1996 BUICK CENTURY Owners Manual

Finish Care
Occasional waxing or mild polishing of your Buick by
hand may be necessary to remove residue from the paint
finish. You can get GM-approved cleaning products
from your dealer. (See “Appearance Care and Materials”
in the Index,)
Your Buick has a “basecoatklearcoat” paint finish.
The clearcoat gives more depth and gloss
to the colored
basecoat. Always use waxes and polishes that are
non-abrasive and made for a basecoatklearcoat
paint finish.
1 NOTICE:
Machine compounding or aggressive polishing on
a basecoatklearcoat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc.,
can damage your vehicle’s finish
if they remain on
painted surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible. If
necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces
to remove foreign matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. You can help to keep the paint finish looking
new by keeping your Buick garaged or covered
whenever possible.
Aluminum Wheels (If So Equipped)
Keep your wheels clean using a soft clean cloth with
mild soap and water. Rinse with clean water. After
rinsing thoroughly, dry with
a soft clean towel. A wax
may then
be applied.
The surface of these wheels is similar to the painted
surface of your car. Don’t use strong soaps, chemicals,
abrasive polishes, abrasive cleaners or abrasive cleaning
brushes on them because you could damage the surface.
Don’t take your vehicle through an automatic car wash
that has silicon carbide tire cleaning brushes. These
brushes can also damage the surface of these wheels.
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Tires
To clean your tires, use a stiff brush with a tire cleaner.
I NOTICE:
-
When applying a tire dressing always take care to
wipe off any overspray or splash from all painted surfaces on the body or wheels of the vehicle.
Petroleum-based products may damage the
paint finish.
Sheet Metal Damage
If your vehicle is damaged and requires sheet metal
repair or replacement, make sure the body repair shop
applies anti-corrosion material to the parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion protection.
Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired with touch-up
materials available from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
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Underbody Maintenance Chemical Paint SDotting
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust
control can collect on the underbody. If these are not
removed, accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur on
the underbody parts such as
fuel lines, frame, floor
pan and exhaust system even though they have,
corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed in closed areas
of the fi-ame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody vehicle washing system
can do this for you. Some
weather and atmospneric conditions can create a
I
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces on your vehicle.
This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect in the paint
job causes this, Buick
will repair, at no charge to the owner, the. surfaces of
new vehicles damaged by this fallout condition within
12 months
or 12,000 ,miles (20 000 km) of purchase,
whichever occurs first.
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Appearance Care Materials Chart
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Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
~C. SAMPLE4UXTM072675 -
CODE- MODEL YEAR PLANT I
This is the legal identifier for your Buick. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel,
on the
driver’s side. You can see it if
you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The
VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates
of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The eighth character in your VIN is the engine code.
This code will help you identify your engine,
specifications and replacement parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label on your spare tire cover in the
coupe
or sedan. In the wagon, you’ll find the label on
the wheel well (remove the spare tire cover to expose
the wheel well). It’s very helpful
if you ever need to
order parts. On this label
is:
your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information, and
a list of all production options and special equipment.
Be sure that this label is not removed from the vehicle.
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Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
I NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your Buick
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Some add-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your Buick, see “Servicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Buick” in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in
the lamp switch. An electrical overload will cause the
lamps to
go on and off or, in some cases, to remain off.
If this happens, have your headlamp system checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit
breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to heavy
snow, etc., the wiper will stop until the motor cools. If
the overload is caused by some electrical problem, have
it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power
windows and other power accessories. When the current
load is too heavy, the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed.
Engine A/C, EGR, Relays, SIR Crank and
Safety Belt Fuses
These fuses are located behind the glove box. The fuse
holders are taped together with gray tape.
Other - uses
The Safety Belt/Chime (ICAM) Module fuse and the
Remote Keyless Entry fuse are located behind the fuse
block, above the hush panel.
The Fuel Pump, A/C CONT and the ECM fuses are
located under the hood.
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Fuses and Circuit Breakers
..
The wiring circuits in your vehicle are protected from
short circuits by a combination of fuses, circuit breakers,
and fusible thermal links in the wiring itself. This
greatly reduces the chance
of damape caused by
electrical problems. The fuse
panel is located inside the glove box, on
the left side.
To change a fuse, open the glove box. Pull down on
the
fuse panel latch and open the door. Pull the fuse
straight out.
To identify and check
fuses, refer to the Fuse
Usage chart.
Look at the silver-colored band inside the fuse. If the
band is broken or melted, replace the fuse.
Be sure you
replace a bad fuse with a new one of the identical size
and rating.
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Fuse I qe Chart Fuse Circuitry
I----
ECM INJ/COIL UNLOCK FANiALT
GAUGES
STOP HAZ CTSY WDo
FRONT VIEW OF FUSE BLOCK
Fuse
ECM INJ/COIL
Circuitry
Powertrain Control Module Fuel Injectors UNLOCK Auto
Door Locks (Remove
this
fuse to disable the automatic
door unlock.)
FAN/ALT Electric Fan, Starter
and Generator, Seq. Fuel
Inj
(V6), Cruise Control,
Anti-Lock Brakes
TURN B/U Back-up Lamps
AIR BAG Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint (Air Bag System)
TAIL
HTR A/C
GAGES Taillamps,
Parking, Sidemarker,
License Plate, Stopflurn Signal
Heater/Air Conditioner
Blower Controls
IA? Cluster, Warning Indicators,
Torque Converter Clutch,
Audible Warning System, Trunk
Release, Brake Warning
Indicator, Rear Defog Switch,
Remote Keyless
Entry,
Headlamps, Air Bag System
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