1996 BUICK CENTURY tow

REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to WVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow”
in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
I A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed)
is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of PARK
(P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0): If your automatic
transaxle
has AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@), this
position is for normal driving.
If you need more power
for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and have more power.
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THIRD (3) or DRIVE (D): If your automatic transaxle
does not have AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@),
DRIVE (D) is for normal driving, at all speeds, in most
street and highway situations.
If your automatic transaxle has overdrive, THIRD
(3) is
also used for normal driving, however, it offers more
power and lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(a).
Here are some times you might choose THRD (3) or
DRIVE
(D) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
- When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
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NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts
of vour vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifti 3 In’ PAnK (P)
4
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if‘
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly.
You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that
follow. If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
~
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with
your left foot.
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2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
PARK (P).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine
Running
A CAUTION
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward
you. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into PARK
(P).
Note: If for some reason you leave your vehicle running
and
it is not in PARK (P) and the parking brake is
applied, your doors will automatically lock when you
close the door.
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever
out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before
you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P).
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-
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on
a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
Windows
Power Windows
With power windows, switches on the driver’s armrest
control each of the windows when the ignition is on. In
addition, each passenger door has a control switch for its
own window.
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As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on,
a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t
see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse
(see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the Index).
Turn Signal Reminder
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound. To turn off the chime,
move the turn signal lever
to the OFF position.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer Windshield Wipers
a _:::a::_
To change
the headlamps
from low beam
to high or
high
to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release
it. When the high beams
are on, this light
on the
instrument panel also
will be on. You
control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST.
GoTd
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after
one cycle. If you want more cycles, hold the
band on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LO, the shorter the delay.
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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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