2002 BUICK CENTURY Owner's Manual

1-3 Six-Way Power Seats (If Equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped
with this feature, the
driver's and passenger's
controls are located on
the outboard sides of the
seat cushions.

To move the seat forward or rearward, push the
control forward or rearward.

To raise or lower the entire seat, push the control
up or down.

To raise or lower the front of your seat, push the
front of the control up or down.

To raise or lower the rear of your seat, push the rear
of the control up or down.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
Lift the lever located on the outboard side of the seat to
release the seatback, then move the seatback to where
you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback into
place. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the
seatback and the seatback will move forward.

1-4
But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle
is moving.
CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
up, your safety belts can't do their job when
you're reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can't do its job because it
won't be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can't do its job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety
belt properly.

1-5 Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Split Folding Rear Seat (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, it allows you to have
access to the trunk from inside of your vehicle.
Pull forward on the seat
tab, located on the front
of the rear seat, to fold
the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position,
push it back up and make sure it latches.

1-6
Safety Belts: They're for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride where he or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured or killed. In the same crash, you might
not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts
are fastened properly too.
CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely to be
seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people
to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a reminder
to buckle up. See ªSafety
Belt Reminder Lightº in
the Index.

1-7
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says
to wear safety belts. Here's why: They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on wheels.

1-8
Put someone on it.Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't stop.

1-9
The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...or the instrument panel ...

1-10
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:You could be -- whether you're wearing a
safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you're upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater
if you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have
to wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will
be in most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts
-- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.