2003 BUICK CENTURY wheel alignment

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

Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 7,500 miles (12 500 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-61andWheel Replacement
on page 5-64for more information.
The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
Reset the Tire In¯ation Monitor System. See
Tire
Pressure Monitor System on page 5-58.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See ªWheel Nut Torqueº under
Capacities and
Speci®cations on page 5-94.
5-60

Temperature ± A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a speci®ed indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
5-64

Shifting Out of Park (P)...................................2-29
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster...........................1-15
Skidding........................................................4-15
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips.......................4-20
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems.....................5-80
Speci®cations, Capacities.................................5-94
Speedometer..................................................3-24
Split Folding Rear Seat..................................... 1-6
Starter Switch Check.......................................6-12
Starting Your Engine.......................................2-20
Steering in Emergencies..................................4-12
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle Boot
and Seal Inspection.....................................6-14
Steering Tips..................................................4-11
Steering Wheel Controls, Audio.........................3-50
Steering........................................................4-11
Storage Areas................................................2-35
Convenience Net.........................................2-35
Glove Box..................................................2-35
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools..........................5-76
Storing the Spare Tire and Tools.......................5-77
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................4-31
Sun Visors.....................................................2-16T
Taillamps.......................................................5-54
Turn Signal, and Stoplamps..........................5-54
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-48
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-17
PASS-Key
žII ..............................................2-17
Throttle System Inspection...............................6-15
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-4
Tire In¯ation Check.........................................6-10
Tire ...............................................................3-30
Pressure Light.............................................3-30
Tires.............................................................5-57
Buying New Tires........................................5-62
Chains.......................................................5-66
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-67
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-78
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-66
In¯ation Ð Tire Pressure..............................5-57
Inspection and Rotation................................5-60
Pressure Monitor System..............................5-58
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-63
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-64
13

What to Use..................................5-24, 5-37, 5-38
Wheels..........................................................5-64
Alignment and Tire Balance..........................5-64
Replacement...............................................5-64
When to Add Engine Oil..................................5-14
When to Change Engine Oil
(GM Oil Life System)...................................5-16
When to Check and Change............................5-19
When to Check Power Steering Fluid................5-37
When to Check..............................................5-58
When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking
on a Hill.....................................................4-41
Where to Put the Restraint...............................1-39
Why Safety Belts Work..................................... 1-8
Window Lock-Out............................................2-16
Windows.......................................................2-15Power........................................................2-16
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check................6-10
Windshield Washer........................................... 3-8
Fluid..........................................................5-38
Windshield Wiper............................................5-56
Blade Replacement......................................5-56
Fuses........................................................5-88
Windshield Wipers............................................ 3-7
Winter Driving................................................4-26
Wiper Blade Check.........................................6-11
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................... 6-2
16