all BUICK CENTURY 2003 Workshop Manual

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward positions for right and
two downward positions for left. 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 ®nished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ¯ash 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 ¯ash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself
when you release it.If the arrow ¯ashes faster than normal as you signal a
turn or a lane change, a signal bulb may be burned
out and other drivers won't see your turn signal.
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 for burned-out bulbs and then check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-89.
A chime will sound if you leave your turn signal on for
more than 3/4 mile (1.2 km).
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change your headlamps from low beams to
high beams, or high to low, pull the multifunction lever
all the way toward you. Then release it.
This light, located on the
instrument panel cluster,
will come on while the
high-beam lamps are on.
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Windshield Washer
J
(Windshield Washer):At the top of the
multifunction lever, there is a paddle with the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer ¯uid on the windshield,
push on the paddle. The wipers will run for several
sweeps and then either stop or return to your preset
speed. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
The LOW WASH light on
your instrument panel
cluster will come on when
the ¯uid level is low.
Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below about 25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don't use cruise control on
slippery roads.
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If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See
Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-10. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you're
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don't want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release it. The CRUISE light on the instrument
panel cluster will come on.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don't need to reset it.
Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more, you
can move the cruise control switch from ON to R/A
(Resume/Accelerate) brie¯y. You'll go right back up to
your chosen speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
·Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Push in the SET button, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You'll now
cruise at the higher speed.
·Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want, and then
release the switch. (To increase your speed in very
small amounts, move the switch to R/A brie¯y and
then release it. Each time you do this, your vehicle
will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pushing the SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
·Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.
·To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button brie¯y. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers ®nd this to be too much trouble and don't use
cruise control on steep hills.
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Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
·Step lightly on the brake pedal, or
·move the cruise switch to OFF.
Ending Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, or
shift into PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), your cruise control
set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
This control, located to the
left of the instrument
panel, operates the
exterior lamps.The exterior lamps control has three positions:
Off:Push the control all the way in to turn off all lamps
and lights.
Parking Lamps:Pull the control out, to the ®rst
position, to turn on the parking lamps together with the
following:
·Taillamps
·License Plate Lamps
·Sidemarker Lamps
·Instrument Panel Lights
Headlamps:Pull the control out all the way, to the
second position, to turn on the headlamps together with
the previously listed lamps and lights.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver's door
when you turn the ignition switch to OFF, LOCK or
ACCESSORY with the lamps on.
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Daytime Running Lamps/Automatic
Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn't covered.
The DRL system will make your front turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:
·The ignition is on,
·the exterior lamps control is off and
·the parking brake is released.
While the DRL are on, only your front turn signal lamps
will be on. The headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel
won't be lit up either.When it's dark enough outside, your front turn signal
lamps will turn off and your vehicle's headlamps
and parking lamps will turn on. The other lamps that
come on with your headlamps will also come on.
When it's bright enough outside, your headlamps will
go off and your front turn signal lamps will come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL and automatic
headlamp control off, set the parking brake while the
ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start your vehicle. The
DRL, headlamps and parking lamps will stay off until
you release the parking brake.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it's
dark outside, move the exterior lamps control to
the parking lamp position. Your parking lamps will
remain illuminated and your headlamps will turn off.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-12

Delayed Headlamps
Delayed headlamp illumination provides a period of
exterior lighting as you leave your vehicle's area. The
feature is activated when your vehicle's headlamps
are on due to the automatic headlamp control feature
described previously in this section, and when your
vehicle's ignition is turned off. Your headlamps will then
remain on until the exterior lamps control is moved
from OFF to the parking lamp position or until a
90 second lighting period has ended.
If you turn off the ignition with the exterior lamps control
in the parking lamp or headlamp position, the delayed
headlamp illumination cycle will not occur.
You can customize the vehicle to activate delayed
headlamp illumination when your vehicle's ignition is
turned off under the conditions described above, or you
may choose not to activate this feature under any
conditions.
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 exterior
lamps control 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
exterior lamps control 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 for this feature.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
turning the exterior lamps control.
Turning the control all the way clockwise turns on the
courtesy lamps. If the control is turned all the way
counterclockwise, the lamps and lights will turn off.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several courtesy lamps come
on. They make it easy for you to enter and leave your
vehicle. You can also turn these lamps on by turning the
exterior lamps control all the way clockwise to MAX.
Entry Lighting
The 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.Entry lighting 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.
When the ignition is on, entry lighing 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.
3-14

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.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the underside of the
rearview mirror.
Press the button next to each lamp to turn it on and off.
Dome Lamp
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.
Battery Rundown Protection
The vehicle has a feature to help prevent draining the
battery in case the interior courtesy lamps, reading
lamps, visor vanity lamps, trunk lamp, underhood lamp
or glove box lamps are left on when the ignition is in
OFF. If any of these lamps are left on, they will
automatically turn off after 20 minutes. The lamps won't
come back on again until you do one of the following:
·Turn the ignition on,
·turn the exterior lamps control 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.
3-15

Auxiliary Power Connection
(Power Drop)
Your vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary power
connection. This feature provides power, ground and
accessory wires which can be accessed to add
aftermarket electrical equipment to your vehicle.
It is located on the
passenger's side of the
vehicle, under the
glove box, and is labeled
with a wire function
and fuse rating.
Notice:Adding some electrical equipment to your
vehicle can damage it or keep other things from
working as they should. This wouldn't be covered by
your warranty. Check with your dealer before
adding electrical equipment, and never use anything
that exceeds the amperage rating.When adding electrical equipment, be sure to follow the
proper installation instructions included with the
equipment.
For information on accessing the connection and
electrical hookup, please refer to your service manual.
To order a service manual,
Service Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-11
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
The center front ashtray is located just below the
instrument panel's comfort controls.
To remove the ashtray, open the storage door. Then
open the small black door, lift up on the ashtray and pull
it out.
Notice:Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your
hand while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back out by itself.
Notice:Don't put papers or other ¯ammable items
into your ashtrays. Hot cigarettes or other smoking
materials could ignite them, causing a damaging ®re.
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