2003 BUICK CENTURY power steering

Notice:If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you
can't turn it, be sure you are using the correct key;
if so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the key
hard. Turn the key only with your hand. Using a
tool to force it could break the key or the ignition
switch. If none of these works, then your vehicle
needs service.
C (OFF):This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn't lock the steering
wheel. Use OFF if you must have your vehicle pushed or
towed.
D (RUN):This position is where the key returns to after
you start your vehicle. With the engine off, you can
use RUN to display some of your warning and
indicator lights.
E (START):This position starts your engine.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver's door
when the ignition is in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY
and the key is in the ignition.Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
With Retained Accessory Power (RAP), your power
windows and audio system will continue to work for up
to 10 minutes after the ignition key is turned to OFF
and before any of the doors are opened.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position ± that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage
the transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
2-20

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-2
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-3
Other Warning Devices...................................3-4
Horn.............................................................3-4
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-4
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-5
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-11
Interior Lamps..............................................3-14
Auxiliary Power Connection
(Power Drop)............................................3-16
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-16
Climate Controls............................................3-17
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-17
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-22
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-23
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-24
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-24
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-25
Charging System Light..................................3-26
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-27
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-28
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light.........3-28
Low Traction Light........................................3-29Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-29
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-30
Tire Pressure Light.......................................3-30
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-31
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-34
Low Oil Level Light.......................................3-35
Change Engine Oil Light................................3-35
Security Light...............................................3-36
Cruise Control Light......................................3-36
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light.....................3-36
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning Light........................3-36
Service Vehicle Soon Light............................3-37
Fuel Gage...................................................3-37
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-38
Audio System(s).............................................3-39
Setting the Time...........................................3-39
AM-FM Radio...............................................3-40
Radio with Cassette and CD..........................3-42
Theft-Deterrent Feature..................................3-48
Audio Steering Wheel Controls.......................3-50
Understanding Radio Reception......................3-50
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player.................3-51
Care of Your CDs.........................................3-52
Care of Your CD Player................................3-52
Fixed Mast Antenna......................................3-52
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
wSEEKx:Press the up or the down arrow to seek
to the next or the previous radio station.
If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the player
will advance to the next or the previous selection.
SCAN:Press this button and SCAN will appear on the
display. The radio will scan to the ®rst preset station
on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go to
the next preset station. The radio will scan preset
stations with a strong signal only. Press SCAN again to
stop scanning.
AM FM:Press this button to choose AM, FM1 or FM2.If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, press this
button to listen to the radio.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to change to playing
a cassette tape or compact disc when listening to the
radio.
MUTE:Press this button to silence the audio system.
Press it again to turn on the sound.
wVOL (Volume)x:Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease volume.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
3-50

To turn the system off, move the gear shift lever to
FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. See ªRocking Your
Vehicle To Get It Outº under
If You Are Stuck: In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-31. When you turn the
system off, the Enhanced Traction System warning light
will come on and stay on. If the Enhanced Traction
System is limiting wheel spin when you turn the system
off, the warning light will come on ± but the system won't
turn off right away. It will wait until there's no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin. Also, if you set the
parking brake, the system will turn off.
You can turn the system back on at any time by shifting
to OVERDRIVE (
X) or THIRD (3). The Enhanced
Traction System warning light should go off.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer
but it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you've ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
4-11

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-18
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-19
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-29
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
Headlamp Aiming...........................................5-49
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-51
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-51
Headlamps..................................................5-51
Front Turn Signal and Parking Lamps..............5-52
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-53
Taillamps, Turn Signal, and Stoplamps............5-54
Back-Up Lamps............................................5-55
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-56
Tires..............................................................5-57
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure...............................5-57
Tire Pressure Monitor System.........................5-58
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-60
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-61
Buying New Tires.........................................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-64
Wheel Replacement......................................5-64
Tire Chains..................................................5-66
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-66
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-67
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-78
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

A. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-38.
B. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-42.
C. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-89.
D. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal. See
Jump
Starting on page 5-43.
E. Radiator Pressure Cap. See
Radiator Pressure Cap
on page 5-26.
F. Engine Coolant Recovery Tank. See
Engine Coolant
on page 5-23.
G. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-36.
H. Electric Engine Cooling Fan. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-43.
I. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
J. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
K. Automatic Transaxle Fluid Dipstick. See
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid on page 5-19.
L. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 5-39.
M. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. See
Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-18.
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick
handle is the yellow loop
located near the front
of the engine. See
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12
for more
information on location.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
5-13

10. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure if coolant begins to ¯ow out of the
®ller neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure
the arrow on the pressure cap lines up like this.
11. Check the coolant in the recovery tank. The level in
the coolant recovery tank should be at the HOT
mark when the engine is hot or at the COLD mark
when the engine is cold.
Power Steering Fluid
The power steering ¯uid reservoir is located on the
passenger's side of the vehicle at the back of the engine
compartment, and can be identi®ed by the above
graphic on the cap. See
Engine Compartment Overview
on page 5-12for reservoir location.
5-36

When to Check Power Steering Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly check power steering ¯uid
unless you suspect there is a leak in the system or
you hear an unusual noise. A ¯uid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the system inspected
and repaired.
How to Check Power Steering Fluid
Turn the key off, let the engine compartment cool down,
wipe the cap and the top of the reservoir clean, then
unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.
Replace the cap and completely tighten it. Then
remove the cap again and look at the ¯uid level on the
dipstick.When the engine
compartment is hot, the
level should be at the
H (hot) mark. When
it's cold, the level should
be at the C (cold) mark. If
the ¯uid is at the ADD
mark, you should add ¯uid.
What to Use
To determine what kind of ¯uid to use, seePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-16.
Always use the proper ¯uid. Failure to use the proper
¯uid can cause leaks and damage hoses and seals.
5-37