1996 BUICK CENTURY engine

The 1996 Buick Century Owner’s Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems .............................................................
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains “SRS” system.
This section explains how to start and operate your Buick.
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
YourDrivingandtheRoad ..............................................................
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad ..................................................................
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or
overheated engine, etc.
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Buick running properly and looking good.
This section tells you
when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
This section tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-7.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find something
you want to read.
FeaturesandControls ..................................................................
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .....................................................
Service and Appearance Care ............................................................
Maintenanceschedule....... ...........................................................
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................
Index ........................................................................\
........
1-1
2- 1
3- 1
4-1
5-1
6-1
7-1
8-1
9-1
i
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Walter Marr and Thomas Buick
Buick’s chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and
Thomas
D. Buick, son of founder David Dunbar Buick,
drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit
round trip in July 1904.
David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899,
and Marr, his engineer, apparently built
the first auto to
be called
a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally
dates its beginnings
to 1903. That was the year the
company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from
Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product
innovator. Buick engineers developed the “valve-in-head”
engine,
a light, powerful and reliable
engine which would eventually influence the entire
automotive industry.
William
C. Durant was instrumental in promoting
Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort Carriage Co. outlets and salespeople
as the nucleus of a
giant distribution system. He knew the Buick as a
“self-seller.”
If automobiles could be this good, he
thought, maybe
it was time to switch from the horse and
buggy business
to automobiles.
At the 1905 New York
Auto Show, Durant took
orders for
1,000 Buicks
built
40. On Buick’s
before
the company had
success, Durant created
a
holding company,
September 16, 19081.
He
1 called it General Motors.
William C. (Billy) Durant
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Durant also created a racing team that won 500 racing
trophies in 1909 and 1910, including successes at
Indianapolis two years before the Indy
500 began.
The success of Buick engines was visible not only on
the race track, but in endurance tests across the country
and around the world. Buick was the only car to
complete a
1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race in
1906. And a Buick was the first car to travel across
South America, driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 1914. Buick drew plenty
of attention because it could climb
,
hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick’s
endurance and reliability were world famous.
During World War
I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines
as well as Red Cross ambulances
so successfully that
one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre
by the French government.
As a builder of premier automobiles, Buick was hard
hit
by the Great Depression. However, new General
Manager Harlow
H. Curtice created popular new models
including
the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales
soon flourished.
1911 Model 21 Touring Cur on Buick’s Test Hill
First Buick Factory
V
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In World War 11, Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and
other military hardware. This post-war period brought
great styling and engineering changes which resulted
in
increased sales. The torque converter automatic
transmission, Dynaflow,
was introduced in the 1948
Roadmaster. Buick’s famous “portholes” came along
in
1949.
I
1949 Roadmuter
A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953.
And Buick’s famous vertical pillar
“toothy” grille,
(introduced
in 1942), became more massive in the
post-war era.
I953 Skylurk
Motor Trend magazine named the 1962 Buick Special
“Car
of the Year.” The first production V-6 engine was
used
in the Special.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e3
TURN
RUNNING
* ' 0
DAYTIME - a
LAMPS '
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other
symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER FUEL
p3
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TrunkLiftgate Trunk Lock
- ~- c-
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the liftgate,
liftglass or trunk lid open because carbon
monoxide (CO) gas can come into your vehicle.
You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the liftgate, liftglass or
trunk lid open or
if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal between
the body and the liftgate, liftglass or trunk lid:
Make sure all windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on
NORM or VENT. That will force outside
air into your vehicle. See “Comfort
Controls” in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the
way.
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
To unlock the trunk from
the outside, insert the door
key and turn it clockwise.
Remote Trunk or Liftgate Release
You’ll find the release
button in the glove box.
The trunk will unlock
anytime the ignition is on
or
off. If you have the
wagon, the liftgate wi1.l
unlock when the ignition is
on, and the transaxle is in
PARK (P).
2-7
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OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power
to any
accessories. Use this position if your vehicle must be
pushed
or towed, but never try to push-start your
vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if you open the
driver’s door when the ignition is off and the key is in
the ignition.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in the RUN position when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can
use
RUN to operate your electrical power accessories, and
to display some instrument panel warning lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return
to RUN
for normal driving.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure it is all the way in.
If it is, then
turn the steering wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. But turn the key only with
your hand. Using a tool to force it could break
the key or the ignition switch.
If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.
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Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
I NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Buick is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Starting Your 2.2 Liter Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way
to the
floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the car starts
briefly but then stops again,
do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
2-12
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