1998 BUICK CENTURY door lock

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If a door or the trunk is opened without the key or
remote keyless entry system, the alarm will go off. It
will also go off if the trunk lock or door locks are
damaged. Your vehicle's lamps will flash and the horn
will sound for one minute, then will go off to save
battery power.
Remember, the theft
-deterrent system won't be activated
if you lock the doors with a key or use the manual door
lock. It only activates if you use a power door lock
switch or remote keyless entry system. You should also
remember that you can start your vehicle with the
correct ignition key if the alarm has been set off, but this
does not shut off the alarm.
Here's how to avoid setting off the alarm by accident:

If you don't want to activate the theft
-deterrent
system, lock the door either using a key or the
manual door lock switch.

Always unlock a door with a key, or use the remote
keyless entry system. Unlocking a door any other
way will set off the alarm.
If you set off the alarm by accident, unlock either door
with your key.
You can also turn off the alarm by pressing UNLOCK
on the remote keyless entry transmitter. The alarm won't
stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.
Testing the Alarm
The alarm can be tested by following these steps:
1. From inside the vehicle, roll down the driver's
window and open the driver's door.
2. Activate the system by locking the doors with the
power door lock switch while the door is open, or
with the remote keyless entry transmitter.
3. Get out of the car, close the door and wait for the
SECURITY light to go out.
4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the door
with the manual door lock and open the door. This
should set off the alarm.
If the alarm does not sound when it should, but the
vehicle's lamps flash, check to see if the horn works.
The horn fuse may be blown. To replace the fuse, see
ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the Index.
If the alarm does not sound, or the vehicle's lamps do
not flash, the vehicle should be serviced by an
authorized service center.

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2-21 Retained Accessory Power
After you turn the ignition to LOCK and remove the
key, for about 10 minutes, you will have electrical
power to such accessories as the radio, power windows
and astroroof (option). If you open a door, the retained
accessory power is shut off.
Always leave your key in LOCK. If your leave your key
in any other position than LOCK, your battery will
discharge prematurely.
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.
NOTICE:
Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your vehicle is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
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.

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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
By turning the headlamp knob you can make the
instrument panel lights brighten or dim. See
ªHeadlampsº in the Index.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps go on. They
make it easy for you to enter and leave the car. To turn
on these lamps without opening the door, turn the
headlamp knob to the right.
Illuminated Entry
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter and the interior courtesy lamps will come on
and stay on for up to one minute. The lamps will turn off
immediately when pressing the LOCK button on the
transmitter, starting the ignition or activating the power
door locks.
Delayed Entry Lighting
When you open the door to enter your vehicle, the
interior lamps will come on. When you close the door
with the ignition off, the interior lamps will stay on for
25 seconds or until the ignition is turned to an on
position. Note that locking the doors will override the
delayed entry lighting feature and the lamps will turn off
right away.
Theater Dimming
This feature allows for a three to five-second fade out of
the courtesy lamps instead of immediate turn off.
Delayed Exit Lighting
With this feature, the interior lamps will come on for
25 seconds after you remove the key from the ignition.
This will give you time to find the door pull handle or
lock switches when you exit the vehicle.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of your instrument
panel displays during daylight while your headlamps are
on. This feature operates with the light sensor for the
twilight sentinel and is fully automatic. When the light
sensor reads darkness outside, you will be able to dim
your instrument panel displays once again.

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2-44 Perimeter Lighting
This is a Personal Choice feature of your vehicle.
When the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter is pressed, the headlamps, parking lamps,
back
-up lamps and cornering lamps will come on if it is
dark enough outside according to the twilight sentinel.
This feature can be programmed on or off for each
driver's transmitter.
To turn the feature off:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the driver's power door
lock switch throughout this procedure. All doors
will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter.
Perimeter lighting remains on at this time and the
horn will chirp two times.
4. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is disabled and the horn
will chirp one time.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option is now off.To turn the feature on:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Press and hold LOCK on the driver's power door
lock switch throughout this procedure. All doors
will lock.
3. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter.
Perimeter lighting remains off at this time and the
horn will chirp one time.
4. Press the instant alarm button on the transmitter
again. Perimeter lighting is now enabled and the
horn will chirp two times.
5. Release the door lock switch. The perimeter lighting
option is now on.
This procedure changes the mode for only the
transmitter used to change this setting. The procedure
will need to be repeated for the second transmitter.

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Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, pull the latch on the front of the glove box door.
Garage Door Opener Compartment
The garage door opener storage area is located in the
headliner near the reading lamps. The following chart
and instructions will help you install your garage door
opener in the overhead storage area.1. Push the extended tab (above the GARAGE button)
or insert a screwdriver between the tab and outer
edge of the cover. The garage door opener cover will
flip down.
2. Remove the square height adapters from the cover.
Refer to the chart to determine the number and
location of the height adapters for your garage door
opener. If your unit does not appear on the chart, you
will have to try different adapter number and
location combinations.

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Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also remove them from the center mount and swing
them to the side, while the auxiliary visor remains to
block out glare from the front.
Illuminated Visor Vanity Mirror
This mirror is on the larger of the passenger's sun visors.
It may also be on the larger of the driver's sun visors.
When you open it, the lamps turn on. The brightness
of the lamps can be adjusted by sliding the switch up
or down.
Accessory Power Outlet
An auxiliary power receptacle is located on the lower
right side of the console. When the ignition is on, you
can plug in accessories requiring electrical power.
If your vehicle does not have a console, the auxiliary
power receptacle is opposite the cigarette lighter in the
ashtray area.
OnStar
System (Option)
Your vehicle may be equipped with the OnStar
communications service. The following services are
available 24 hours a day from an OnStar representative:

Roadside Service with Location

Emergency Services Button

Remote Door Unlock

Theft Detection/Notification and Stolen
-Vehicle
Tracking

Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment

Concierge/Customer Conveniences Services
NOTE: Installation of aftermarket equipment is
possible, however, the features described above will not
be compatible with any portable phone other than the
OnStar cellular phone available from your dealer.
For more information about the OnStar System, contact
your dealer.

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4-35 Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are inflated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll find these numbers on the
Tire
-Loading Information label at the rear edge of the
driver's door, or see ªLoading Your Vehicleº in the
Index. Then be sure you don't go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the
trailer tongue.
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you'll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:

The rear bumper on your vehicle is not intended for
hitches. Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper
-type hitches to it. Use only a frame-mounted
hitch that does not attach to the bumper.

Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch. If you don't seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see ªCarbon Monoxideº in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read
and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so
you'll be able to install, adjust and maintain them
properly. Because you have anti
-lock brakes, do not try
to tap into your vehicle's brake system. If you do, both
brake systems won't work well, or at all.

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The fuel door can also be
opened by using the release
in the trunk compartment,
on the driver's side of
the vehicle.
While refueling, hang the tethered cap in the notch on
the fuel door.
To remove the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.