cooling BUICK CENTURY 2002 Owner's Manual

2-17
Trunk
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can't see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the trunk lid open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the seal between the body and the
trunk lid:

Make sure all other windows are shut.

Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on VENT. That will force outside air into
your vehicle. See ªComfort Controlsº in
the Index.

If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See ªEngine Exhaustº in the Index.
Trunk Lock
To unlock the trunk from the outside, insert the door key
and turn it. You can also press the trunk symbol on your
remote keyless entry transmitter.
Remote Trunk Release
Press the button located
inside of the glove box door
to unlock the trunk from
inside the vehicle. The shift
lever must be in PARK (P)
for the remote trunk release
button to work.

2-71 Low Traction Light
If you have the
Enhanced Traction
System, this light will
also come on when the
system is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the
low traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds
after the Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel
spin. See ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the Index.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when
the Enhanced Traction System is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant
has overheated or your
radiator cooling fan is
not working.
The light will come on briefly when your ignition is
turned on to show you that it is working.
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.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.

3-4 Dual Automatic ComforTemp
Climate
Control (If Equipped)
With this system, you set a temperature. You can
then either let the system automatically control airflow
direction and force to maintain the temperature, or you
can manually adjust it. The system works best if you
keep your windows closed while using it.
Manual Control
If you prefer to manually control the heating,
cooling and ventilation in your vehicle, you can
select airflow direction, fan speed, outside or
recirculated air, air compressor and temperature
operation with the following:AIR FLOW: This control has several settings to
control the direction of airflow when the system is
not in AUTO.
To access the various modes available, continue to press
the AIR FLOW rocker switch up or down until the
desired mode appears in the display:
WINDSHIELD/FLOOR: This setting directs half
of the air to the floor ducts and half to the defroster
and side window vents. The air conditioning
compressor will run automatically in this setting
unless the outside temperature is below 40
F (4
C).
MID/FLOOR (Instrument Panel/Floor): This
setting directs half of the air through the instrument
panel outlets. Most of the remaining air is directed
through the floor ducts
and a little to the defroster and side window vents.
MID (Instrument Panel): This setting directs air
through the instrument panel outlets.
FLOOR: This setting sends most of the air through
the ducts near the floor. The rest comes out of the
defroster and side window vents. When in this
setting and the RECIRC setting, the windows can
fog up. See ªRECIRCº in the Index.

3-7 Heating (Engine Coolant Heater)
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use it
to help your system provide warm air faster when it's cold
outside
-- 0
F (-18
C) or lower. An engine coolant heater
warms the coolant your engine and heating system use to
provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant Heaterº in the Index.
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time for the
vehicle to cool down.
For a quick cool
-down on very hot days, use MAX with
the temperature levers all the way in the blue area. If
this setting is used for long periods of time, the air in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use VENT with the
temperature levers in the blue area. The system will
bring in outside air and cool it.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEV and set the temperature levers to a
comfortable setting. The system will bring in outside air
and direct it to your upper body, while sending slightly
warmed air to your lower body. You may notice this
temperature difference more at some times than others.
Push the A/C button for cooling.
Defogging and Defrosting
If you have the Dual Comfortemp Climate Control, your
system has two settings for clearing the front and side
windows. To defrost the windows quickly, turn the mode
knob to the defrost setting and turn the temperature knob
all the way in the red area.
For maximum defroster performance, set both driver and
passenger temperature controls to the warmest setting.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows clear,
use BLEND.
If you have the Dual Automatic Comfortemp Climate
Control, your system has two settings for clearing the front
and side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, press
the FRONT button, set the temperature to 90
F (32
C),
select high fan speed and turn the DUAL button off. To
warm passengers while keeping the windows clear, push
the AIR FLOW button until WINDSHIELD/FLOOR
appears in the display. Select fan speed for comfort and
windshield clearing performance.

3-9 Ventilation System
Adjust the direction of
airflow by moving the
vent levers.
Your vehicle's flow
-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when it is moving. Outside
air will also enter the vehicle when the air conditioning
fan is running.
If the airflow seems very low when the fan is adjusted
to the highest setting regardless of the mode setting,
your passenger compartment air filter may need to be
replaced. See ªMaintenance Scheduleº or ªPassenger
Compartment Air Filterº in the Index.Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction, such as leaves. The heater and
defroster will work far better, reducing the chance of
fogging the inside of your windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
mode knob or button to FLOOR and the fan to the
highest speed for a few seconds before driving off.
This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and
moisture and reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of your windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.

For mild outside temperatures, when little heating
or cooling is needed, use VENT to direct outside
air through your vehicle.

4-24
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.

Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.

Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
CAUTION:
If you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to
let your engine assist your brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

4-41 When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:

start your engine,

shift into a gear, and

release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you're trailering,
it's a good idea to review this information before you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.

5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-9 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-12 Cooling System
5
-19 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-20 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-31 Compact Spare Tire
5
-32 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

5-12
Cooling System
When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Electric Engine Cooling Fans
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Coolant Recovery Tank
CAUTION:
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't do anything else until it cools down. The vehicle
should be parked on a level surface.

5-13
When the engine is cold, the coolant level should be at
or above the COLD mark on the coolant recovery tank.
If it isn't, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or in
the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or
somewhere else in the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
See ªOverheated Engine Protection Operating
Modeº in the Index.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.