Pliers may be
required to remove the wing nuts.)
There is one wing nut located on the outside of
the carpet. The other two are located underneath
the carpet.
2. Pull the taillamp housing (B) away from the body
of the vehicle.
3. Squeeze the tab on the socket and turn the
socket counterclockwise.
4. Pull out the socket.
5. Pull the bulb out of the socket. (There are two bulbs
on each taillamp.)
6. Push in a new bulb.
7. Reverse these steps to reinstall the lamp assembly.

6-37 Trunk Lid Applique
1. Open the trunk lid halfway.
2. Remove the wing nuts (A) from the studs on the
applique. (There are eight wing nuts. Pliers may be
required to remove them.)
3. Remove the applique from the trunk lid.
4. Turn the sockets (B) counterclockwise.
5. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
6. Push in the new bulb.
7. Reinstall the socket in the housing and
turn clockwise.
8. Connect the applique to the lid.
9. Reconnect the wing nuts to the studs on the
applique and hand
-tighten.
10. Close the trunk lid.

6-38 Back-Up Lamp
The back-up lamps are located in the trunk lid applique.
(Refer to the trunk lid applique removal procedure
earlier in this section for further instructions.)
1. Remove the trunk lid applique.
2. Twist and pull the back
-up lamp socket from the
trunk lid applique.
3. Twist and pull the old bulb from the back
-up
lamp socket.
4. Twist and push the new bulb into the back
-up
lamp socket.
5. Twist and push the back
-up lamp socket into the
trunk lid applique.
6. Reinstall the trunk lid applique.
Dome Lamp (If Equipped)
1. Grasp the front center and rear center positions of the
dome lamp housing and squeeze together until the
housing releases from the base plate. A screwdriver
may be necessary to pry the assembly loose.
2. Lift the plastic locking tab on the electrical
connector and pull the connector from the dome
lamp assembly.
3. Grasp the bulb housing located in the center of the
assembly and pull straight up.
4. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
5. Push in a new bulb.
6. Reinstall the socket into the dome lamp assembly.
7. Reconnect the dome lamp assembly to the wiring
harness, making sure the connector tab snaps
into place.
8. Reposition the dome lamp assembly to the roof, and
gently push the assembly into the base plate.