2005 Buick Century Owners Manual

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pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever that numbered pushbutton is pressed, the station that was set will return and the equalization that was selected will be stored for that pushbutton. 6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. Finding a Station BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, and AM. The display will show the selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. © SEEK ¨: Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for two seconds until SCAN appears on the display. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for more than four seconds until PSCAN and the preset number appear on the display. You will hear a double beep. The radio will go to the ﬁrst preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning presets. The radio will only seek and scan stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. 3-46 Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) AUDIO: Push and release this knob until BASS, MID, or TREBLE appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, decrease the treble. To adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle position, select BASS, MID, or TREBLE. Then push and hold the AUDIO knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. BASS and a zero, MID and a zero, or TREBLE and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle position, ﬁrst end out of audio mode by waiting ﬁve seconds without making any changes. Then push and hold the AUDIO knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. ALL CENTERED will appear on the display. EQ (Equalizer): Press this button to select customized equalization settings designed for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical. AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BAL appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. A bar graph with indicators will show how the sound is balanced. To adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until FADE appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. A bar graph with indicators will show how the sound is balanced. To adjust balance or fade to the middle position, select BAL or FADE. Then push and hold the AUDIO knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. The indicator will be centered on the display. To adjust both tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle position, ﬁrst end out of audio mode by waiting ﬁve seconds without making any changes. Then push and hold the AUDIO knob for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. ALL CENTERED will appear on the display. 3-47 Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station To select and ﬁnd a desired PTY perform the following: 1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode. The PTY symbol will appear on the display. 2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow to select the PTY and take you to the PTY’s ﬁrst station. 4. To go to another station within that PTY and the PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow once. If the PTY is not displayed, press either SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to go to another station. 5. Press P-TYP to exit program type select mode. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go back to Step 1. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. Radio Data System (RDS) The audio system has a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. With RDS, the radio can do the following: (cid:127) Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming (cid:127) Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies (cid:127) Display messages from radio stations (cid:127) Seek to stations with traffic announcements This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While the radio is tuned to an RDS station, the station name or call letters will appear on the display instead of the frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast. 3-48 SCAN: Scan the stations within a PTY by performing the following: 1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode. The PTY symbol will appear on the display. 2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and hold either SEEK arrow, and the radio will begin scanning the stations in the PTY. 4. Press either SEEK arrow to stop at a station. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will scan for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stations with a stronger frequency. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations. RDS Messages ALERT!: Alert warns of local or national emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is low or a CD is playing. If a CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. Alert announcements cannot be turned off. ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations. INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the entire message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message, press and release the INFO button. A new group of words will appear on the display after every press of the button. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The last message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view the last message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to. 3-49 TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF appears on the display, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. Press this button to receive the traffic announcement from the station and brackets will be displayed around TRAF. When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If the station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio will seek to a station that does. When a station that broadcasts traffic announcements is found, the radio will stop seeking and brackets will be displayed around TRAF. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display. If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, press the TRAF button to remove the brackets or use the TUNE knob or the SEEK arrows to go to a station that broadcasts traffic announcements. If no station is found that broadcasts traffic announcements, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display. The radio will play the traffic announcements if the volume is low. The radio will interrupt the play of a CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements and the brackets are displayed. Radio Messages CAL (CALIBRATE): The audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL appears on the display it means that the radio has not been conﬁgured properly for your vehicle and must be returned to the dealer for service. LOCKED: This message is displayed when the THEFTLOCK® system has locked up. Take the vehicle to the dealer for service. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. Playing a CD Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD while the ignition or the radio is off, ﬁrst press the eject or DISP button. When a CD is inserted, the CD symbol will appear on the display. As each new track starts to play, the track number will appear on the display. If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition or radio is turned on, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. 3-50 The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. 1s(Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. 2 \(Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display. 4 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. Press RDM again to turn off random play. EQ (Equalizer): Press EQ to select an equalization setting while playing a CD. The equalization will be set whenever a CD is played. See “EQ” listed previously for more information. © SEEK ¨: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If either arrow is held or pressed more than once, the player will continue moving backward or forward through the CD. To scan tracks, press and hold either SEEK arrow for two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you will hear a beep. The CD will go to the next track, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next track. The sound will mute and SCAN and the track number will appear on the display while scanning. The CD will only scan forward. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. 3-51 DISP (Display): Press this button to see which track is playing. Press it again within ﬁve seconds to see how long it has been playing. To change the default on the display, track or elapsed time, press this button until you see the display you want, then hold the button until the display ﬂashes. The selected display will now be the default. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD: Press this button to play a CD when listening to the radio. Z (Eject): Press this button to eject the CD. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the ignition or radio off, if this button is pressed ﬁrst. CD Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio display, it could for one of the following reasons: It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. (cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smoother, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. There may have been a problem while burning the CD. The label may be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If the radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. 3-52 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Radio with Cassette and CD Playing the Radio PWR (Power): Push this knob to turn the system on and off. VOL (Volume): Turn this knob to increase or to decrease the volume. SCV (Speed-Compensated Volume): With SCV, your audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road and wind noise as you drive. To get to SCV, press the TUNE/AUDIO knob repeatedly until SPEED VOL is displayed. Turn the TUNE/AUDIO knob to select OFF, MIN, MED or MAX. Each higher setting allows for more volume compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then, as you drive, SCV automatically increases the volume, as necessary, to overcome noise at any speed. The volume level should always sound the same to you as you drive. If you don’t want to use SCV, select OFF. DISP (Display): Press this button to switch the display between the radio station frequency and the time. The time can be displayed with the ignition on or off. 3-53 Setting Preset Stations The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and six AM), by performing the following steps: 1. Turn the radio on. 2. Press BAND to select FM1, FM2, or AM. 3. Tune in the desired station. 4. Press EQ to select the equalization. 5. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will be automatically stored for that pushbutton. 6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton. Finding a Station BAND: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, or AM. The display will show your selection. TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations. © SEEK ¨: Press the right or the left arrow to go to the next or to the previous station and stay there. To scan stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for two seconds until SCAN appears on the display. The radio will go to a station, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. To scan preset stations, press and hold either SEEK arrow for more than four seconds until SCAN and the preset number appear on the display. You will hear a double beep. The radio will go to the ﬁrst preset station stored on your pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next preset station. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning presets. The radio will seek and scan only to the stations that are in the selected band and only to those with a strong signal. 3-54 Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble) Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade) AUDIO: Push and release AUDIO until BASS, MID, or TREBLE appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to increase or to decrease. If a station is weak or noisy, you may want to decrease the treble. To adjust bass, midrange, or treble to the middle position, select BASS, MID, or TREBLE. Then push and hold AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. BASS and a zero, MID and a zero, or TREBLE and a zero will appear on the display. To adjust both tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle position, end out of audio mode by waiting ﬁve seconds without making any changes. Then push and hold AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. ALL CENTERED will appear on the display. EQ (Equalizer): Press this button to select customized equalization settings designed for country/western, jazz, talk, pop, rock, and classical. AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release AUDIO until BAL appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to move the sound toward the right or the left speakers. A bar graph with indicators will show how the sound is balanced. To adjust the fade between the front and the rear speakers, push and release AUDIO until FADE appears on the display. Then turn the AUDIO knob to move the sound toward the front or the rear speakers. A bar graph with indicators will show how the sound is balanced. To adjust balance or fade to the middle position, select BAL or FADE. Then push and hold AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. The indicator will be centered on the display. To adjust both tone controls and both speaker controls to the middle position, end out of audio mode by waiting ﬁve seconds without making any changes. Then push and hold AUDIO for more than two seconds until you hear a beep. ALL CENTERED will appear on the display. 3-55 Finding a Program Type (PTY) Station To select and ﬁnd a desired PTY perform the following: 1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode. The P-TYPE symbol will appear on the display. 2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow to select the PTY and take you to the PTY’s ﬁrst station. 4. If you want to go to another station within that PTY and the PTY is displayed, press either SEEK arrow once. If the PTY is not displayed, press either SEEK arrow twice to display the PTY and then to go to another station. 5. Press P-TYP to exit program type select mode. If PTY times out and is no longer on the display, go back to Step 1. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will search for station with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. Radio Data System (RDS) Your audio system is equipped with a Radio Data System (RDS). RDS features are available for use only on FM stations that broadcast RDS information. With RDS, your radio can do the following: (cid:127) Seek to stations broadcasting the selected type of programming (cid:127) Receive announcements concerning local and national emergencies (cid:127) Display messages from radio stations (cid:127) Seek to stations with traffic announcements This system relies upon receiving speciﬁc information from these stations and will only work when the information is available. In rare cases, a radio station may broadcast incorrect information that will cause the radio features to work improperly. If this happens, contact the radio station. While you are tuned to an RDS station, the station name or the call letters will appear on the display, instead of the frequency. RDS stations may also provide the time of day, a program type (PTY) for current programming, and the name of the program being broadcast. 3-56 SCAN: You can scan the stations within a PTY by performing the following: 1. Press P-TYP to activate program type select mode. The P-TYPE symbol will appear on the display. 2. Turn the AUDIO knob to select a PTY. 3. Once the desired PTY is displayed, press and hold either SEEK arrow, and the radio will begin scanning the stations in the PTY. 4. Press and hold either SEEK arrow to stop at a station. If both PTY and TRAF are on, the radio will scan for stations with the selected PTY and traffic announcements. BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the same program type. To turn alternate frequency on, press and hold BAND for two seconds. AF ON will appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger stations. To turn alternate frequency off, press and hold BAND again for two seconds. AF OFF will appear on the display. The radio will not switch to other stations. When you turn the ignition off and then on again, the alternate frequency feature will automatically be turned on. RDS Messages ALERT!: Alert warns of local or national emergencies. When an alert announcement comes on the current radio station, ALERT! will appear on the display. You will hear the announcement, even if the volume is muted or a cassette tape or CD is playing. If a cassette tape or CD is playing, play will stop during the announcement. You will not be able to turn off alert announcements. ALERT! will not be affected by tests of the emergency broadcast system. This feature is not supported by all RDS stations. INFO (Information): If the current station has a message, INFO will appear on the display. Press this button to see the message. The message may display the artist, song title, call in phone numbers, etc. If the whole message is not displayed, parts of the message will appear every three seconds. To scroll through the message at your own speed, press the INFO button repeatedly. A new group of words will appear on the display with each press. Once the complete message has been displayed, INFO will disappear from the display until another new message is received. The old message can be displayed by pressing the INFO button. You can view and old message until a new message is received or a different station is tuned to. 3-57 TRAF (Traffic): If TRAF appears on the display, the tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. To receive the traffic announcement from the tuned station, press this button. Brackets will be displayed around TRAF and when a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If the current tuned station does not broadcast traffic announcements, press the TRAF button and the radio will seek to a station that does. When the radio ﬁnds a station that broadcasts traffic announcements, the radio will stop and brackets will be displayed around TRAF. When a traffic announcement comes on the tuned radio station you will hear it. If no station is found, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display. If the brackets are on the display and TRAF is not, you can then press the TRAF button to remove the brackets or use the TUNE knob or the SEEK arrows to go to a station that supports traffic announcements. If no station is found, NO TRAFFIC will appear on the display. Your radio will play the traffic announcements even if the volume is low. Your radio will interrupt the play of a cassette tape or CD if the last tuned station broadcasts traffic announcements. Radio Messages CAL (CALIBRATE): Your audio system has been calibrated for your vehicle from the factory. If CAL appears on the display it means that your radio has not been conﬁgured properly for your vehicle and must be returned to the dealer for service. Playing a Cassette Tape You tape player is built to work best with tapes that are up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes longer than that are so thin they may not work well in this player. The longer side with the tape visible should face to the right. If the ignition and the radio are on, the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. If you hear nothing or hear a garbled sound, the tape may not be in squarely. Press the eject button to remove the tape and start over. While the tape is playing, use the VOLUME and AUDIO controls just as you do for the radio. The display will show an arrow to show which side of the tape is playing. If you want to insert a tape while the ignition or radio is off, ﬁrst press the eject or DISP button. Cassette tape adapter kits for portable CD players will work in your cassette tape player. 3-58 Your tape bias is set automatically when a metal or chrome tape is inserted. If an error appears on the display, see “Cassette Tape Messages” later in this section. 1s(Reverse): Press this pushbutton to reverse quickly within the tape. The radio will play while the tape reverses. Press it again to return to playing speed. 2 \(Forward): Press this pushbutton to advance quickly within the tape. The radio will play while the tape advances. Press this pushbutton again to return to playing speed. 6 SIDE: Press this pushbutton to play the other side of the tape. © SEEK ¨: Your tape must have at least three seconds of silence between each selection for seek to work. Press the left or the right arrow to go to the previous or to the next selection on the tape. SEEK and a negative or positive number will be displayed. Pressing the left or right arrow multiple times will increase the number of selections to be searched up to -5 or +5. If -5 or +5 is shown on the display the cassette tape player will fast forward or rewind through the four selections and stop at the ﬁfth selection. To scan cassette tape selections, press and hold either SEEK arrow for two seconds until SCN appears on the display. You will hear a beep. The tape will go to the next selection, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next selection. The cassette tape will only scan forward. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive cassette or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD TAPE: Press this button to play a cassette tape or a CD when listening to the radio. Z (Eject): Press this button to eject a tape. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. Cassettes may be loaded with the ignition or radio off if you press this button ﬁrst. 3-59 Cassette Tape Messages If an error message appears on the display, it could be for one of the following reasons: TIGHT TAPE: The tape is tight and the player cannot turn the tape hubs. Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the open end down and try to turn the right hub counterclockwise with a pencil. Turn the tape over and repeat. If the hubs do not turn easily, your tape may be damaged and should not be used in the player. Try a new tape to make sure your player is working properly. (cid:127) BROKEN TAPE: The tape is broken. Try a new tape. CLEAN PLAYER: If this message appears on the display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. See Care of Your Cassette Tape Player on page 3-65. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error number, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. CD Adapter Kits It is possible to use a portable CD player with your cassette tape player after activating the bypass feature on your tape player. To activate the bypass feature, use the following steps: 1. Turn the ignition on. 2. Turn the radio off. 3. Insert the adapter into the cassette slot. 4. Press and hold the CD TAPE button until READY appears on the display. The override feature will remain active until the eject button is pressed. Playing a CD Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The player will pull it in. The CD should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD while the ignition or the radio is off, ﬁrst press the eject button or DISP. If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD in the player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the ignition or system, the CD will start playing where it stopped, if it was the last selected audio source. 3-60 (cid:127) As each new track start to play, the track number will appear on the display. The CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single CDs with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner. If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R has been handled. You may experience an increase in skipping, difficulty in ﬁnding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur try a known good CD. Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught in the CD player. Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD. If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages” later in this section. 1s(Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. 2 \(Forward): Press and hold this pushbutton to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to play the passage. 4 RDM (Random): Press this pushbutton to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. Press RDM again to turn off random play. DISP (Display): Press this button to see which track is playing. Press it again within ﬁve seconds to see how long it has been playing. To change the default on the display (track or elapsed time), press this button until you see the display you want, then hold the button until the display ﬂashes. The selected display will now be the default. © SEEK ¨: Press the left arrow to go to the start of the current track if more than eight seconds have played. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving backward through the CD. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you hold the button or press it more than once, the player will continue moving forward through the CD. 3-61 To scan tracks, press and hold either SEEK arrow for two seconds until SCAN appears on the display. You will hear a beep. The CD will go to the next track, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next track. The sound will mute and SCAN and the track number will appear on the display. The CD will only scan forward. Press either SEEK arrow again to stop scanning. BAND: Press this button to listen to the radio when a cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive cassette or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. CD TAPE: Press this button to play a cassette tape or a CD when listening to the radio. Z (Eject): Press this button to eject a tape. Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs may be loaded with the ignition or radio off if you press this button ﬁrst. CD Messages CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio display, it could be for one of the following reasons: It is very hot. When the temperature returns to normal, the CD should play. (cid:127) You are driving on a very rough road. When the road becomes smooth, the CD should play. The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down. The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and try again. There may have been a problem while burning the CD. The label may be caught in the CD player. If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason, try a known good CD. If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot be corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an error message, write it down and provide it to your dealer when reporting the problem. 3-62 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) 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 ﬁrst 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: Q SEEK R: 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 SCAN: Press this button until SCAN appears on the display. The radio will go to the ﬁrst preset station on the pushbuttons, play for a few seconds, then go to the next preset station. Press SCAN again to stop scanning. The radio will only scan preset stations with a strong signal that are in the selected band. AM FM: Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2, or AM. When a cassette tape or CD is playing, press this button to listen to the radio. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for future listening. SRCE (Source): Press this button to play a cassette tape or CD when listening to the radio. MUTE: Press this button to silence the audio system. Press it again to turn on the sound. Q VOL R (Volume): Press the up or the down arrow to increase or to decrease the volume. Radio Reception AM The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try reducing the treble to reduce this noise. FM FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the sound to come and go. 3-64 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes, or a damaged mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight, and extreme heat. If they are not, they may not operate properly or they may cause failure of the tape player. The tape player should be cleaned regularly after every 50 hours of use. The radio may display CLEAN PLAYER to indicate that the tape player has been used for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If this message appears on the display, the cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but it should be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent damage to the tapes and player. If there is a reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player. For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The recommended cleaning cassette is available through your dealer. The cut tape detection feature of the cassette tape player may identify the cleaning cassette tape as a damaged tape, in error. If the cleaning cassette ejects, insert the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough cleaning. A non-scrubbing action, wet-type cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean the tape head can be used. This type of cleaning cassette will not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning cassette is not recommended. After the player is cleaned, press and hold the eject button for ﬁve seconds to reset the CLEAN PLAYER indicator. The radio will display --- to show the indicator was reset. Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette tape is in good condition before the tape player is serviced. 3-65 Care of Your CDs Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled, dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge. Be sure never to touch the side without writing when handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge. Care of Your CD Player The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not advised, due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism. Fixed Mast Antenna The ﬁxed mast antenna can withstand most car washes without being damaged. If the mast should ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it. Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn. Chime Level Adjustment The radio is the vehicle’s chime producer. To change the volume level, press and hold pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power off. The chime volume level will change from the normal level to loud, and Loud Chime Vol will appear on the radio display. To change back to the default or normal setting, press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The chime level will change from the loud level to normal, and Soft Chime Vol will appear on the radio display. Removing the radio and not replacing it with a factory radio or chime will disable vehicle chimes. 3-66 Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle 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 ..................4-17 City 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 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. See Safety 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 ﬂoor — 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 Drunken Driving Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every year. Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a vehicle: Judgment (cid:127) Muscular Coordination (cid:127) Vision (cid:127) Attentiveness Police records show that almost half of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking and driving. In recent years, more than 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured. Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it is against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical, psychological and developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon four things: The amount of alcohol consumed The drinker’s body weight The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol 4-3 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) According to the American Medical Association, a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka. It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level. There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight will when each has the same number of drinks. The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them. 4-4 But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater! The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold showers will speed that up. “I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if there is an emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There is something else about drinking and driving that many people do not know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means that when anyone who has been drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the person had not been drinking. {CAUTION: Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reﬂexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking. Please do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you are with a group, designate a driver who will not drink. 4-5 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 see Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9. Braking Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time. Average reaction time is 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. United States Canada If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, this warning light on the instrument panel will come on brieﬂy 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. 4-7 The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire and road conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard. Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. Using Anti-Lock Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down ﬁrmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but this is normal. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly. 4-8 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 ﬁrst 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 you do have anti-lock, it is different. See Anti-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. See Enhanced 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” under Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7. 4-9 The ETS operates in THIRD (3) and AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (X). If the vehicle is in THIRD (3), the system can upshift the transaxle to AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (X). The ETS is turned off in SECOND (2) or FIRST (1) gear, and when the parking brake is set. See Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-21. While the ETS is on, this warning light will come on the instrument panel cluster to show that the system is not limiting wheel spin. See Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on page 3-34. Adjust your driving accordingly. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, the ETS should always be left on. But the system can be turned off. The ETS should be turned off if the vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is required. See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out” under If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-30. 4-10 To turn the system off, move the gear shift lever to FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. See “Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out” under If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-30. When the system is turned off, the TRAC OFF warning light will come on and stay on. If the ETS is limiting wheel spin when the system is turned off, the TRAC OFF light will come on – but the ETS will not turn off right away. It will continue to operate until there is no longer a need to limit wheel spin. 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. See Enhanced 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 Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and ﬁnd a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can not; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action — steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes — but, unless you have anti-lock, not enough to lock your wheels. See Braking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. 4-12 An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. Off-Road Recovery You may ﬁnd that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver? Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision. So here are some tips for passing: (cid:127) Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the sides and to crossroads for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time. (cid:127) Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken center line usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic. 4-13 (cid:127) Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision, especially if you are following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance. (cid:127) When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and do not get too close. Time your move so you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a running start that more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone is not trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. (cid:127) Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is. Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. (cid:127) Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not ﬂashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. 4-14 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems — brakes, steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and slow down when you have any doubt. If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have anti-lock, then in a braking skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. 4-15 Driving at Night Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. 4-16 Here are some tips on night driving. (cid:127) Drive defensively. (cid:127) Do not drink and drive. (cid:127) Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlamps behind you. (cid:127) Since you cannot see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more space between you and other vehicles. (cid:127) Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlamps can light up only so much road ahead. In remote areas, watch for animals. If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest. No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old. What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible. (cid:127) (cid:127) You can be temporarily blinded by approaching headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare, as from a driver who does not lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps, slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching headlamps. Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass can build up a ﬁlm caused by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and ﬂash more than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly. Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the inability to see in dim light — and are not even aware of it. Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reﬂexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement. 4-17 The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even people walking. It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape and keep your windshield washer tank ﬁlled with washer ﬂuid. Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts. Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you hit them. {CAUTION: Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not work as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle. After driving through a large puddle of water or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally. 4-18 Hydroplaning Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road. Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can see reﬂections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it is raining. Driving Through Deep Standing Water Notice: If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or standing water, water can come in through your engine’s air intake and badly damage your engine. Never drive through water that is slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive through them very slowly. Driving Through Flowing Water {CAUTION: Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces. If you try to drive through ﬂowing water, as you might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can be carried away. As little as six inches of ﬂowing water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If this happens, you and other vehicle occupants could drown. Do not ignore police warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious about trying to drive through ﬂowing water. Some Other Rainy Weather Tips (cid:127) Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by road spray. (cid:127) Have good tires with proper tread depth. See Tires on page 5-53. 4-19 City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving: (cid:127) Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would for a cross-country trip. Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You will save time and energy. See Freeway Driving on page 4-21. Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have not cleared the intersection or may be running the red light. One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to traffic signals. 4-20 (cid:127) (cid:127) Freeway Driving Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules. The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ﬂow. Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane. At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with the ﬂow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ﬂow. Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass. Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use your turn signal. 4-21 Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in your blind spot. Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night. When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the next exit. The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply. The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you actually are. Before Leaving on a Long Trip Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when you are not fresh — such as after a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that ﬁrst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you can easily drive in. Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you will ﬁnd experienced and able service experts in GM dealerships all across North America. They will be ready and willing to help if you need it. 4-22 Here are some things you can check before a trip: (cid:127) Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean inside and outside? (cid:127) Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape? Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels? Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean? Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inﬂated to the recommended pressure? (cid:127) Weather Forecasts: What is the weather outlook along your route? Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid a major storm system? (cid:127) Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps? Highway Hypnosis Is there actually such a condition as highway hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever. There is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than a second, and you could crash and be injured. What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can happen. Then here are some tips: (cid:127) Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool interior. (cid:127) Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently. If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as an emergency. 4-23 (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable. (cid:127) Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ﬂuid levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system, and transaxle. These parts can work hard on mountain roads. (cid:127) Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this: let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill. {CAUTION: If you do not shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope. Hill and Mountain Roads Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in ﬂat or rolling terrain. 4-24 {CAUTION: Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing down. They could get so hot that they would not work well. You would then have poor braking or even none going down a hill. You could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle in gear when you go downhill. (cid:127) Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can climb the hill better. (cid:127) Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane. (cid:127) As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident. (cid:127) You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action. 4-25 Winter Driving Here are some tips for winter driving: (cid:127) Have your vehicle in good shape for winter. (cid:127) You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk. Also see Tires on page 5-53. Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield washer ﬂuid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a ﬂashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reﬂective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle. 4-26 Driving on Snow or Ice Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably have good traction. However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be very careful. What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it is about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution. If your vehicle has the Enhanced Traction System, keep the system on. It will improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has this system, you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. See Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9. Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do have anti-lock, see Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-7. This system improves your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether you have the anti-lock braking system or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can. 4-27 Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. (cid:127) Whatever your braking system, allow greater following distance on any slippery road. (cid:127) Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ﬁne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach: around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. 4-28 If You Are Caught in a Blizzard If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn on your hazard ﬂashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. (cid:127) (cid:127) (cid:127) Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you. If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, ﬂoor mats — anything you can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm. You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful. {CAUTION: Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it or smell it, so you might not know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base of your vehicle, especially any that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around again from time to time to be sure snow does not collect there. Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that is away from the wind. This will help keep CO out. 4-29 Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while. Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until help comes. 4-30 If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking can help you get out when you are stuck, but you must use caution. {CAUTION: If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can explode, and you or others could be injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an engine compartment ﬁre or other damage. When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Do not spin the wheels above 35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer. Notice: Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-31. For information about using tire chains on your vehicle, see Tire Chains on page 5-68. Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will clear the area around your front wheels. If you have the Enhanced Traction System, you should turn the system off. See Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and forth between REVERSE (R) and FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. The Enhanced Traction System will be turned off in FIRST (1) or SECOND (2) gear. Spin the wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to be towed out, see Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-36. Loading Your Vehicle It is very important to know how much weight your vehicle can carry. Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the Vehicle Certiﬁcation label. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. 4-31 The Tire and Loading Information label also lists the tire size of the original equipment tires (C) and the recommended cold tire inﬂation pressures (D). For more information on tires and inﬂation, see Tires on page 5-53 and Inﬂation - Tire Pressure on page 5-60. There is also important loading information on the Certiﬁcation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle, see “Certiﬁcation Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit 1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX pounds” on your vehicle’s placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. Tire and Loading Information Label United States version shown, Canada similar The Tire and Loading Information label is attached to the vehicle’s center pillar (B-pillar). With the driver’s door open, you will ﬁnd the label attached below the door lock post (striker). The tire and loading information label lists the number of occupant seating positions (A), and the maximum vehicle capacity weight (B) in kilograms and pounds. 4-32 4. The resulting ﬁgure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be ﬁve 150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 − 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs.). 5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity for your vehicle. If your vehicle can tow a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on page 4-38 for important information on towing a trailer, towing safety rules, and trailering tips. Example 1 Item Description Total Maximum Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 1 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 2 = Available Occupant and Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 300 lbs (136 kg) 700 lbs (317 kg) 4-33 Example 2 Example 3 Item Description Total Item Description Total Maximum Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 2 = Subtract Occupant Weight 150 lbs (68 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 750 lbs (340 kg) 250 lbs (113 kg) Maximum Vehicle Capacity Weight for Example 3 = Subtract Occupant Weight 200 lbs (91 kg) × 5 = Available Cargo Weight = 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 1,000 lbs (453 kg) 0 lbs (0 kg) Refer to your vehicle’s tire and loading information label for speciﬁc information about your vehicle’s maximum vehicle capacity weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the driver, passengers, and cargo should never exceed your vehicle’s maximum vehicle capacity weight. 4-34 Certiﬁcation Label United States version shown, Canada similar The Certiﬁcation label is found on the rear edge of the driver’s door. The label shows the gross weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo. Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle. If the vehicle is going to carry a heavy load, spread it out. Do not carry more than 167 lbs (75 kg) in your trunk. {CAUTION: Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can break, and it can change the way your vehicle handles. These could cause you to lose control and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Notice: Overloading your vehicle may cause damage. Repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not overload your vehicle. 4-35 If things like suitcases, tools, packages, or anything else are put inside the vehicle, they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going. {CAUTION: Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. (cid:127) Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a trunk, put them as far forward as you can. Try to spread the weight evenly. (cid:127) Never stack heavier things, like suitcases, inside the vehicle so that some of them are above the tops of the seats. (cid:127) Do not leave an unsecured child restraint in your vehicle. (cid:127) When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it whenever you can. (cid:127) Do not leave a seat folded down unless you need to. Towing Towing Your Vehicle Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See Roadside Assistance Program on page 7-6. If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome), see “Recreational Vehicle Towing” following. Recreational Vehicle Towing Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome. The two most common types of recreational vehicle towing are known as dinghy towing, towing the vehicle with all four wheels on the ground, and dolly towing, towing the vehicle with two wheels on the ground and two wheels up on a device known as a dolly. With the proper preparation and equipment, many vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following. 4-36 Dolly Towing Here are some important things to consider before you do recreational vehicle towing: (cid:127) What is the towing capacity of the towing vehicle? Be sure you read the tow vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. (cid:127) How far will you tow? Some vehicles have restrictions on how far and how long they can tow. (cid:127) Do you have the proper towing equipment? See your dealer or trailering professional for additional advice and equipment recommendations. Is your vehicle ready to be towed? Just as you would prepare your vehicle for a long trip, you will want to make sure your vehicle is prepared to be towed. See Before Leaving on a Long Trip on page 4-22. If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels Dinghy Towing Notice: on the ground, the drivetrain components could be damaged. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Do not tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground. Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed, you should use a dolly. See “Dolly Towing” that follows for more information. Your vehicle can be towed using a dolly. To tow your vehicle using a dolly, follow these steps: 1. Put the front wheels on a dolly. 2. Put the gear shift lever in PARK (P). 3. Set the parking brake and then remove the ignition key. 4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position.

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2005 Buick Century Owners Manual