maintenance BUICK CENTURY 2003 Owner's Guide

Maintenance Schedule......................................6-2
Introduction...................................................6-2
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................6-2
Maintenance Requirements..............................6-2
How This Section is Organized.........................6-3
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services...........6-4
Using Your Maintenance Schedule....................6-4
Scheduled Maintenance...................................6-5
Part B: Owner Checks and Services................6-10
At Each Fuel Fill..........................................6-10
At Least Once a Month.................................6-10
At Least Twice a Year...................................6-11At Least Once a Year...................................6-11
Part C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections.........6-14
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection............................6-14
Exhaust System Inspection............................6-14
Fuel System Inspection..................................6-14
Engine Cooling System Inspection...................6-14
Throttle System Inspection.............................6-15
Brake System Inspection................................6-15
Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants. . . .6-16
Part E: Maintenance Record...........................6-17
Section 6 Maintenance Schedule
6-1

Maintenance Schedule
Introduction
Important: Keep engine oil at the proper level and
change as recommended.
Have you purchased the GM Protection Plan? The Plan
supplements your new vehicle warranties. See your
Warranty and Owner Assistance booklet or your dealer
for details.
Your Vehicle and the Environment
Proper vehicle maintenance not only helps to keep your
vehicle in good working condition, but also helps the
environment. Improper vehicle maintenance can
even affect the quality of the air we breathe. Improper
¯uid levels or the wrong tire in¯ation can increase
the level of emissions from your vehicle. To help protect
our environment, and to keep your vehicle in good
condition, be sure to maintain your vehicle properly.
Maintenance Requirements
Maintenance intervals, checks, inspections and
recommended ¯uids and lubricants as prescribed in this
manual are necessary to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. Any damage caused by failure
to follow scheduled maintenance may not be covered by
warranty.
6-2

How This Section is Organized
This maintenance schedule is divided into ®ve parts:
ªPart A: Scheduled Maintenance Servicesºexplains
what to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex, so unless you are technically
quali®ed and have the necessary equipment, you should
let your GM dealer's service department do these jobs.
Your GM dealer has GM-trained and supported service
people that will perform the work using genuine GM parts.
{CAUTION:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you
can be seriously injured. Do your own
maintenance work only if you have the
required know-how and the proper tools and
equipment for the job. If you have any doubt,
have a quali®ed technician do the work.
If you want to get the service information, see
Service
Publications Ordering Information on page 7-11.ªPart B: Owner Checks and Servicesºtells you what
should be checked and when. It also explains what
you can easily do to help keep your vehicle in good
condition.
ªPart C: Periodic MaintenanceInspectionsºexplains
important inspections that your dealer's service
department can perform for you.
ªPart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricantsºlists
some recommended products necessary to help
keep your vehicle properly maintained. These products,
or their equivalents, should be used whether you do
the work yourself or have it done.
ªPart E: Maintenance Recordºis a place for you to
record and keep track of the maintenance performed on
your vehicle. Keep your maintenance receipts. They may
be needed to qualify your vehicle for warranty repairs.
6-3

Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
This part contains engine oil scheduled maintenance
which explains the engine oil life system and how
it indicates when to change the engine oil and ®lter.
Also, listed are scheduled maintenance services which
are to be performed at the mileage intervals speci®ed.
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to keep your vehicle in good
working condition. But we don't know exactly how
you'll drive it. You may drive short distances only a few
times a week. Or you may drive long distances all
the time in very hot, dusty weather. You may use your
vehicle in making deliveries. Or you may drive it to
work, to do errands or in many other ways.
Because of the different ways people use their vehicles,
maintenance needs may vary. You may need more
frequent checks and replacements. So please read the
following and note how you drive. If you have
questions on how to keep your vehicle in good condition,
see your dealer.This part tells you the maintenance services you should
have done and when to schedule them.
When you go to your dealer for your service needs,
you'll know that GM-trained and supported service
people will perform the work using genuine GM parts.
The proper ¯uids and lubricants to use are listed in Part
D. Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses these.
All parts should be replaced and all necessary repairs
done before you or anyone else drives the vehicle.
This schedule is for vehicles that:·carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You will ®nd these on your vehicle's
Tire-Loading Information label. See
Loading Your
Vehicle on page 4-33.
·are driven on reasonable road surfaces within legal
driving limits.
·use the recommended fuel. SeeGasoline Octane
on page 5-5
.
6-4

Scheduled Maintenance
The services shown in this schedule up to 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) should be repeated after 100,000 miles
(166 000 km) at the same intervals for the life of
this vehicle. The services shown at 150,000 miles
(240 000 km) should be repeated at the same interval
after 150,000 miles (240 000 km) for the life of this
vehicle.
See
Part B: Owner Checks and Services on page 6-10andPart C: Periodic MaintenanceInspections on
page 6-14.
Footnotes
²The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the
California Air Resources Board has determined that the
failure to perform this maintenance item will not nullify
the emission warranty or limit recall liability prior to
the completion of the vehicle's useful life. We, however,
urge that all recommended maintenance services be
performed at the indicated intervals and the
maintenance be recorded.Whenever the tires are rotated, the Tire In¯ation Monitor
System must be reset.
+A good time to check your brakes is during tire
rotation. See Brake System Inspection on page 6-15.
Engine Oil Scheduled Maintenance
Change engine oil and ®lter as indicated by the GM
Oil Life System (or every 12 months, whichever
occurs ®rst). Reset the system.
Your vehicle has a computer system that lets you know
when to change the engine oil and ®lter. This is
based on engine revolutions and engine temperature,
and not on mileage. Based on driving conditions,
the mileage at which an oil change will be indicated can
vary considerably. For the oil life system to work
properly, you must reset the system every time the oil is
changed.
6-5

When the system has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON light will
come on. Change your oil as soon as possible within the
next two times you stop for fuel. It is possible that, if
you are driving under the best conditions, the oil
life system may not indicate that an oil change is
necessary for over a year. However, your engine oil and
®lter must be changed at least once a year and at
this time the system must be reset. Your dealer has
GM-trained service people who will perform this
work using genuine GM parts and reset the system.
It is also important to check your oil regularly and keep
it at the proper level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change your oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your
last oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed. See
Engine Oil on
page 5-13for information on resetting the system.
An Emission Control Service.
See the mileage intervals following for additional
services that may be performed with an engine oil
change. After the services are performed, record the
date, odometer reading and who performed the service
on the maintenance record pages in Part E of this
schedule.
7,500 Miles (12 500 km)
qRotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-60for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote .) (See footnote +.)
15,000 Miles (25 000 km)
qInspect engine air cleaner ®lter. If necessary, replace
the ®lter. If vehicle is driven in dusty/dirty conditions,
inspect ®lter at every engine oil change. See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18for more
information.An Emission Control Service. (See
footnote ².)
qReplace passenger compartment air ®lter. If you
drive regularly under dusty conditions, the ®lter
may require replacement more often.
qRotate tires. See
Tire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-60for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote .) (See footnote +.)
22,500 Miles (37 500 km)
qRotate tires. SeeTire Inspection and Rotation on
page 5-60for proper rotation pattern and additional
information.(See footnote .) (See footnote +.)
6-6

At Least Twice a Year
Restraint System Check
Make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your
belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages
are working properly. Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts. If you see anything
that might keep a safety belt system from doing its
job, have it repaired. Have any torn or frayed safety belts
replaced.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag coverings,
and have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag
system does not need regular maintenance.)
Wiper Blade Check
Inspect wiper blades for wear or cracking. Replace
blade inserts that appear worn or damaged or that
streak or miss areas of the windshield. Also see
ªWindshield Wiper and Wiper Bladesº under
Cleaning
the Outside of Your Vehicle on page 5-82.
Weatherstrip Lubrication
Silicone grease on weatherstrips will make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or squeak. Apply
silicone grease with a clean cloth. During very cold,damp weather more frequent application may be
required. See
Part D: Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 6-16.
Automatic Transaxle Check
Check the transaxle ¯uid level; add if needed. SeeAutomatic Transaxle Fluid on page 5-19. A ¯uid loss
may indicate a problem. Check the system and repair if
needed.
At Least Once a Year
Key Lock Cylinders Service
Lubricate the key lock cylinders with the lubricant
speci®ed in Part D.
Body Lubrication Service
Lubricate all hinges and latches, including those for the
body doors, hood, secondary latch, pivots, spring
anchor, release pawl, rear compartment, glove box door
and console door. Part D tells you what to use. More
frequent lubrication may be required when exposed to a
corrosive environment.
6-11

Part C: Periodic
MaintenanceInspections
Listed in this part are inspections and services which
should be performed at least twice a year (for instance,
each spring and fall).
You should let your dealer's
service department do these jobs. Make sure any
necessary repairs are completed at once.
Proper procedures to perform these services may be
found in a service manual. SeeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-11.
Steering, Suspension and Front
Drive Axle Boot and Seal Inspection
Inspect the front and rear suspension and steering
system for damaged, loose or missing parts, signs of
wear or lack of lubrication. Inspect the power steering
lines and hoses for proper hook-up, binding, leaks,
cracks, cha®ng, etc. Clean and then inspect the drive
axle boot seals for damage, tears or leakage. Replace
seals if necessary.
Exhaust System Inspection
Inspect the complete exhaust system. Inspect the body
near the exhaust system. Look for broken, damaged,
missing or out-of-position parts as well as open seams,
holes, loose connections or other conditions which
could cause a heat build-up in the ¯oor pan or could let
exhaust fumes into the vehicle. See
Engine Exhaust
on page 2-30.
Fuel System Inspection
Inspect the complete fuel system for damage or leaks.
Engine Cooling System Inspection
Inspect the hoses and have them replaced if they
are cracked, swollen or deteriorated. Inspect all pipes,
®ttings and clamps; replace as needed. Clean the
outside of the radiator and air conditioning condenser.
To help ensure proper operation, a pressure test of
the cooling system and pressure cap is recommended
at least once a year.
6-14

Part E: Maintenance Record
After the scheduled services are performed, record the date, odometer reading and who performed the service and
any additional information from ªOwner Checks and Servicesº or ªPeriodic Maintenanceº on the following record
pages. Also, you should retain all maintenance receipts.
Maintenance Record
DateOdometer
ReadingServiced ByMaintenance Record
6-17

Maintenance Record (cont'd)
DateOdometer
ReadingServiced ByMaintenance Record
6-18