2001 BUICK CENTURY ignition

1-29 Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see
ªService and Owner Publicationsº in the Index.
CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an air bag can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to an
air bag when it inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the air bag systems.
Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing work for you
is qualified to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.

2-
2-1
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
-2 Windows
2
-4 Keys
2
-6 Door Locks
2
-10 Remote Keyless Entry
2
-17 Trunk
2
-20 Theft
2
-21 PASS-Key
II
2
-22 New Vehicle ªBreak-Inº
2
-22 Ignition Positions
2
-24 Starting Your Engine
2
-25 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
-26 Automatic Transaxle Operation
2
-30 Parking Brake
2
-31 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
-33 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
-34 Parking Over Things That Burn
2
-34 Engine Exhaust2
-35 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
-36 Horn
2
-36 Tilt Wheel
2
-36 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
-42 Exterior Lamps
2
-44 Interior Lamps
2
-46 Mirrors
2
-50 Storage Compartments
2
-52 Sun Visors
2
-52 Auxiliary Power Connection (Power Drop)
2
-53 OnStar
System (If Equipped)
2
-57 Sunroof (If Equipped)
2
-58 The Instrument Panel -- Your
Information System
2
-60 Instrument Panel Cluster
2
-61 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators

2-3 Power Windows
Switches on the driver's door armrest control each
of the windows when the ignition is on. In addition,
each passenger's door has a switch for its own window.Express
-Down Window
The driver's window switch has an express
-down
feature. This switch is labeled AUTO. Tap the rear of
the switch and the driver's window will open a small
amount. If the rear of the switch is pressed all the
way down, the window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while it is lowering, press the front
of the switch. To raise the window, press and hold the
front of the switch.
The driver's window controls also include a lock
-out
switch. Press LOCK to stop front and rear passengers
from using their window switches. The driver can still
control all the windows with the lock on. Press the other
side of the LOCK button for normal window operation.

2-4
Keys
CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons. A child or
others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power windows or
other controls or even make the vehicle move.
Don't leave the keys in a vehicle with children.

2-5
The ignition key is for the
ignition only.
The door key is for the
doors and all other locks.The ignition and door keys don't have plugs.
Your dealer or Buick Roadside Assistance has the
code for your keys.
If you need a new ignition or door key, contact your
dealer who can obtain the correct key code. Also, see
ªRoadside Assistanceº in the Index for more information.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle has a number of features that can
help prevent theft. But you can have a lot of
trouble getting into your vehicle if you ever
lock your keys inside. You may even have to
damage your vehicle to get in. So be sure you
have extra keys.

2-8
Mode 4:

Automatic all
-door lock when the transaxle is shifted
out of PARK (P).

Automatic driver's door only unlock when the
transaxle is shifted into PARK (P).

Automatic door relock when any door is unlocked,
opened and then all doors are again closed while the
vehicle is not in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and
the driver's foot is on the brake pedal.
When your vehicle was shipped from the factory, it was
programmed to Mode 3. The mode to which your
vehicle was programmed may have been changed since
it left the factory. To determine the programmable mode
to which your vehicle is programmed or to program
your vehicle to a different mode, do the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Close all of the doors.
3. Apply your regular brakes.
4. Press and hold the power door lock switch in the
lock position. While holding the door lock switch in
the lock position, move the shift lever out of and
back into PARK (P).After an initial transaxle cycle, each additional cycle
will advance the operating mode by one, starting from
the current operating mode. During this procedure, the
automatic door lock and unlock functions will operate
as defined by each mode listed previously, providing
the driver with feedback of the current operating mode.
If cycled beyond Mode 4, the vehicle will enter
operating Mode 1. When the door lock switch is
released, the vehicle will remain in the most recent
operating mode.
Disconnecting the vehicle's battery for up to a year will
not change the programmed mode of the programmable
automatic power door locks.

2-9 Rear-Door Child Security Locks
Your vehicle is equipped with rear-door child security
locks that help prevent passengers from opening the rear
doors of your vehicle from the inside. To use one of
these locks:
1. Open one of the rear doors.
2. On the inside of the
rear door will be a lock.
Insert your key into
this lock and turn it
upward. This will
engage the safety lock.
To disengage the feature,
turn the lock downward.
3. Close the door.
4. Do the same thing to the other rear door lock.
The rear doors of your vehicle cannot be opened from the
inside when this feature is in use. If you want to open the
rear door when the security lock is on, unlock the door
from the inside and then open the door from the outside.
Lockout Protection Feature
This feature prevents a driver who has left the key in the
vehicle's ignition from locking the doors by using the
power door locks while any door is open. The feature
works by disabling the power door locks when a key is
in the ignition and any door is open.
You may override the lockout protection feature by
holding the power door lock switch in the lock position
for more than three seconds while the key is in the
ignition and any door is open.
Remember, this feature can't guarantee that you'll never
be locked out of your vehicle. If you use the manual
door lock or if you don't leave the key in the ignition,
you could still lock your keys inside your vehicle.
Always remember to take your keys with you.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving the vehicle, take your keys, open your
door and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door. (Also see ªDelayed Lockingº in this
section for more information.)

2-11 Operation
Press UNLOCK once
to unlock the driver's
door and to turn on
the interior lamps
(see ªIllumination on
Remote Activationº
in the Index for
more details).
Press UNLOCK again within five seconds to unlock all
the doors. To lock all doors, press LOCK. To unlock the
trunk, press the button with the trunk symbol on the
remote keyless entry transmitter. The trunk will only
unlock if your transaxle is in PARK (P).Instant Alarm
This feature allows you to activate an alarm by pressing
a button on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
Your ignition must be off for the instant alarm to work.
When you press the horn button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter, the headlamps will flash, the horn will
honk repeatedly, and the interior lamps will illuminate,
attracting attention if you need it. The alarm will
continue until one of the following occurs:

You press the alarm button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter a second time,

the ignition is in RUN, or

an alarm period of about two minutes has elapsed.
Security Feedback
Security feedback provides audible and/or visible
feedback that a remote keyless entry lock or unlock
command has been received and executed. The ignition
must be off for this feature to work.
You may select one of four operating modes for reception
of a lock command. You may also select one of four
operating modes for reception of an unlock command.
The selection and programming of the lock and unlock
operating modes are independent of each other.