1999 BUICK CENTURY Owner's Manual

yellowblue
2-45 Rear Storage Armrest (If Equipped)
You may also have an armrest located within the center
back seat of your vehicle. It may have a storage area and
cupholders. To open, pull up on the lever at the end of
the armrest and lift. Two cupholders will then be
accessible and you will have access to the storage
compartment area.
Trunk Convenience Net (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a convenience net. You'll see it
on the back wall of the trunk.
Put small loads, like grocery bags, behind the net. It can
help keep them from falling over during sharp turns or
quick starts and stops.
The net isn't for larger, heavier loads. Store those in the
trunk as far forward as you can.
You can unhook the net so that it will lie flat when
you're not using it.
Ashtrays and Lighter
The center front ashtray is located on the instrument
panel, just below the comfort controls. To remove the
ashtray, open the lid and lift it out.The rear ashtray is located within a small door at the back
of your vehicle's front seat armrest. Push on the right side
of the door. The ashtray will then rotate to the right for
usage. You can only access the ashtray by pushing on the
door's right side. To remove the ashtray, push down on the
snuffer located in the middle of the ashtray and lift it out.
NOTICE:
Don't put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtrays. If you do, cigarettes or other smoking
materials could set them on fire, causing damage.
To use the lighter, just push it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.

yellowblue
2-46
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also move them from side to side. The visors also
have extenders that you can pull out for added coverage.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Open the cover to expose the vanity mirror.
If your vehicle has the optional lighted vanity mirrors,
the lamps come on when you open the cover.
Auxiliary Power Connection
(Power Drop)
Your vehicle is equipped
with an auxiliary
power connection.This feature provides power, ground and accessory
wires which can be accessed to add aftermarket
electrical equipment to your vehicle. It is located on the
passenger's side of the vehicle, under the glove box, and
is labeled with a wire function and fuse rating. For
information on accessing the connection and electrical
hookup, please refer to your service manual. To order a
service manual, see ªService Publications, Orderingº in
the Index.
NOTICE:
Adding some electrical equipment to your vehicle
can damage it or keep other things from working
as they should. This wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Check with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment, and never use anything that
exceeds the fuse rating.
Astroroof (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with an express-open
astroroof. It includes a sliding glass panel and a
one
-piece sunshade. The control switch works only
when the ignition or Retained Accessory Power is on.

yellowblue
2-47
See ªRetained Accessory Powerº in the Index. The
control switch is located overhead on the headliner.
To open the astroroof, push the rear (indented part)
of the switch once and the astroroof will open to the
vent position only. You will need to open the sunshade
by hand.
Push the rear of the switch a second time and the
astroroof and sunshade will will open by themselves.
This is the express
-open feature.To close the astroroof, push and hold the front of the
switch until the sunroof motor stops. The sunshade can
only be closed by hand.
OnStar (Option)
Your vehicle's electrical wiring will accommodate
dealer installation of OnStar. The following services are
available 24 hours a day:

Emergency Services Button

Roadside Service with Location

Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment

Stolen
-Vehicle Tracking

Remote Door Unlock

Hands
-Free, Voice Activated Cellular Telephone

Concierge/Customer Conveniences Services

Remote Diagnostics

And much more.
For more information, contact your dealer.

yellowblue
2-48
The Instrument Panel -- Your Information System
A. Lamp Controls
B. Instrument Cluster
C. VentsD. Glove Box
E. Audio System
F. Climate Controls

yellowblue
2-49
Instrument Panel Cluster
Standard Cluster: United States Version Shown, Canadian Similar
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast
you're going, about how much fuel is in your tank and many other things you need to drive safely and economically.

yellowblue
2-50 Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven in
either miles (used in the United States) or in kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your vehicle has a tamper
-resistant odometer. If you see
ERROR, you'll know someone has probably tampered
with it and the numbers may not be accurate.
You may wonder what happens if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If the new one can be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer, then that will be done.
But if it can't, then it will be set at zero and a label must
be put on the driver's door to show the old mileage
reading when the new odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
Your trip odometer tells how far you have driven since
you last reset it. To set it to zero, press the button on the
right side of the instrument cluster.
Your trip/select reset switch will go back and forth
between the odometer and the trip odometer if the
button is pressed and released within 1.5 seconds. If the
button is pressed and held for longer than 1.5 seconds
while in the trip odometer mode, it will be reset to zero.If the button is pressed and held for longer than
1.5 seconds while in the odometer mode, it will have
no effect.
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.

yellowblue
2-51
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 ªAir Bagº in
the Index.
This light 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.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

yellowblue
2-52 Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, as
a check to show you it's
working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose accessory belt or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it
doesn't come on then, have
it fixed so it will be ready
to warn you if there's
a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº and ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.)
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.