key BUICK CENTURY 2001 Owner's Guide

2-24
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.
NOTICE:
Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle
is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. With your foot off 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. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid
draining your battery or damaging your starter.
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 not more than 15 seconds at a time.
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.

2-32
3. Turn 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
Engine Running
CAUTION:
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 engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever out of PARK (P) without first pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn't fully locked into PARK (P).

2-33 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 ªtorque lock.º
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 ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º 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 vehicle has an automatic transaxle shiftlock control
system. You must fully apply your regular brakes before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in
RUN. See ªAutomatic Transaxle Operationº 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 ignition 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.

2-44
You can turn the feature on and off when you perform
the following sequence:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Close all the doors.
3. Press and hold the power door lock switch. While
holding the door lock switch, cycle the headlamp
switch on and then off two times.
4. Release the power door lock switch. These steps
must be carried out in a time period of less than
10 seconds, followed by a delay period of no more
than 10 seconds.
5. Then, press and hold the power door unlock switch.
While holding the door unlock switch, turn 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 delayed headlamp illumination
function has been disabled; two chimes will be heard
if the feature has been enabled. Disconnecting the
vehicle's battery for up to a year will not change the
programmed operation of this feature.Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
moving the LIGHTS knob. If you turn the knob 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 easier to see as
you enter and exit your vehicle. You can also turn these
lamps on by twisting or turning the interior lights knob
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.

2-45
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 lights 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 one of the following occurs:

The ignition is in RUN, or

the doors are locked or

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.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior for a period of time
after the ignition key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed exit lighting to
work. When the ignition key is removed, interior
illumination will activate and remain on until one
of the following occurs:

The ignition is in RUN, or

the power door locks are activated or

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.
Rearview Mirror Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the underside of the
rearview mirror.
Use the switch next to each lamp to turn them on
and off.
Dome Lamp (If Equipped)
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.

2-46 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 OFF. The lamps won't come back on again until you
do one of the following:

Turn the ignition on,

turn the lamp switch off, then on, or

open a door.
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 (if equipped) will continue to
work up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is turned
to OFF and before any of the doors are opened.
Mirrors
Adjust all the mirrors so you can see clearly when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, pull the
lever at the bottom of the mirror toward you (to the
night position). To return the mirror to the day position,
push the lever away from you.
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror with
OnStar and Map Lamps (If Equipped)
This mirror has a lever located at the bottom of the
mirror between the two map lamps. This lever is used to
change the mirror from day to night position. To reduce
glare from headlamps behind you while driving at night,
turn the lever 90 degrees. To return the mirror to the day
position, return the lever to its original position.

2-50 Automatic Dimming/Heated Outside
Rearview Mirror (If Equipped)
With this feature, the driver's side outside mirror
will adjust for the glare of headlamps behind you.
This feature is controlled by the on and off settings
on the electrochromic automatic dimming rearview
mirror. (See ªElectrochromic Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirrorº earlier in this section.)
The left and right outside mirrors are also heated when
you activate the rear window defogger. (See ªRear
Window Defoggerº in the Index.)
Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward.
This feature is particularly useful in automatic car washes.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box.
To open, lift the latch.
Front Storage Armrest
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 to access the storage area.

2-62
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you
are familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
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.

2-63 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 ªAir Bagº in
the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your vehicle,
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
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few seconds
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.

2-64 Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, as
a check to show you it's
working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose accessory 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 vehicle'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 is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
United States Canada
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.