2002 BUICK CENTURY brake

2-31
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
):

When driving on hilly, winding roads.

When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.

When going down a steep hill.

When driving in no
-highway scenarios (i.e. city
streets, etc.)
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don't drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don't shift into SECOND (2) unless you are
going slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you
can damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transaxle won't shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can't rotate, don't try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a
solid object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.

2-32
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your
left foot.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot and push the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. When you lift your left
foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it to the
released position.A warning chime will sound if the parking brake is set,
the ignition is on and the shift lever is not in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N).
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and parking on any hill, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-33
Shifting Into PARK (P)
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won't move,
even when you're on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow. If you're pulling a trailer, see
ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. Move the shift lever into
PARK (P) by holding in
the button on the lever
and then pushing the
lever all the way toward
the front of your vehicle.
Then turn the ignition
key to LOCK.
3. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).

2-34 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever out of PARK (P) without first pushing the
button. If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't
fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver's
seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle, so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-35
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shiftlock
control system. You must fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transaxle
Operationº in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing it all the way into PARK (P)
while keeping the brake pedal pushed down. Then move
the shift lever out of PARK (P).
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can't
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and shift to the drive gear you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-37
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
Press the horn symbol on your steering wheel pad to
sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise it to the highest level
to give your legs more room when you exit and enter
the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever.
Then move the steering
wheel to a comfortable
position and release the
lever to lock the wheel
into place.

2-41 Cruise Control (If Equipped)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control
shuts off.
CAUTION:

Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.

Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See ªEnhanced
Traction Systemº in the Index. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release it. The CRUISE light on the instrument panel
cluster will come on.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.

2-42
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don't need to reset it.
Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to R/A
(Resume/Accelerate) briefly. You'll go right back up to
your chosen speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Push in the SET button, then release the
button and the accelerator pedal. You'll now cruise
at the higher speed.

Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. (To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch to R/A briefly
and then release it. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you set the
cruise control speed by pushing the SET button.Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

Push in the SET button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.

To slow down in very small amounts, push the SET
button briefly. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don't use cruise control on
steep hills.