2002 BUICK CENTURY light

2-79 Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control. See ªCruise
Controlº in the Index.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
The SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON light will come on
if you have certain
non
-emission related
vehicle problems.
These problems may not be obvious and may affect
vehicle performance or durability. Consult a qualified
dealership for necessary repairs to maintain top vehicle
performance. The light will come on briefly when your
ignition is turned on to show that it is working properly.
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
The LOW WASH light
will come on when your
windshield washers are
working and the fluid
container is low.
The light will also come on briefly when your ignition is
turned on to show that it is working properly.
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning Light
The DOOR/TRUNK light
will come on if your trunk
or any door is not
completely closed.

2-80 Fuel Gage
United States Canada
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have left
when the ignition is on. When the indicator nears empty, you
still have a little fuel left, but you should get more soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. All
these things are normal and do not indicate that anything
is wrong with the fuel gage:

At the gas station, the pump shuts off before the gage
reads full.

It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it took
more (or less) than half of the tank's capacity to fill it.
The gage pointer may move while cornering, braking
or speeding up.

The gage may not indicate empty when the ignition
is turned off.
Low Fuel Light
United States Canada
If your fuel is low, a circular light on your instrument
panel cluster will come on and stay on and a chime will
sound periodically until you add fuel.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working.
If it doesn't come on then, have it fixed.

3-3
Mode Knob
The right knob has several settings to control the
direction of airflow.
MAX (Maximum Air Conditioning): This setting
recirculates much of the air inside your vehicle
and sends it through the instrument panel outlets.
The air conditioning compressor will run automatically
in this setting unless the outside temperature is below
40
F (4
C). (Even when the compressor is running,
you can control the temperature.)
VENT (Ventilation): This setting brings in outside
air and directs it through the instrument panel outlets.
BI
-LEV (Bi-Level): This setting brings in outside
air and directs it two ways. Half of the air is directed
through the instrument panel outlets. Most of the
remaining air is directed through the floor ducts and
a little to the defrost and side window vents.
HTR (Heater): This setting sends most of the air
through the ducts near the floor. The rest comes out of
the defroster and side window vents.BLEND: This setting allows half of the air to go to
the floor ducts and half to the defroster and side
window vents. The air conditioning compressor will
run automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40
F (4
C). (Even when the
compressor is running, you can control the temperature.)
DEF (Defrost): This setting directs most of the air
through the defroster and side window vents. Some of
the air goes to the floor ducts and the side window vents.
The air conditioning compressor will run automatically
in this setting unless the outside temperature is below
40
F (4
C). (Even when the compressor is running,
you can control the temperature.)
A/C (Air Conditioning): Press this button to
turn the air conditioning on and off. The system will
cool and dehumidify the air inside the vehicle when the
A/C light is on.

3-5
FAN: Press the up arrow to increase fan speed and
the down arrow to decrease fan speed. The fan must be
turned on for the air conditioning compressor to operate.
TEMP (Temperature): The TEMP switch sets the
temperature for the entire cabin when the light on the
DUAL light button isn't lit. When the DUAL button
light is lit, the TEMP switch sets the temperature for the
driver only. Press the up arrow to raise the temperature
and press the down arrow to lower the temperature. The
display will show your selection for a few seconds, then
the outside temperature will be displayed. If you push
the AUTO button, the system will control the fan speed
and airflow and will maintain the selected temperature.
VENT: This setting turns the air conditioning
compressor on and off. The indicator is lit when the
compressor is turned off. Recirculation is not permitted
when the compressor is off. The system will try to
control the temperature automatically, but without
the compressor.
VENT is not permitted in FRONT defrost mode. If the
VENT button is pushed while in FRONT defrost mode,
the indicator will light briefly and then turn off.RECIRC (Recirculation): This setting recirculates
much of the air inside your vehicle. This setting is
not permitted in FRONT defrost mode and is only
permitted in WINDSHIELD/FLOOR mode if the
compressor is turned on. The indicator light will be
lit when recirculation is engaged, but will light briefly
and then turn off if selected when not permitted.
Operating the climate control system in the RECIRC
mode may cause fogging of the vehicle's windows
when the weather is cold and damp. To clear the fog,
switch the system to either WINDSHIELD/FLOOR
or WINDSHIELD mode and increase the fan speed.
To avoid re
-fogging of the windows, operate the
system with RECIRC off.
FRONT: This setting brings in outside air
and directs most of the air through the defrost vent.
Some of the air also goes to the floor ducts and the
side window defogger outlets. The indicator on the
button will light and WINDSHIELD will be seen on
the display. The air conditioning compressor will run
automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40
F (4
C).

3-6
PASSENGER Control: The PASSENGER CONTROL
buttons with the arrows adjust the temperature on the
passenger's side so it is warmer or cooler than the
temperature for the driver's side. Push the DUAL button
so that the indicator light is lit. Press the right arrow
button to raise the temperature. Press the left arrow
button to lower the temperature.
The display will not show the passenger's temperature,
only that of the driver. Indicators in the passenger
control section will show passenger's side temperature
relative to the driver's set temperature.

The amber light indicates the same temperature as
set for the driver.

The red lights indicate a warmer temperature than
that of the driver.

The blue lights indicate a cooler temperature than
that of the driver.
AUTO (Automatic Control): For the most efficient
operation, you should set the system temperature and
press AUTO. The system will then select the best fan
speed and airflow settings to keep you comfortable. The
air conditioning compressor will run if the outside
temperature is above 40F (4C). You may notice a
delay of two to three minutes before the fan comes on at
start up in cool weather.For the automatic system to function, the temperature
must be set between 61F (16C) and 89F (31C).
The driver's temperature and passenger's temperature
settings will be automatically maintained even if manual
overrides have been selected except for settings at
60F (15C) and 90F (32C).
Setting the temperature to 90F (32C) will lock
control in full hot, direct air to the floor, and increase
the fan speed to high. The system will not return to
automatic temperature control until the temperature
setting is lowered.
Setting the temperature to 60F (15C) will lock
control in full cold, recirculate interior air, direct air
to outlets on panel and increase blower speed to high.
The system will not return to automatic temperature
control until the temperature setting is raised.
OFF: Press this button to turn the air compressor off.
Heating
On cold days, use HTR with the driver and passenger
levers all the way in the red area. This system will bring
in outside air, heat it, and send it to the floor ducts.

3-7 Heating (Engine Coolant Heater)
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use it
to help your system provide warm air faster when it's cold
outside
-- 0
F (-18
C) or lower. An engine coolant heater
warms the coolant your engine and heating system use to
provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant Heaterº in the Index.
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time for the
vehicle to cool down.
For a quick cool
-down on very hot days, use MAX with
the temperature levers all the way in the blue area. If
this setting is used for long periods of time, the air in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use VENT with the
temperature levers in the blue area. The system will
bring in outside air and cool it.
On cool, but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEV and set the temperature levers to a
comfortable setting. The system will bring in outside air
and direct it to your upper body, while sending slightly
warmed air to your lower body. You may notice this
temperature difference more at some times than others.
Push the A/C button for cooling.
Defogging and Defrosting
If you have the Dual Comfortemp Climate Control, your
system has two settings for clearing the front and side
windows. To defrost the windows quickly, turn the mode
knob to the defrost setting and turn the temperature knob
all the way in the red area.
For maximum defroster performance, set both driver and
passenger temperature controls to the warmest setting.
To warm passengers while keeping the windows clear,
use BLEND.
If you have the Dual Automatic Comfortemp Climate
Control, your system has two settings for clearing the front
and side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, press
the FRONT button, set the temperature to 90
F (32
C),
select high fan speed and turn the DUAL button off. To
warm passengers while keeping the windows clear, push
the AIR FLOW button until WINDSHIELD/FLOOR
appears in the display. Select fan speed for comfort and
windshield clearing performance.

3-12
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
BASS: Press this knob lightly so it extends.
Turn the knob to increase or decrease bass.
TREB (Treble): Press this knob lightly so it extends.
Turn the knob to increase or decrease treble. If a station
is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble.
Push these knobs back into their stored positions when
you're not using them.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance): Turn the control behind the upper
knob to move the sound to the left or right speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.
FADE: Turn the control behind the lower knob
to move the sound to the front or rear speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
(If Equipped)
Playing the Radio
ON/OFF: Press this knob to turn the system on and off.
VOLUME: Turn the knob clockwise to increase
volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume.

3-14
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
BASS: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn the
knob to increase or decrease bass.
TREB (Treble): Press this knob lightly so it extends.
Turn the knob to increase or decrease treble. If a station
is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble.
Push these knobs back into their stored positions when
you're not using them.
Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
BAL (Balance): Turn the control behind the upper
knob to move the sound to the left or right speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.
FADE: Turn the control behind the lower knob
to move the sound to the front or rear speakers.
The middle position balances the sound between
the speakers.Playing a Cassette Tape
The longer side with the tape visible should face to the
right. If the ignition and the radio are on, the tape can be
inserted and will begin playing. If you hear nothing or
hear a garbled sound, the tape may not be in squarely.
Press EJECT to remove the tape and start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOLUME, SEEK,
FADE, BAL, BASS and TREB controls just as you
do for the radio. Other controls may have different
functions when a tape is inserted. The display will show
an arrow to show which side of the tape is playing.
If you want to insert a tape when the ignition or radio
is off, first press EJECT or RECALL. Cassette tape
adapter kits for portable compact disc players will work
in your cassette tape player.
Your tape bias is set automatically.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCassette Tape
Messagesº later in this section.