1996 BUICK CENTURY Owners Manual

I
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.
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.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
If you leave your cruise control switch 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 it.
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.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Resuming a Set Speed Increasing Speed While U
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) for about half
a second.
You’ll go right back up
to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the switch at R/A longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you release the
switch or apply the brake. You could be startled and
even lose control.
So unless you want to go faster, don’t
hold the switch at
WA.
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speea.
Push the
SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You’ll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. 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 for
less than half a second and then release it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go
1 mph
(1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you turn on
the cruise control by pushing the SET button.
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push in the SET button at the end of the lever until
you reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
0 To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
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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 find this to
be
too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
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.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Lamps
..
li
LtOWtS
0 Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
0 Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
0 License Plate Lamps
0 Instrument Panel Lights
To turn on the headlamps, press the switch with the
lamp symbol.
Press
the switch marked P to turn on the parking lamps.
Press
OFF to turn off all lamps.
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Headlamps on Warning
If you open the door while leaving the lamps on, you
will hear a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps (Option)
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.
A light sensor in the instrument panel cluster makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when:
the ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off, and
the parking brake is released.
When the
DRL are on, only your low-beam headlamps
will be
on. The 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 headlamps will
come on to full brightness. The other lamps that come
on with your headlamps will also come on. When
it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go off, and your low-beam headlamps will come
on at a
reduced brightness.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in the
OFF or LOCK
position. Then start the vehicle. The DRL will stay off
until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when
you need it.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
., . I. .
1.r
LOW
You can brighten or dim the
instrument panel lights by
rotating the control up or
down.
To turn on the
interior courtesy lamps,
rotate the control all the way
up to HI.
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Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. These
lamps are under the instrument panel. They make it
easy for you to enter and leave the vehicle. You also
can turn these lamps on by rotating the interior lamps
switch
to HI.
Interir -- amps Delay
Front Seat Reading Lamps
When you purl on the driver's outside door handle, the
dome and courtesy lamps will
go on and stay on for
about
40 seconds, or until you turn the ignition on.
If you pull on the driver's inside door handle within
30 seconds of switching off the ignition, the interior
lamps will go on and stay on for about five seconds,
to
allow you to unlock your door(s).
Press the switch
to turn the front seat reading lamps on
or
off.
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gear Reading Lamps (Wagon)
This lamp will go on when you open the liftgate. To turn
on
the lamp when the liftgate is closed, press the switch.
Map Lamp
Press the switch to turn the
map lamp
on and off.
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Mirrors
Inside Daymight Rearview M ror
When you are sitting in a comfortable driving position,
adjust the mirror
so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. The dayhight adjustment allows you to reduce
glare from lights behind you.
To reduce glare pull the
lever toward
you to the night position.
Manual Remote Control Mirror
Both the driver and passenger side outside mirrors
should
be adjusted so that you just see the side of your
vehicle and the area behind your vehicle when you are
sitting
in a comfortable driving position.
Use the remote control knob on the driver's door to
adjust the driver's outside mirror. Adjust the passenger's
outside mirror by hand.
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Power Remote Control Mirror (Option)
Both the driver’s and optional passenger’s side outside
mirrors can be adjusted with the control lever on the
driver’s door.
Turn the knob left or right
to select the driver’s or
passenger’s mirror. Rotate the knob to adjust the mirror.
Adjust each mirror
so that you can just see the side of
your vehicle and the area behind your vehicle when
you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror’s surface
is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
1 A CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, pinch the latch release.
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