2005 BUICK CENTURY Owner's Manual

The main components of the instrument panel are the following:
A. Exterior Lamps Control. SeeExterior Lamps on
page 3-13.
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. SeeTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
C. Instrument Panel Cluster. SeeInstrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-29.
D. Hazard Warning Flasher Button. SeeHazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-6.
E. Audio Steering Wheel Controls. SeeAudio Steering
Wheel Controls on page 3-63.
F. Gear Shift Lever. SeeAutomatic Transaxle
Operation on page 2-21.
G. Air Outlets. SeeOutlet Adjustment on page 3-26.H. Side Window Defogger Outlet.
I. Hood Release. SeeHood Release on page 5-11.
J. Tilt Wheel Lever. SeeTilt Wheel on page 3-6.
K. Horn. SeeHorn on page 3-6.
L. Audio System. SeeAudio System(s) on page 3-44.
M. Ashtray. SeeAshtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-18.
N. Climate Control. SeeDual Climate Control System
on page 3-18.
O. Glove Box. SeeGlove Box on page 2-33.
P. Instrument Panel Fuse Block. SeeFuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-91.
3-5

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ash on and off.
The hazard warning asher
button is located on top of
the steering column.
Your hazard warning ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ashers off.
When the hazard warning ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols on your steering
wheel pad to sound the horn.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise the steering wheel to
the highest level to give your legs more room when you
enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
wheel and pull the lever.
Then move the wheel
to a comfortable position
and release the lever
to lock the wheel in place.
3-6

Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever located on the left side of the
steering column includes the following:
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
Flash-to-Pass
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the turn signal/multifunction lever
up or down. The lever returns to its original position
when the turn is completed.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, raise or lower the turn signal/
multifunction lever until the arrow starts to ash. Hold it
there until the lane change is completed. The lever will
return to its original position when released.
Arrows that ash rapidly when signaling for a turn or
lane change, or that fail to work, may indicate a
burned-out signal bulb or fuse. Other drivers will not see
the signal. SeeFront Turn Signal and Parking Lamps
on page 5-48andTaillamps, Turn Signal, and
Stoplamps on page 5-50for turn signal bulb replacement
procedures. Also seeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-91for location of fuses.
A chime will sound if the turn signal is left on for more
than 3/4 mile (1.2 km).
3-7

Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beams to high
beams, or high to low, pull the multifunction lever until
a click is heard, then release it.
This indicator light on the
instrument panel cluster
will come on while the
high-beam lamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal the driver in front of you that you want to pass.
It works even if the headlamps are off. Pull the turn
signal lever toward you a little, but not so much that you
hear a click.
If the headlamps are off or on low-beam, the high-beam
headlamps will turn on. They will stay on as long as
you hold the lever toward you. The high-beam indicator
on the instrument panel cluster will come on. Release
the lever to return it to the normal operation.
Windshield Wipers
To operate the windshield wipers turn the band located
on the multifunction lever upward or downward.
WIPER:Turn this band to control the windshield wipers.
OFF:Turn the band to OFF to turn off the
windshield wipers.
LO (Low Speed):Turn the band away from you
to LO and past the delay settings for steady wiping at
low speed.
HI (High Speed):Turn the band away from you, to HI,
and past the delay settings for steady wiping at a
high speed.
(Delayed Wiping):Turn the band away from you,
just past OFF, to one of the ve delayed settings,
to choose the length of intervals between each wiping
cycle. The further the band is turned upward, toward LO,
the shorter the delay will be. Select one of these
settings for light rain or snow.
3-8

MIST:Turn the band to MIST for a single wiping cycle.
Hold it until the windshield wipers start. Then let it
go. The windshield wipers will stop after one wipe.
If more wipes are needed, hold the band on
MIST longer.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the windshield wiper
blades before using them. If they are frozen to the
windshield, carefully loosen or thaw them. If the blades
do become worn or damaged, get new blades or
blade inserts. SeeWindshield Wiper Blade Replacement
on page 5-52.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.Windshield Washer
J(Windshield Washer):A paddle with the word
PUSH on it is located at the top of the multifunction
lever. Push on the paddle to spray washer uid on the
windshield. The wipers will run for several sweeps
and then either stop or return to the preset speed.
SeeWindshield Washer Fluid on page 5-35.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
The LOW WASH light on
the instrument panel
cluster will come on when
the uid level is low.
3-9

Cruise Control
If the vehicle has cruise control, a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more can be maintained without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really help
on long trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 25 mph (40 km/h).
When the brakes are applied, the cruise control shuts off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.The cruise control will automatically disengage when the
enhanced traction system begins to limit wheel spin.
SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9.
When road conditions allow, the cruise control can be
used again.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
3-10

1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the
multifunction lever and release it. The CRUISE light
on the instrument panel cluster will come on.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a desired speed and
the brakes are applied, the cruise control turns off.
But it does not need to be reset.
Once the vehicle is going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or
more, move the cruise control switch from ON to
R/A (Resume/Accelerate) briey. The vehicle will
accelerate to the previous chosen speed and stay there.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Push in the SET button, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. The vehicle
will now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until the vehicle accelerates to the desired
speed, then release the switch. To increase
the speed in very small amounts, move the switch
to R/A briey and then release it. Each time
this is done, the vehicle will go about 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after the cruise
control speed is set, by pushing the SET button.
3-11

Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce the vehicle’s speed while
using cruise control:
Push in the SET button until the vehicle slows down
to the desired, then release it.
To slow the vehicle down in very small amounts,
push the SET button briey. Each time this is down,
the vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase the vehicle’s
speed. When you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the cruise control speed that
was set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control will work on hills depends
upon the speed and load of the vehicle, and the
steepness of the hills. When going up steep hills, the
accelerator pedal may have to be pressed to maintain
the vehicle’s speed. When going downhill, the vehicle’s
brakes may have to be used, or a lower gear may
have to be used to keep the vehicle’s speed down.
Of course, applying the brake takes the vehicle out of
cruise control. Many drivers nd this to be too much
trouble and do not use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Ending Speed Memory
When the cruise control or the ignition is turned off, or
the vehicle is shifted into PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N),
the cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-12