2005 BUICK CENTURY seats

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-27
Airbag System
.........................................1-49
Restraint System Check
............................1-58
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-29
OnStar
®System
......................................2-31
Storage Areas
.........................................2-33
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-18
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-28
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-44Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
........ 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-36
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-45
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-52
Tires
......................................................5-53
Appearance Care
.....................................5-82
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-90
Electrical System
......................................5-90
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-96
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index.................................................................1
2005 Buick Century Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specic component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help guring out a specic name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the
following topics:
Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
Features and Controls in Section 2
Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
Climate Controls in Section 3
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
Audio System(s) in Section 3
Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Power Seat...................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Rear Seats.......................................................1-6
Split Folding Rear Seat...................................1-6
Safety Belts.....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-6
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-12
Driver Position..............................................1-12
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment.....................1-18
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-19
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-19
Center Passenger Position.............................1-20
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-21
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults..........................1-24
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-26
Child Restraints.............................................1-27
Older Children..............................................1-27
Infants and Young Children............................1-30
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-33Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-36
Top Strap....................................................1-37
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-39
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System)...........................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System....................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position.........................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center
Rear Seat Position....................................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position....................................1-46
Airbag System...............................................1-49
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-52
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-54
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-55
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-55
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?.........................................1-56
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-58
Restraint System Check..................................1-58
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-58
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-59
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
Lift the bar located under the front of the passenger’s
seat to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar. Try to move the seat to
be sure it is locked into place.
1-2

Rear Seats
Split Folding Rear Seat
If the vehicle has a split folding seat, you can gain
access to the interior of the vehicle through the trunk.
To do this, pull forward
on the seat tab, located
on the side of the
rear seat, to move the
rear seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position, push it
back up, making sure the seat latch locks it in place.
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
1-6

{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
SeeSafety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-30.In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter...a lot!
1-7

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-27
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-30. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to
wear it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight.
To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
1-12

Center Passenger Position
Lap Belt
If your vehicle has front and rear bench seats, someone
can sit in the center positions.
When you sit in the center seating position, you have a
lap safety belt, which has no retractor. To make the
belt longer, tilt the latch plate and pull it along the belt.To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the
lap part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn’t long
enough, seeSafety Belt Extender on page 1-26.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if you ever had to.
1-20