2005 BUICK CENTURY steering

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

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of your
vehicle’s radio. It works by using a secret code to
disable all radio functions whenever battery power is
removed and the radio is placed in a different vehicle.
This feature requires no user input to be activated.
The radio is automatically armed when it is put into the
vehicle for the rst time.
When the ignition is turned off, the blinking red light
indicates that THEFTLOCK
®is armed.
If THEFTLOCK
®is activated, the radio will not operate
if stolen. The radio will display LOCKED and a red
LED indicator light will come on above the key symbol
to indicate a locked condition. If this occurs, the radio will
need to be returned to your GM dealer.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio functions
can be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include
the following:
QSEEKR:Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous radio station. The radio
will only seek stations with a strong signal that are in
the selected band.
When a cassette tape or CD is playing, press the
up or the down arrow to go to the next or the
previous selection.
3-63

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).....................4-9
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-16
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-17City Driving..................................................4-20
Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-22
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-30
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-31
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-31
Towing..........................................................4-36
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-36
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-36
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-38
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle
go where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems have to
do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that
is only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
4-6

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have anti-lock, your
rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold
it down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can not
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it
in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing
on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If youdohave
anti-lock, it is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) on page 4-7
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
If the vehicle has an Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
it will limit wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if
it senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on the
instrument panel cluster
while the ETS is limiting
wheel spin. SeeEnhanced
Traction System Warning
Light on page 3-34.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If the vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. The cruise control
can be used again when road conditions allow safe
use of it. See “Cruise Control” underTurn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
4-9

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 is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is 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 is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you will 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 are
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems — steering and braking — have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering through
a sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems — steering and acceleration — can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control. SeeEnhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you will want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-11