2002 BUICK CENTURY key

2-46
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
This feature control the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
You can brighten or dim the instrument panel lights by
adjusting the exterior lamps control located to the right
of the exterior lamps control.
If you turn to control clockwise the interior lamps will
come on and become brighter as the control is turned
further to MAX. Turning the control all the way
clockwise turns on the courtesy lamps. If you turn the
control counterclockwise the lamps will begin to dim
and continue to get dimmer as the control is turned
closer toward LIGHTS MIN. If the control is turned
all the way counterclockwise, the lamps and lights will
turn off.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several lamps come on. These
lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easy for you to
enter and leave your vehicle. You can also turn these
lamps on by turning the exterior lamps control all the
way clockwise to MAX.
Illuminated Entry
Your courtesy lamps will come on and stay on for a set
time whenever you press UNLOCK on the remote
keyless entry transmitter.
If you open a door, the lamps will stay on while it's open
and then turn off automatically about 25 seconds after
you close it. If you press UNLOCK and don't open a
door, the lamps will turn off after about 40 seconds.
Illuminated entry includes a feature called theater
dimming. With theater dimming, the lamps don't just
turn off at the end of the delay time. Instead, they slowly
dim after the delay time until they go out. The delay
time is canceled if you turn the ignition key to RUN or
START, so the lamps will dim right away.
When the ignition is on, illuminated entry is inactive,
which means the courtesy lamps won't come on unless a
door is opened.
Delayed Entry Lighting
Delayed entry lighting lights your vehicle's interior for a
period of time after all the doors have been closed.

2-47
The ignition must be off for delayed entry lighting to
work. Just after all the doors have been closed, the
delayed entry lighting feature will continue to work until
one of the following occurs:

The ignition is in RUN, or

the doors are locked, or

an illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on.
Delayed Exit Lighting
This feature illuminates the interior for a period of time
after the ignition key is removed from the ignition.
The ignition must be off for delayed exit lighting to
work. When the ignition key is removed, interior
illumination will activate and remain on until one of the
following occurs:

The ignition is in RUN, or

the power door locks are activated, or

an illumination period of 25 seconds has elapsed.
If during the illumination period a door is opened, the
timed illumination period will be canceled and the
interior lamps will remain on.
Rearview Mirror Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located on the underside of the
rearview mirror.
Use the button next to each lamp to turn them on
and off.
Dome Lamp (If Equipped)
The dome lamp will come on when you open a door.
Battery Rundown Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you
from draining the battery in case you accidentally leave
the interior courtesy lamps, reading/map lamps, visor
vanity lamps, trunk lamp, underhood lamp or glove box
lamps on. If you leave any of these lamps on, they will
automatically turn off after 20 minutes, if the ignition is
in OFF. The lamps won't come back on again until you
do one of the following:

Turn the ignition on,

turn the exterior lamps control off, then on, or

open a door.
If your vehicle has less than 15 miles (25 km) on
the odometer, the battery saver will turn off the lamps
after only three minutes.

2-52
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box.
To open, lift the latch.
Front Storage Armrest
To use the storage area, fold down the armrest located in
the center front seat. Press the latch on the front edge
and pull up to access the storage area.
Rear Storage Armrest (If Equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a split folding rear seat
it will also be equipped with a rear storage armrest.
To access the rear storage armrest, pull down on the
cloth strap located toward the top of the center back
seat cushion.
To open, pull up on the lever at the end of the armrest
and lift. You will then have access to the storage
compartment and dual oversized cupholders.
To use the cupholders, lift up and place the cupholders
in the front of the storage compartment. Replace when
not in use.
Center Console (Option)
If your vehicle is equipped with bucket seats it may
have a center console. The console has cupholders,
two storage areas for cassette tapes or compact discs
and a coinholder.
To open the console's rear storage area, press the latch
located toward the front of the console lid on the
driver's side of the vehicle and pull up.

2-66
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.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
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.

2-67 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 vehicle,
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
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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.

2-68 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.
United States Canada
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.

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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 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.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on for a few seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the anti
-lock brake system warning light stays
on longer than normal after you've started your engine,
turn the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays
on when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and
turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you're driving, the anti
-lock brake system needs
service and you don't have anti
-lock brakes.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should
come on briefly 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.

2-71 Low Traction Light
If you have the
Enhanced Traction
System, this light will
also come on when the
system is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the
low traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds
after the Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel
spin. See ªEnhanced Traction Systemº in the Index.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when
the Enhanced Traction System is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Light
This light tells you that
your engine coolant
has overheated or your
radiator cooling fan is
not working.
The light will come on briefly when your ignition is
turned on to show you that it is working.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn off the engine as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.