1997 BUICK CENTURY check engine light

PASS-Key@ I1
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key I1
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key I1
is a passive
theft-deterrent system. It
works when you insert or
remove the key from
the ignition.
PASS-Key I1 uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that matches
a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Key I1 system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down
the vehicle’s starter and
fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter won’t
work and fuel won’t go to the engine.
If someone tries to
start your vehicle again or uses another
key during this
time, the vehicle will not start. This discourages someone
from randomly trying different keys with different resistor
pellets in
an attempt to make a match.
The ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s inserted
in the ignition or the engine may not start. If the engine
does not start and the SECURITY light is flashing, the key
may be dirty or wet.
Turn the ignition off. Clean and dry the
key. Wait about three minutes and
try
again. If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the
Index). If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may be faulty. See your Buick dealer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key
11.
If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work and the
SECURITY light will come on. But you don’t have to
wait three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Buick dealer or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and SECURITY light comes on,
you will be able to restart your engine if you
turn it off.
Your PASS-Key I1 system, however, is not working
properly and must be serviced by your Buick dealer. Your
vehicle
is not protected by the PASS-Key II system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key
I1 ignition key, see
your Buick dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key I1 to have a new key made.
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When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when
you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt
is
already buckled.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then it
will flash for about
55 seconds. If the driver’s
belt is already buckled,
neither the chime nor the
light
will come on.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. The
system check includes the air bag modules, the wiring
and the crash sensing and diagnostic module. For more
information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in
the Index.
This right will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should
go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays
on after you start the
engine or comes on when
you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
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Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
Your Buick is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
SERVICE ENGINE control systems.
SOON
This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and
is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping
to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada,
OBD I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERVICE ENGINE
SOON
light comes on and a chime will sound to indicate that
there
is a problem and service is required. Malfunctions
often will be indicated by the system before any
problem is apparent. This may prevent more serious
damage to your vehicle.
This system is also designed to
assist your service technician in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is
not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
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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 one or more of these conditions,
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.
Oil Warning Light
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine, or come on when
you are driving.
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 it fixed right away.
The oil light could also come on in the
following situations:
The light will come on briefly when you turn on the
ignition to show
you that it is working properly. (If it
doesn’t come
on with the ignition on, you may have
a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have it fixed
right away.)
Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and off. This is normal.
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Low Oil Level Light
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.
LOW
OIL
Your engine is equipped with
an oil level monitoring
system. When the ignition
key is turned
on, the LOW
OIL light will come on
briefly.
If the light does not
come on briefly, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
If
the light stays on, stop the vehicle on a level surface
and turn the engine off. Check the oil level using the
engine oil dipstick. (See “Engine Oil” in the Index.) If
the light does not flash, have the low oil level sensor
system repaired
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key
on and engine
crank.
It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check
is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time, allowing the oil normally in
circulation
to drain back into the oil pan.
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Change Oil Soon Light Security Light
CHANGE OIL
SOON
Your
CHANGE OIL SOON
light should come on as a
bulb check when you start
the engine. If this light stays
on for about 20 seconds
after
you turn on the
ignition, have the
oil chaneed. SECURITY
This light will come on
when
you turn the key to
START and stay on until the
vehicle starts. It will also
flash if your key
is too dirty
or wet for the PASS-Key I1
system to read the resistor
pellet. See “Pass-Key
11” in
the Index.
When to change your oil also depends
on driving habits
and conditions because they directly affect engine speed,
coolant temperature and vehicle speed. Because of this,
the
CHANGE OIL SOON light may come on as early as
2,000 miles (3,200 km) or less for harsh conditions.
Remember, after changing your engine oil, the system
must be reset; with the ignition key
in the RUN position,
but
the engine off, fully push and release the accelerator
pedal three times within five seconds.
If the CHANGE
OIL SOON light flashes two times, the system is reset.
However
if the light comes on and stays on for five
seconds,
it did not reset. You’ll need to reset the
system again. If
the resistor pellet is damaged or missing, the light will
come on.
If you’re driving and the SECURITY light comes on
and remains on, your PASS-Key I1 system is not
working properly. Your vehicle is not protected by
PASS-Key
11, and you should see your dealer.
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To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
0 Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
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. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If this message appears on
the display, your cassette tape player needs to be
cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as
soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and
player. If you notice a reduction in sound quality,
try a
known good cassette to see
if it is the tape or the tape
player at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound quality, clean
the tape player.
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Avoid needless heavy bralung. 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.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
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
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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