1997 BUICK CENTURY battery

2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to start your Buick, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling,
set the parking brake
firmly on both vehicles
involved
in the jump start procedure. Put your
automatic transaxle
in PARK (P) before setting
the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary accessories plugged into
the cigarette
lighter or accessory power outlet.
Turn off all lamps
that aren’t needed as well as radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. In addition, it
could save your radio!
I
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. (Your
vehicle’s battery is located under the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.)
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
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5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery. Your Buick has a remote positive
(+)
jump starting terminal. The terminal is on the same
side
of the engine compartment as your battery. To
uncover the remote positive (+) terminal, squeeze the
sides
of the red plastic cap and pull the cap upward.
You should always use the remote positive
(+)
terminal instead of the positive (+) terminal on
your battery. Using
a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use
a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom’ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or
on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5-5
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6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation.
If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative
(-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
b
the battery and maybe other parts too.
r
‘A( J?
-- -
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep
your hands away from moving parts
once the engine is running. 7. Connect the red positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the vehicle with the dead battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
LI
5-6
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8. Don’t let the other end
touch metal. Connect
it
to the positive (+)
terminal of the good
battery. Use
a remote
positive
(+) terminal if
the vehicle has one.
9. Now connect the
black negative
(-) cable
to the good battery’s
negative
(-) terminal.
Don’t let the other end
touch anything until the
next step. The other end
of the negative cable
duesn ’I go to the
dead battery.
It goes to
a heavy, unpainted, metal part on the engine of
the vehicle with the dead battery.
5-7
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10. 11.
12.
13.
14. Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 c’m)
away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection
is just as good
there, but
the chance of sparks getting back to the
battery is much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it
won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
Reinstall the red protective remote jump start cover
on the vehicle that was jump started. A.
Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
5-8
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Buick. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then
it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted
to its appearance care.
6-2
6-3
6-5
6-
5
6-7
6- 10
6-15
6-17
6-20
6-24
6-25
6-26
6-29
6-30
6-37 6-45
6-45
6-48
6-49 Service
Fuel
Fuels in Foreign Countries
Filling Your Tank
Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Engine Coolant
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
Bulb Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Buick
Cleaning the Built-in Child Restraint
Care
of Safety Belts and Built-in Child
Restraint Harness 6-49
6-49
6-50
6-50
6-5 1
6-52
6-52 6-52
6-5
3
6-53
6-54
6-55
6-55
6-56 6-62
6-62
6-63
6-63
6-63 Cleaning
Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside
of the Windshield and
Wiper Blades
Weatherstrips
Cleaning the Outside of Your Buick
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Cleaning Tires
Sheet Metal Damage
Finish Damage
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Vehicle Dimensions
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
6-1
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When you open the hood on the 3 100 (Code M) Engine, you’ll see:
A. Windshield Washer Fluid
B. Radiator
Fill Cap
C. Remote Positive Battery Terminal
Reservoir
D. Power
Steering Fluid Reservoir
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap
F. Engine Oil Dipstick
G. Automatic Transaxle
Fluid Dipstick
H. Brake Fluid Reservoir
I. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank
J. Air Cleaner
6-9
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Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel
nuts in the
proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection”
in Section 7 of this manual
under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Your vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality
GM brake parts. When you replace parts
of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones
put in -- be sure
you get new approved GM replacement parts.
If you
don’t, your brakes may no longer work properly. For
example,
if someone puts in brake linings that are wrong
for your vehicle, the balance between your front and
rear brakes can change
-- for the worse. The braking
performance you’ve come to expect can change
in many
other ways
if someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Every new Buick has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom
battery. Get one that
has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
6-29
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