1996 BUICK CENTURY engine

If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled as soon
as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On
Steady” following. If the light
is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle
to your dealer or
qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you just put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. This will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle
of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light
off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently
as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the
fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel
cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
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Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause
the light
to turn on.
If
you experience this condition, change the fuel brand
you
use. It will require at least one full tank of the
proper fuel
to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper
test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this oil pressure
warning light may stay
on
after you start your engine,
or come
on when you are
driving. Stop your vehicle
and shut
off the engine if
this light stays on.
This indicates that oil is
not going through your
engine quickly enough
to keep it lubricated.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have
some other oil problem. Have your vehicle
serviced immediately.
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The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come
on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when
you turn the
ignition to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition, you may have
a problem with the fuse or a
bulb. Have
it fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
light
may blink on and off. This
is normal.
moment. This
is normal.
A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by
your warranty.
Liftgate Ajar Warning Light (Wagon)
The TAILGATE AJAR
reminder light on your instrument panel will come
on if your liftgate is not
TAILGATE
AJAR
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When outside temperatures are cold, sliding the upper
lever to HEATER and the lower lever to HOT will
send heated air through the heater ducts, and some
through the defroster vents. VENT and
HEATER
are labeled ECONOMY positions because the air
conditioner compressor doesn't run
in these two
settings. This reduces engine load, resulting in
improved fuel economy. If either setting fails to keep
you comfortable, or causes your windows to fog up,
slide the upper lever to one
of the air conditioning
positions, or to DEF (defrost).
The
upper lever has three air conditioner settings. On
very hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot,
inside air escape. This reduces the amount
of work your
air conditioner's compressor will have
to do, which
should help fuel economy.
MAX: Provides maximum cooling with the least
amount
of work. This setting recirculates much of the
air inside your vehicle
so it maximizes your air
conditioner's performance and fuel economy.
NORM: Use for normal cooling on hot days. This
setting cools outside air and directs it through the
instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEV: Use this on cool, but sunny days. This setting
brings
in the outside air, and directs it in two ways. The
cool air is directed to the upper portion of your body
through the instrument panel outlets, and warmed air is
directed through the heater ducts and defroster vents. At
times, this temperature difference may be more apparent
than others.
The air conditioner compressor operates in all air
conditioning positions, and in
DEF (defrdst) when the
outside temperature is above about
40°F (4.5"C).
r gii
The DEF setting directs most of the air through the
defroster vents and some through the heater dl
s.
To quickly defog the windshield, set the upper le ~ r to
DEF and move the fan switch to HI. Slide the lower
lever to HOT.
In damp, cool weather (temperatures about 45"to
65"F,
7 " to 18 " C), you can use BI-LEV to defog the side
windows. Set the upper lever to BI-LEV and the fan
switch to HI. Aim the side vents toward the side
windows, For increased airflow to the side vents, close
the center vents.
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Ventilation Tips
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Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
When you enter
a vehicle in cold weather, turn the
blower fan to
HI for a few moments before driving
off. This helps clear the intake ducts of snow and
moisture, and reduces the chance of fogging the
inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear
of
objects. This helps air to circulate throughout
your vehicle.
Audio Systems
Your Delco' audio system has been designed to operate
easily and give years
of listening pleasure. You will get
the most enjoyment out
of it if you acquaint yourself
with it first. Find out what your Delco system can do
and how to operate all its controls,
to be sure you're
getting the most out of the advanced engineering that
went into
it.
Setting the Clock
Press SET. Within five seconds, press and hold SCAN
until the correct hour appears. Press and hold SEEK
until the correct minute appears.
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NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it’s very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation of
your vehicle’s engine, Delco radio or other
systems, and even damage them. Your vehicle’s
systems may interfere
with the operation of
sound equipment that has been added
improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone
units.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or
a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may
not operate
properly or may cause failure
of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. If you notice a reduction in sound
quality, try
a known good cassette to see if the tape or
the tape player
is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with
a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with
pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning. Insert
the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough
cleaning.
A scrubbing action cleaning cassette is
available through your Buick dealer.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses
a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will not
eject. It may
not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing
type cleaner.
Cassettes are subject
to wear and the sound quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure that the cassette
tape is
in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time
to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do
a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate
a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do,
the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push. Your
vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS
is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This
is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
Domestic Canadian
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on or flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot
up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance.
If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal.
LOW
TRACTION
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.’
.
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