2005 BUICK CENTURY brake

When it is dark enough outside, the front turn signal
lamps will turn off and the vehicle’s headlamps
and parking lamps will turn on. The other lamps that
come on with the headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside, the headlamps will go
off and the front turn signal lamps will come on.
To idle the vehicle with the DRL and automatic
headlamp control off, set the parking brake while the
ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start the vehicle.
The DRL, headlamps and parking lamps will stay off
until the parking brake is released.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it is
dark outside, move the exterior lamp control to the
parking lamp position. The parking lamps will remain
illuminated and the headlamps will turn off. The
fog lamps will also go on if they were on previously.
As with any vehicle, the regular headlamp system
should be turned on when needed.Cornering Lamps
The cornering lamps are designed to come on to
provide additional light when a turn signal lamp
is activated.
Interior Lamps
The interior lamps can be controlled, or automatically
turn on or off under certain conditions. They are
explained in the following text.
Instrument Panel Brightness
The instrument panel lights can be brightened or
dimmed by turning the exterior lamps knob.
Turning the control all the way clockwise turns on the
courtesy lamps.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several courtesy lamps come
on to make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle.
These lamps can also be turned on by turning the
exterior lamps control all the way clockwise to MAX.
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Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briey when
the ignition is turned on,
as a check to show that it
is working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while the vehicle is being
driven, there may be a problem with the charging
system. It could indicate that the vehicle has a loose
accessory belt or another electrical problem. Have
it checked right away. Driving while this light is on could
drain the battery.
If the vehicle must be driven a short distance with the
light on, be certain to turn off all the accessories,
such as the radio and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
The vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop the vehicle. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have the brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on briey when the ignition
key is turned to RUN. If it does not come on then,
have it xed so it will be ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
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When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking brake does not
release fully. If it stays on after the parking brake is
fully released, it means there is a brake problem.
If the light comes on while the vehicle is being driven,
pull off the road and stop carefully. The pedal may
be harder to push, or it may go closer to the oor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing Your Vehicle on
page 4-36.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
If the vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light will
come on for a few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to RUN. If the anti-lock brake system warning light
stays on longer than normal after the engine has been
started, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and
stays on while the vehicle is being driven, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while driving, the anti-lock brake system
needs service. If the light is on and the regular brake
system warning light is not on, the vehicle still has brakes,
but it does not have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey when the ignition key is turned to RUN. This is
normal. If the light does not come on then, have it xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.United States
Canada
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Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
If the vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction
System, (ETS) the warning
light may come on for
the following reasons:
When the vehicle is shifted to SECOND (2) or
FIRST (1). To turn the system back on, shift
to THIRD (3) or AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (
X).
SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9.
If the vehicle needs service. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
When the parking brake is set with the engine
running, and the parking brake does not release fully.
After the parking brake is fully released and the
transaxle shift lever is in any position other than
FIRST (1) or SECOND (2). This means there is a
problem with the system.
If an engine-related problem affects the ETS and
turns the system off.
When the ETS warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
Low Traction Light
If the vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this light will
come on when the system
is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the
low traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds after
the ETS stops limiting wheel spin. SeeEnhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9.
The low traction light also comes on briey when the
ignition key is turned to RUN. If the light does not come
on then, have it xed so it will function properly to
indicate when the Enhanced Traction System is active.
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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

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-6.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off the
road in a safe place to do them yourself. These simple
defensive driving techniques could save your life.
4-2

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

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on
the instrument panel will come on briey when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that
your brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel. United States
Canada
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