The 1993 Buick Century Owner's Manual Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 25603822 B First Edition 1992 @Copyright General Motors Corporation All Rights Reserved 1 We support voluntary technician certification. GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem, Buick, and the Buick Emblem are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFlCAllON THROUGH Natlonal Insttlute for . T i manual includes the latest information at the time it hs was printed. We reserve the right to make changesthe in product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name "General Motorsof Canada Limited" for Buick Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in Buick, so it will be there your. if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leave this manual inso the new it owner can use it. AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE . .- _ _ x . ' i c For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux proprietaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire dece guide en francais chez votre concessionaireou au DGN Marketing Services Ltd., 1 0 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, OntarioL5T 1C7. 50 2 3 innovator. Buick engineers developed the "valve-in-head" engine, a light, powerful and reliable engine which- wou eventually influence the entire automotive industry. William C. Durant was instrumental in promoting Buicks across the country using his Durant-Dort Carriage Co. outlets and salespeople as the nucleus a giant of distribution system. He knewthe Buick as a "self-seller? , If automobiles could be good, he thought, maybe it this was time to switch from the horse and buggy business to automobiles. At the 1905, New York Auto Show, Durant took orders for 1O O Buicks ,O before the company had built 40. On Buick's success, Durant created a holding company, September 16,1908.He called it General Motors. Walter Marr and Thomas Buick Buick's chief engineer, Walter L. Marr (left), and Thomas D. Buick, son.of founder David Dunbar Buick, drove the first Flint Buick in a successful Flint-Detroit round trip in July 1904. David Buick was building gasoline engines by 1899, and Man, his engineer, apparently built thefirst auto to be called a Buick in 1900. However, Buick traditionally dates its beginnings to1903. That was the year the company was reorganized, refinanced and moved from Detroit to Flint. Buick has always been a product William C. (Billy) Durant 4 Durant also created a racing team that 500 racing won trophies in 1909 and 1910, including successes at Indianapolis two years before theIndy 500 began. The success of Buick engines was visible not only on the race track, but endurance tests across the country and in around the world. Buick was the only car to complete a 1,000-mile Chicago-to-New York race i 1906. And a n Buick was the first to travel across South America, car driven from Buenos Aires, Argentina, over the Andes to Santiago, Chile in 1914. Buick .drew plenty attention because it could climb of hills and run through mud like no other car. Buick's endurance and reliability were world hmous. During World War I, Buick built Liberty aircraft engines as well as Red Cross ambulances so successful that one Buick ambulance was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government. As a builderof premier automobiles, Buick was hard hit by the Great Depression. However, new General Manager Harlow H. Curtice created popular models new including the Special and the Roadmaster. Buick sales soon flourished. I911 Model 21 Du?ing Car First Buick Factory 5 In World War II, Buick built aircraft engines, tanks and other military hardware. This post-war period brought great styling and engineering changes which resulted in increased sales. The torque converter automatic transmission, Dynaflow, was introduced in the1948 Roadmaster. Buick's famous "portholes" came along in 1949. A high-compression V-8 engine was introduced in 1953. And Buick's famous vertical pillar "toothy" grille (introduced in 1942), became more massivein the postwar era. I953 Skylark 1949 Roadmaster 6 Motor Trend magazine named the1962 Buick Special "Car of the Year:' The first productionV-6engine was used in the Special. c I Ed Mertz, General Manager, BuickMotor Division Our mission is simple: "Buick will provide Premium American Motorcars backed with services that exceed our customers' expectations, throughout the purchase, ownership, service and repurchase experience? Buicks are SUBSTANTIAL. Buicks are DISTINCTIVE. Buicks are POWERFUL. Buicks are MATURE. 1962 Buick Special Built inside the walls the old buildings in Buick's of former Flint complex, which formed the cornerstone of General Motors, Buick City is a state-of-the-art assembly facility with more than200 robots and other high-tech equipment. It was completed in the fall 1985. of Buicks are, and will continue to be, premium American motorcars with smooth power, high performance, rich detail and comfortable accommodation. 7 . _. 1 1923 Buick Sport Roadster 8 Table of Contents Introduction How to Use this Manual ....................................................... This part tells you how to use your manual and includes safety and vehicle damage warnings and symbols. .10 Part 1 Seats and Safety Belts .......................................................... This part tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. I3 .63 Part 2 Features & Controls .......................................................... This part explains how to start and operate your Buick. This part tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and to operate your sound system. how Part 3 Comfort Controls & Audio Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .W! Part 4 Your Driving and the Road. .......................... : ........................ .I33 .l83 Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. Part 5 Problems on theRoad. ....................................................... This part tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as flat tireor engine overheating. a Part 6 Service & Appearance Care .................................................... Here the manual tells you howto keep your Buick running properly and looking good. to use. This part tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants .221 Part7MaintenanceSchedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Part 8 Customer .Assistance Information.............................................. .299 It information This part tells you how to contact Buick for assistance and how to get service publications. also gives you on "Reporting Safety Defects on page 302." Here's an alphabetical listingof almost every subject in this manual. can use it to quickly find something you want You to read. hrt9Index ......................................................~.. How t Use this Manual o Many people read their owner's manual from beginning to end when they first receive their new vehicle. This will help you learn about the htures and controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you'll find that pictures and words work together explain things quickly. to Safety Warnings and Symbols You will find a numberof safety cautionsin this book. We use yellow andthe word CAUTION to tell you about things that could hurt youif you were to ignore the warning. Index: A good place to look fbr what you need is the Index in back of the manual. It's alphabetical listof all an that's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it; IA CAUTION: I 1: 4 Each part of this manual begins witha brief list of its contents, so you can often find ata glance ifa part contains the information you want. part 7: This part of the manual covers the maintenance In the yellow cautionarea, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid reduce or the hazard. Please read these cautions. you don't, you If or others could behurt. required for your vehicle. Part 8 Customer Assistance: This part includes important information about "Reporting Safety Defects." You will also find customer satisfaction phone numbers (including customer satisfaction numbers for the hearing and speech impaired). `We've also included ordering information for service publications in part. this 10 You will also find a red circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means "Don't," "Don't do this," or "Don't let this happen." Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book will find these blue notices: you 8 In the blue notice area, we tell you about, something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, damage this would not be covered by your warranty, and it couldbe costly. But the noticewill tell you what to do to help avoid the damage. see When you read other manuals, you might CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. In this manual, we'veused the familiar words and colors that Buick has used for years. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same colors, and the words CAUTION NOTICE. or Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you will find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC BATTERY ACID COULD CAUSE BURNS AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES SPARK OR FLAME COULD EXPLODE BATTERY Thes, ,ymbols are used on warning and indicator lights: ENGINE COOLANT TEMP 0- Here are some other symbols you may see: FUSE A These symbols are important for. you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK These symbols have to do with your lights: These symbols are on some of your controls: WINDSHIELD WIPER & WASHER ' '' 0- -FI-1 t0 @e4 i BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM FASTEN BELTS 4 SEAT TURN SIGNALS e3 WINDSHIELD= WASHER RADIO VOLUME ak POWER WINDOW HAZARD WARNING FLASHER A #0 a wlNDsHIELDw I CONDITIONING AIR TRUNK HATCHBACK RELEASE DEFROSTER REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER @ FUEL e HIGH OR = BEAM, =o ENGINE OIL PRESSURE wb VENTILATING FAN HEADLAMP WASHER WIPER 11 ,1, FOG LAMPS zQ O I L TEMP & (i) BRAKE SPEAKER - ANTILOCK b Part 1 Seats and SafetyBelts Here you'll fmd information about the seats in your Buick. your Supplemental Inflatable Restraint ("air bag") . not system and how to use your safety belts properly You can also learn about some things you should do with safety belts . Part 1 includes: SeatsandSeatControls ................................................................ 14 Folding Rear Seats (Wagon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 SafetyBelts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 . DriverPosition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System (Air Bag).......................................... 35 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 . RightFrontPassengerPosition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 . Center Passenger Position and Any Station Wagon Third Seat Passenger Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 RearSeatPassengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 SmallerChildrenandBabies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 ChildRestraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . 58 LargerChildren ...................................................................... SafetyBeltExtender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Replacing Safety Belts Aftera Crash ...................................................... 61 Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats-how to adjust them-and also a b u t fold ...