1994 BUICK CENTURY warning

c
0 1 (First Gear)
This position gives you even more power (but lower
fuel economy) than
“2.” You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the selector lever is
put in
“1,” the transaxle won’t shift into first gear
until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck
in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your vehicle
in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake:
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right
foot. Push down the
parking brake pedal with
your left foot.
If the
ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will
come on.
To release the parking
brake:
Hold the regular
brake pedal down. Pull the
brake release lever.
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Interior/Instrument Panel Lights
You can brighten or dim the
instrument panel lights by
rotating the control up or
down. To turn on the
interior courtesy lights,
rotate the control all the
way up to
“HI.”
Headlight ccOn99 Warning
If you open the door while leaving the lights on, you
will hear
a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has decided that
“Daytime Running Lights” (DRL) are a useful feature,
in that DRL can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during daylight hours.
DRL are required on new vehicles sold in Canada.
Your DRL work with a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Don’t cover it up.
The low beam headlights will come on at reduced
brightness in daylight when:
0 the ignition is on,
0 the headlight switch is off, and
0 the parking brake is released.
At dusk, the exterior lights will come on automatically
and the low beams will change to full brightness. At
dawn, the exterior lights will go out and the low beams
will change to the reduced brightness
of DRL (if the
headlight switch is off).
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Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell
you how many miles you
have driven since you last
set
it to zero. To reset it,
push the button.
L
Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This section describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something
is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be or is a problem
with one of
your vehicle’s functions. As you will see in
the details on the next few pages, some warning lights
come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key just to
let you know they’re working. If you are familiar with
this section,
you should not be alarmed when this
happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be
or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays
on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check
the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow the manual’s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly -- and even
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dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Fuel Gage
I
Your fuel gage tells
you about how much
fuel you have left,
when
the ignition is on.
When the indicator
nears
“E” (Empty), you
still have a little fuel
left, but you should get
more soon. Here
are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage and are
normal operating characteristics:
0
0
0
0
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads
“F” (Full).
It takes a
little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example,
the gage may have
indicated the tank was half
full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you
turn a corner,
speed up or brake.
The gage doesn’t go back to
“E” when you turn off
the ignition.
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Brake System Warning Light
BRAKE
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is
Your Buick’s hydraulic harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
brake system is divided into It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
two parts. If one part isn’t
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
working, the other part can the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
still work and stop you. For
good braking, though, you
need both parts working
well.
If the warning light comes on, there cou Ild
be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away. System
Warning Light” and “Towing Your Buick” in the
Index.)
This light should come on as you start the vehicle. If it
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s a problem.
The brake system warning light will also come on when
you set your parking brake, and it will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t release fully. If it stays on after
your parking brake is fully released,
it means you have a
brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake SJ
ANTI-
LOCK
‘S tern Warning’Light
With anti-lock, this
light will come on
when you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the
light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will
be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Buick needs service.
If the
light is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
If
the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. Pull off the road and stop carefully. You may
notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. Have
the vehicle towed
for service. (See “Towing Your
Buick” in the Index.)
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Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
LOW
TRACTION
When your anti-lock
system is adjusting
brake pressure to help
avoid a braking
skid, the
“LOW
TRACTION’ light
will come on.
Slippery road conditions will exist if this light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will stay on
for
a few seconds after the system stops adjusting brake
pressure. The
“LOW TRACTION” light also comes on
briefly, as a
bulb check, when the engine is started.
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning
Light
k F- 4ccN
TEMP
This light tells you that
your engine coolant has
overheated or your radiator
cooling fan is not working.
If you have been operating
your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you
should pull off the road,
stop your vehicle and turn
the engine
off as soon as
possible.
The chapter “Problems on the Road,” in this manual
explains what to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine is too
100 -E- 260 i
T lm,
hot!

TEMPERATURE
That reading means the same thing as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
The chapter “Problems on the Road,”
in this manual
explains what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the
Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
A computer monitors
operation of your fuel,
ignition and emission
control systems. This light
should come on when the
ignition is on, but the
engine is not running, as
a
check to show you it is
working.
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right away. If
it stays on, or it comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that
you have a problem. You
should take your vehicle
in for service soon.
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