2005 Buick Century Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ........ 4-2 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-6 Towing ................................................... 4-36 Safety Belts .............................................. 1-6 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-27 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Airbag System ......................................... 1-49 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-58 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-45 Keys ........................................................ 2-2 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-47 Doors and Locks ...................................... 2-10 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-52 Windows ................................................. 2-14 Tires ...................................................... 5-53 Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-16 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-82 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-17 Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-90 Mirrors .................................................... 2-29 Electrical System ...................................... 5-90 OnStar® System ...................................... 2-31 Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-96 Storage Areas ......................................... 2-33 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2 Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 Climate Controls ...................................... 3-18 Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2 Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-28 Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10 Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-44 Index .................................................................1 Canadian Owners A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, BUICK, the BUICK Emblem, and the name CENTURY are How to Use This Manual registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. Many people read the owner manual from beginning to This manual includes the latest information at the time it end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in is done, it can help you learn about the features the product after that time without notice. For vehicles and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General together in the owner manual to explain things. Motors of Canada Limited” for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Index Keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be there if you ever need it while you are on the road. If you A good place to quickly locate information about the sell the vehicle, leave this manual in the vehicle. vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found. Litho in U.S.A. ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 3/22/04 Part No. 05CENTURY A First Edition All Rights Reserved ii Safety Warnings and Symbols You will also find a circle with a slash through it in There are a number of safety cautions in this book. this book. This safety We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about symbol means “Do Not,” things that could hurt you if you were to ignore “Do Not do this” or “Do Not the warning. let this happen.” {CAUTION: 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 to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Vehicle Symbols Also, in this manual you will find these notices: The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with Notice: These mean there is something that could the text describing the operation or information damage your vehicle. relating to a specific component, control, message, A notice tells about something that can damage the gage, or indicator. vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered If you need help figuring out a specific name of a by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But component, gage, or indicator, reference the the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage. following topics: When you read other manuals, you might see • Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. • Features and Controls in Section 2 There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use • Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. • Climate Controls in Section 3 • Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3 • Audio System(s) in Section 3 • Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: v ✍ NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-36 Manual Seats ................................................1-2 Top Strap ....................................................1-37 Power Seat ...................................................1-3 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-39 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Head Restraints .............................................1-5 Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-40 Rear Seats .......................................................1-6 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for Split Folding Rear Seat ...................................1-6 the LATCH System ....................................1-42 Securing a Child Restraint in a Safety Belts .....................................................1-6 Rear Outside Seat Position .........................1-42 Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-6 Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-11 Rear Seat Position ....................................1-44 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-12 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Driver Position ..............................................1-12 Front Seat Position ....................................1-46 Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-18 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-19 Airbag System ...............................................1-49 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-19 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-52 Center Passenger Position .............................1-20 When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-54 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-21 What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-55 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-55 Children and Small Adults ..........................1-24 What Will You See After an Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-26 Airbag Inflates? .........................................1-56 Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-58 Child Restraints .............................................1-27 Older Children ..............................................1-27 Restraint System Check ..................................1-58 Infants and Young Children ............................1-30 Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-58 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-33 Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash ............................................1-59 1-1 Front Seats Manual Seats {CAUTION: You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar located under the front of the passenger’s seat to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the bar. Try to move the seat to be sure it is locked into place. 1-2 Power Seat To adjust the power seat, do the following: • To move the seat forward or rearward, push the control forward or rearward. • To raise or lower the entire seat, push the control up or down. • To raise or lower the front of the seat, push the front of the control up or down. • To raise or lower the rear of the seat, push the rear of the control up or down. If your vehicle has this feature, the power seat control is located on the outboard