Buick 1995 Century User manual

r

..
. ..,..

The 1995 Buick Century Owner’s Manual
HowtoUsethisManual ................................................................ viii
This section tells you how to use your manual and includes safety and vehicle damage warnings and symbols.
Seats and Restraint Systems .............................................................
Featuresandcontrols ..................................................................
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .....................................................
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
This section explains how to start and operate your Buick.
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
sound system.
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what todo if you have a problem while driving, such as
a flat tireor engine
overheating, etc.
Here
the manual tells youhow to keep your Buick running properly and looking good.
Maintenanceschedule ..................................................................
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................
This section tells you how to contact Buickfor assistance and how to get service publications. It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-4.
Index ................................................................................
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
YourDrivingandtheRoad ..............................................................
ProblemsontheRoad ..................................................................
Service and AppearanceCare ............................................................
1-1
2-1
3-1
4- 1
5-1
6- 1
7-1
8- 1
9-1
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem,
BUICK, and the BUICKEmblem are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve theright to make changes in
the
product afterthat time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick Motor
Division whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep
this manual in your Buick, so it will be there
if you ever need it when you’re on
the road. If you sell
the vehicle, please leave this manual in it
so the new
owner can
use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 25620610 A Second Printing
ii
We supportvoluntary
technician certification.
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNlCiAN 1
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE
Narlonal Insill~1:s for
EXCELLENCE
SERVICE
j
.-
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux proprietaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer
un exemplairede ce guide en francais chez votre
concessionaire ou
au DGN Marketing ServicesLtd.,
I500 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7.
0
Copyright General Motors Corporation 1994
All Rights Reserved

iii

Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
Buick’schief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and
Thomas
D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,
drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit
round trip
in July 1904.
David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899,
and Marr, his engineer, apparently built the first autoto
be called a Buick in 1900.However, Buick traditionally
dates itsbeginnings to 1903.That was
the year the
company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from
Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product
innovator. Buick engineers developed the
“valve-in-head” engine, a light,powerful and reliable
engine which would eventually influence the entire
automotive industry.
William
C. Durant was instrumentalin promoting
Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort
Carriage
Co. outlets and salespeople asthe nucleus of a
giant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a
“self-seller”.
If automobiles could be this good, he
thought,maybe it was time toswitch from the horse and
buggy business to automobiles.
William C. (Billy)Durant
At the 1905,New York
Auto Show,Durant took
orders for1,000Buicks
before the company had
built
40. On Buick’s
success,Durant created
a
holding company,
September
16, 1908.He
called
it General Motors.
iv

Durant also created aracing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909and 1910,includingsuccessesat :
Indianapolis two years before theIndy 500 began.
The successof Buick engineswas visible not only on
the race track, but
in endurance tests across thecountry
and around theworld. Buick was the only car to
complete a
1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in
1906.And a Buickwas the first carto travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires,Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in1914.
1911 Model 21 Touring Car on BuickS Test Hill
Buick drew plenty of attention because itcould climb
hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick’s
enduranceand reliability were world famous.
During World War
I, Buick builtLiberty aircraft engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances so successful that one
Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerreby
the French government.
As a builderof premier automobiles,Buick was hard hit
by the Great Depression.However, new General
Manager, Harlow
H. Curtice createdpopular new
models including the Specialand the Roadmaster.Buick
sales soonflourished.
First Buick Factory
V

In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and
other military hardware. This post-war period brought
great styling and engineeringchanges which resulted
in increased sales. The torque converterautomatic
transmission,Dynaflow, was introduced
in the 1948
Roadmaster. Buick’s famous “portholes” came along
in 1949.
1949 Roadmaster
A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953,
And Buick’s famous vertical pillar “toothy” grille,
(introduced
in 1942), became more massive in the
post-war era.
I953 Shylurk
Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special,
“Car
of the Year”.The first production V-6 engine was
used
in the Special.
vi

1962 Buick Special
Built inside the walls of the old buildings in Buick’s
former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone
of General Motors Buick City, is a state-of-the-art
assembly facility with more than
200 robots and other
high-tech equipment. It was completed in the fall
of 1985.
Buicks are, and will continue
to be, premium American
motorcars with smooth power, high performance,rich
detail and comfortable accommodation.
Ed Mertz, GeneralManager, Buick Motor Division
Our mission is simple:
“Buick will provide Premium American Motorcars
backed with servicesthat exceed our customers’
expectations, throughoutthe purchase, ownership,
service and repurchase experience.”
Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL.
Buicks are DISTINCTIVE.
Buicks are POWERFUL.
Buicks are
MATURE.
vii

How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receivetheir new vehicle. This
will help
you learn aboutthe features and controls for
your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work together to explainthings quickly.
Index
A good place to look forwhat you need is theIndex in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all
that’s in the manual, and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box with gray background and the word
CAUTION to tell you about thingsthat could hurt you if
you were to ignorethe warning.
In thegray caution area, we tell you what the hazard
is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid orreduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t,
you or
others couldbe hurt.
You will also find a circle with a slashthrough it in this
book.
11 This safetv svmbol means
“Don’t,’’“Don’t do this,” or
“Don’t let this happen.”
dd
viii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find thesenotices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that
could damage your vehicle.
In the notice area,we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, thisdamage would
not be covered by your warranty, and it could becostly.
But the noticewill tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals,you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in differentwords.
You’ll also seewarning labels
on your vehicle. They use
yellow for cautions, blue for noticesand the words
CAUTION orNOTICE.
ix

Vehicle Symbols
~ These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used
on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BAHERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR ,111,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BAHERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT &
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (0)
RADIATOR
COOLANT a
FUEL
ENGINEOIL
PRESSURE Wb
TEMP OIL 477
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
RADIO
VOLUME
AIR
CONDITIONING
TRUNK 6
RELEASE
t
LIGHTER n
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
X

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them, and also about folding seats,reclining front
seatbacks. and head restraints.
Manual Seat
Move the lever under the
front seat to the left to
unlock
it. Slidethe seat to
where you want it then
release the lever
to lock. Try
to move the seat with your
body, to make sure the seat
is locked into place.
1-1

Power Seat (Option)
The power seat controls are located on the front of the
seat. To adjust the power seat:
Front Control (F): Raise the front of the seat by
holding the switch
up. Hold the switch down to lower
the front
of the seat.
Center Control (C): Move the seat forward or back by
holding the control to the right or left. Raise or lower the
seat by holding the control up or down.
Rear Control (R): Raise the rear of the seat by holding the
switch up. Hold the switch down to lower the rear of the seat.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
The switch is located on the
front of the seat. To recline
the seatbackhold the switch
up. Hold the switch down
to
raise the seatback.
1-2

But don’t haveaseatback reclined if your vehicleismoving.
Head Restraints
Head restraintsare fixed on some models and adjustable
onothers. Slidean adjustableheadrestraintupor down
so
that the top of the restraint is closest to the topof your ears.
Thispositionreduces the chance
of aneckinjuryin a crash.
Folding Rear Seats (Wagon)
To add more cargo room, the seatback of your rear
second and optional rear-facing thirdseats can be easily
folded down. Be sure to check your seatback latches now
1-3

and then by pushing the seatback back and forth. If they
do not latch properly, have themchecked by your dealer.
Remember
to keep safety belts clear of seat hinges and
latches so they are not damaged when you raise and
lower the seatbacks.
Folding Second Seat
To lower the split second seatback:
Each seat has its own release button. Hold the release
button
down and pull the seatback forward and down.
To raise the split second seatback:
Lift
the seatback until it locks in the upright position.
Push back and forth on the seatback to be sure it is
locked
in place.
Folding Third Seat (Option)
To lower the rear-facing third seatback:
1. Open the liftgate and lift the seat release lever
located at the lower corner
of the storage
compartment
on the passenger side.
1-4

2. Pull the seatback toward the rear of the vehicle, then
push it down to the locked position.
"I
3. Lower the storagecompartment lid.
1-5

To raise the rear-facing third seatback:
If your vehicle is equipped with a roll-up cargocover, it
must be removed before raising the seatback.
1. Open the liftgate and lift the storagecompartment
lid.
2. Fold it forward against the seatback.
3. Press down on the seat release levers (oneon each
side
of the seat),and allow the seatback to pop up.
1-6

4. Push the seatback all the way up until itlocks in the
upright position. Push back and forth on the seatback
to be sure it is locked in place.
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not
do
with safety belts.
And
it explains the Supplemental Restraint System, or
“air bag” system.
fl Your car has a light
that comes on as a
reminder
to buckle up.
(See “Safety Belt
WarningLight” in
the
Index.)
v
1-7

In many states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’tknow
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away.Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or
killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ...
a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes. Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust a seat
on
wheels.