2004 BUICK CENTURY Owner's Manual

The vehicle was originally programmed to Mode 3.
The mode may have been changed since then.
To determine the current unlock mode mode, or to
change the unlock mode, do the following:
1. Close all doors and turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Press and hold the power door lock switch in
the unlock position.
3. While holding the power door lock switch in the
unlock position, press and release the remote
keyless entry transmitter UNLOCK button.
A series of one to four chimes will sound,
corresponding to the current unlock mode.
4. Press the remote keyless entry transmitter UNLOCK
button to advance to the next unlock mode.
If cycled beyond Mode 4, the vehicle will
enter Mode 1.
5. To set a mode, release the power door unlock
switch after the chime sequence of the desired
mode is heard.
Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to a year will
not affect the programmed mode.Delayed Locking
This feature can be turned on or off. It delays the
locking of the doors for ve seconds after the power
door LOCK position or the LOCK button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed and the last
door is closed.
If a door is opened before ve seconds, the delayed
lock is cancelled. When all doors are closed again,
delayed locking begins again.
Three chimes will sound to indicate that this feature is
on. The chime will sound only when the key is not in the
ignition and a door is open.
To cancel delay locking, do any of the following:
Press the unlock portion of the power door
lock switch.
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
Press the LOCK portion of the power door lock
switch a second time.
Press the LOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter a second time or.
Insert the ignition key into the ignition.
2-7

Programming Delayed Locking
Delayed locking has two modes.
Mode One (One Chime):Delayed locking is turned off.
Mode Two (Two Chimes):Delayed locking is
turned on.
1. Close the doors.
2. Move the ignition key to the RUN position.
3. Apply the egular brakes.
4. Press and hold the power door unlock switch. While
holding the power door unlock switch, move the
shift lever out of and back into PARK (P).
One or two chimes will sound indicating what mode
the delayed locking is in.
5. Release the power door unlock switch,
after one of the chime mode sequences,
to set the desired mode
Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to one year
will not affect the programmed mode.
Illumination on Remote Activation
This feature provides interior lighting when a remote
keyless entry door unlock command is received by the
vehicle. The ignition must be off for this feature to
work. The interior lamps will stay on until either the
ignition is turned to RUN or until 40 seconds has
elapsed. If a door is opened during this time, the timed
lighting will be canceled, and the interior lamps will
remain on. Also see “Entry Lighting” underInterior
Lamps on page 3-15for more information.
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your
Vehicle
Each remote keyless entry transmitter is uniquely coded
to prevent another transmitter from unlocking your
vehicle. If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement
can be purchased through your dealer. Remember
to bring any additional transmitters with you so they also
can be re-coded to match the new transmitter. Once
your dealer has coded the new transmitter, the lost
transmitter cannot unlock the vehicle. The vehicle can
have a maximum of four transmitters coded to it.
2-8

Battery Replacement
The battery in the remote keyless entry transmitter
should last about three years.
If the battery is weak the transmitter will not work within
its normal range. It is probably time to change the
battery if you have to be very close to the vehicle before
the transmitter works.
Notice:When replacing the battery, use care not to
touch any of the circuitry. Static from your body
transferred to these surfaces may damage the
transmitter.To replace the battery do the following:
1. Insert a at object like a thin coin into the slot on
the back of the transmitter and pry apart the front
and back.
2. Remove the old battery, but do not use a metal
object to do this. Make sure the new battery is a
type CR2032 or equivalent, and that the positive (+)
side of the battery is facing down.
3. Snap the front and back of the transmitter together.
4. Resynchronize and test the operation of the
transmitter with the vehicle.
Resynchronization
After the battery has been changed in the remote
keyless transmitter, it will need to be resynchronized. To
do this, press and hold both the LOCK and UNLOCK
buttons until you hear one horn chirp.
2-9

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers — especially children — can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked, the
handle will not open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle
in a crash if the doors are not locked. So,
wear safety belts properly and lock the
doors whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock the vehicle.
From the outside, use the door key or remote keyless
entry transmitter. From the inside use the manual
or power door locks.
To manually lock or unlock the driver’s door from the
outside, insert the key and turn it clockwise or
counterclockwise.
To lock or unlock the doors from the inside, push the
manual lock lever forward or rearward.
2-10

Power Door Locks
The vehicle has front
power door lock switches.
Press the top portion of
a door lock switch to
unlock or the bottom
portion to lock all doors.
The rear doors do not have power door lock switches.
Programmable Automatic Door
Locks
Programmable power door locks are intended to provide
enhanced security and convenience by automatically
locking and unlocking doors under certain conditions.
The doors can be set to one of four operating modes.
Mode 1:Doors do not lock or unlock automatically when
the transaxle is shifted out of or into PARK (P).
Mode 2:All doors automatically lock when the
transaxle is shifted out of PARK (P), but do not
unlock automatically when the transaxle is shifted
into PARK (P).
Mode 3:All doors automatically lock when the transaxle
is shifted out of PARK (P) and automatically unlock
when the transaxle is shifted into PARK (P).
Mode 4:All doors automatically lock when the transaxle
is shifted out of PARK (P) but only the driver’s door
automatically unlocks when the transaxle is shifted
into PARK (P).
2-11

The vehicle was originally programmed to Mode 3.
The mode may have been changed since then.
To determine the current mode, or to change the mode,
do the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to RUN.
2. Close all of the doors.
3. Apply the brakes.
4. Press and hold the power door lock switch in the
lock position.
5. Move the shift lever out of and back into PARK (P)
while holding the door lock switch in the LOCK
position.
6. Release the door lock switch to set the
desired mode.
After initially moving the shift lever out of and back into
PARK (P), each additional shift cycle will advance
the programming from the current mode to the next
operating mode. If cycled beyond Mode 4, the vehicle
will enter operating Mode 1.
Disconnecting the vehicle’s battery for up to a year will
not affect the programmed mode.Lockout Protection
This feature helps to prevent a driver from locking the
keys inside of the vehicle by disabling the power
door locks when the following occurs:
A door is opened.
The key is left in the ignition.
A power door lock is pressed.
The lockout protection feature can be overridden by
holding the power door lock switch in the lock position
for more than three seconds while the key is in the
ignition and any door is open.
This feature cannot guarantee that you will never be
locked out of the vehicle. If the manual door lock is used
or if the key is left in the vehicle, but not in the ignition,
you could still be locked out of the vehicle. Always
remember to take the keys with you.
Leaving Your Vehicle
Before leaving the vehicle, take the keys, open the
door, and set the locks from inside. Then get out and
close the door. See “Delayed Locking” in this section for
more information.
2-12

Trunk
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can not see or
smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness and
even death. If you must drive with the trunk lid
open or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the trunk lid:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select the
control setting that will force outside air
into your vehicle. See Climate Control
System in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-29.
Trunk Lock
To unlock the trunk lid from the outside, insert the door
key into the trunk lock and turn it counterclockwise.
Or, with the vehicle in PARK (P), press the open trunk
symbol on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
Remote Trunk Release
Press the remote trunk
release button located
behind the glove box door
to release the trunk lid
from inside the vehicle.
The shift lever must be in PARK (P), but the key does
not have to be in the ignition for the remote trunk
lid release button to work.
2-13

Trunk Assist Handle
Notice:Using the trunk assist handle as a tie-down
or anchor point when securing items in the trunk
may damage it. Use the trunk assist handle only to
help you close the trunk lid.
The vehicle may have an
assist handle located on
the inside of the trunk
lid toward the driver’s side
of the vehicle.
Pull down on the handle to lower the trunk lid and close
the trunk. If the trunk is not properly closed, the
DOOR/TRUNK ajar warning light will appear in the
message center of the instrument panel cluster. See
Door/Trunk Ajar Warning Light on page 3-42for
more information.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Using the emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk may damage it. Use the
emergency trunk release handle only to help you
open the trunk lid.
The vehicle has a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk
release handle located inside the trunk on the latch. This
handle will glow following exposure to light. Pull the
release handle to open the trunk from the inside.
2-14