User manual BUICK CENTURY 2004

[. . . ] 2004 Buick Century Owner Manual Seats and Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44 M Driving Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Canadian Owners You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P. O. [. . . ] To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions, the ETS should always be left on. 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. 4-9 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 4-10 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. Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. 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. [. . . ] 1-14 Skidding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62 Storage Areas Center Console Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ]