Buick CENTURY 1997 User manual

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The 1997 Buick Century Owner’s Manual
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2- 1
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4-1
5-1
6-1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “air bag” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Buick.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as aflat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly and looking good.
7-1 MaintenanceSchedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
8- 1
9-1
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects”
on page 8-8.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can useit to quickly find
something you want to read.
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK,
the BUICK Emblem and the name CENTURY 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 after that 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.
Pleasekeep 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.
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION
THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer
un exemplaire de ce guide en fraqaischez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5T 1C7
Litho in U.S.A. @CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996
Part
No. 10292361B First Edition All Rights Reserved
ii

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 firstFlint 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 auto
to
be called aBuick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally
dates its beginnings 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 instrumental in promoting
Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort
Carriage
Co. outlets and salespeopleas the 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 to switch from the horse and
buggy business
to automobiles.
William C. (Billy) Durant
At the 1905New 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 a racing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909and 1910, including successesat
Indianapolis twoyears before the Indy
500 began.
The success
of Buick engines was visible not only on
the race track, but
in endurance tests across the country
and around the world. Buick
was the only car to
complete a 1,000-mileChicago-to-New York race
in
1906.And a Buick was the first car to travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile
in 19 14.
Buick drew plenty of attention because it could climb
hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick’s
endurance and reliability were world famous.
During World War
I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances so successfully that
one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre
by the French government.
As a builder
of premier automobiles,Buick was hard hit
by the Great Depression.However, new General
Manager Harlow
H. Curtice created popular new models
including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales
soon flourished.
First Bctick Factocy
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In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines,tanks and
other military hardware. This post-war period brought
great styling and engineering changes which resulted in
increased
sales. The torque converter automatic
transmission, Dynaflow, was introduced
in the 1948
Roadmaster. Buick’sfamous “portholes” came along
in 1949.
I949 Roadtnaster
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.
... ..
I 953 Sky lark
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 cornerstoneof
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, General Manage< 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 PREMIUM.
vii

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receivetheir new vehicle.
If
you do this, it will help you learn aboutthe features
and controls foryour vehicle. In this manual, you’ll
find that pictures and words work together
to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the pagenumber where you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions inthis book.
We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about thingsthat could hurt you if youwere to ignore
the warning.
These mean there is something that could hurt
you
or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what to do tohelp avoid or reducethe
hazard. Please read these cautions. If
you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. Thissafety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
viii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
I NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell youabout something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not becovered by your warranty, and
it could be
costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help
avoid the damage.
When
you read othermanuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warningsin different
colors or
in different words.
You’ll also
see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
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
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
ACID COULD &
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
.
K
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have todo with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e
TURN
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
RUNNING ' 0
DAYTIME rn
LAMPS .*
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE t
COOLANT - tm
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (0)
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
1
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
t
LIGHTER
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3

I Supplement to the 1997 Buick Regal and Century Owner’s Manuals
This isa correction to informationfound on page 6-40 (Regal only) andpage 6-38 (Century only).
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the inside of the trunk lid shows the correct inflation
pressures for your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sittingfor at least three
hours or driven no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
This is a correction to informationfound on page 6-63 (Regal only).
Engine Crankcase
Oil and Filter Change .. . . . . . . . .. . 4.5 quarts (4.2 L)
97RECKEN001
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Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information aboutthe seats in your Buick and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about somethings
you should not do with air bags and safety belts.
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1-9
1-10
1-10
1-18
1-19
1-19
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Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts: They’re forEveryone
Here Are Questions Many People Ask About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right FrontPassenger Position
Air Bag System
Center Passenger Position
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1-29
1-32
1-34
1-49
1-57
1-60
1-60
1-61
Rear Seat Passengers
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Children
Built-in Child Restramt
Child Restraints
Larger Children
Safety Belt Extender
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash
1-1

Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you how to adjust the seats and
explains
the reclining seatbacksand head restraints.
Manual Front Seat
CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust
a manual driver’s seat while thevehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you,or makeyou push
a pedal whenyou
don’t wantto. Adjust the driver’s seatonly when
the vehicle
is not moving.
I
2-Way Manual Seat
Lift the bar under the front
of the seat using a twisting
motion. This will unlock the seat. Slide
the seat to where
you want
it and release the bar. Tryto move the seat
with your body
to be sure the seat is locked into place.
1-2

6-Way Power Seat (If Equipped) Reclining Front Seatbacks
You may have a driver’s six-way power seat and a
six-way power passenger’s seat (if equipped). This
switch is designed to imitate the movements of your seat
cushion. It islocated on the left side of the driver’s seat
cushion.
To move the seat forward or rearward, push the
switch forward or rearward.
To raise orlower the entire
seat, push the switch up or down.
To raise or lower the
front portion of your seat, push the front of the switch
up or down.
To raise or lower the rear portion of your
seat, push
the rear of the switch up or down.
Lift the lever to release the seatback, then move the
seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to
lock the seatback into place. Pull up on the lever
without pushing on the seatback and the seatback
will move forward.
1-3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in
a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Evenif you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against yourbody. Instead, itwill be in
front of you. In
a crash you could go into it,
receiving neckor other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do itsjobeither. In a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, notat yourpelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when thevehicle isin
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.
1-4

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to
the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
SafetyBelts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safetybelts
properly. It also tells
you some thingsyou should not do
with safety belts.
And
it explains the airbag system.
U I
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear
a safety belt properly.
If you arein acrash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, yourinjuries
can be much worse.You can hit things insidethe
vehicle orbe ejectedfrom it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the samecrash, you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properly too.
‘
/d CAUTION:
It is extremelydangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside oroutside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in theseareasaremore likely
to be
seriouslyinjured or killed.
Do not allow people to
ride in anyarea of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seatsand safety belts.Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in
a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as
a reminder
to buckle
up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder
Light” in
the Index.)
1-5

In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be ina crash. If you do have
a crash, you don’tknow if it will be abad one.
A few crashes aremild, and some crashes can be so
seriousthat even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes
are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can surviveand 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 areclear. In most crashes buckling
up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety BeltsWork
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
.. ..
-- -7
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’sjust aseat
on wheels.
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