ESP CADILLAC DEVILLE 1994 7.G User Guide
Page 202 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or
stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate
but stay in the right lane and don’t 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 cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
0 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.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to
turn.
189
If you’re being passed, make.it easy for the following driver to get
ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Page 203 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine LOSS OF CONTROL
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t 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 Cadillac’s three control
systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t 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 is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It helps avoid only the
acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control, then an acceleration skid is also 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’ll 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.
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Page 205 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
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’re driving,. don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlights, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a
second or two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the
dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t
lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights.
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 headlights light up far less
of a roadway when you
are in
a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick
out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlights 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 aren’t even aware of it.
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Page 208 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine p_ 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’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your tires haven’t 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.
n
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it
-- is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights -- not just your parking lights -- to
help make you more visible to others.
0 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.
0 Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Page 223 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle (see
Index under “Carbon Monoxide”). Dirt and water can, too.
attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do not
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer so that the tongue
will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety chains. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow
safety chains to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you’ll
be able to install, adjust and maintain them properly.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get to
know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the
feel of handling and braking with the added weight of
the trailer. And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This
lets you check your electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer brakes are still working.
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c.
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Page 226 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Engine Cooling When Trailering
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during severe operating
conditions such as;
Climbing grades steeper than 4% at ambient temperatures above
90” Fahrenheit (32’Celsius) with a loaded vehicle and trailer.
Stopping after high-speed driving.
Idling for long periods in stop and go traffic.
If “ENGINE
HOT A/C COMPRESSOR OFF” message appears on the
Driver Information Center, do not be alarmed. This is a normal function
designed to reduce the load on the engine and cooling system you can
continue to drive your vehicle.
If “ENGINE COOLANT
HOT” message appears on the Driver
Information Center, pull off to the side of
the road as soon as it is safe to
do so. When the vehicle is at a complete stop, shift the transmission
selector to
P (Park) and allow the engine to idle. Do not turn off the
engine or increase engine speed above a normal idle. Within
two or three
minutes the system should cool sufficiently to allow
A/C operation to
resume. At that
time resume driving at a reduced speed. Return to
normal driving after
10 minutes if the “ENGINE COOLANT HOT”
message
is not displayed.
Maintenance when Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer.
See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are
especially important
in trailer operation are automatic transaxle fluid
(don’t overfill), engine oil, belts, cooling system, and brake wear. Each of
these is covered
in this manual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these sections
before
you start your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
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Page 249 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine IFA TIRE GOES FLAT
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls
the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout,
remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under
control by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.
ro
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Page 263 of 399
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine not occur.) If you’re using 91 or higher octane unleaded gas and you still
get heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen
(oxygenates), such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no more than
15%
MTBE is fine for your Cadillac.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel that is no more
than
10% ethanol is fine for your Cadillac.
I Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for your vehicle.
Don’t use it. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or less, there must
be “cosolvents” and corrosion preventers in this fuel to help
avoid these problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will help prevent
deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel system. That helps keep
your engine in tune and your emission control system working properly.
It’s good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates. General Motors
recommends that you use gasolines with these blending materials, such as
MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in
those parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing reformulated
gasolines. These gasolines are specially designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. General Motors reco.mmends that you use reformulated
gasoline. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those parts
of the country that have high ozone levels.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under
identical conditions.
There are
two different fuel economy estimates for each vehicle, one for
city driving and one for highway driving.
To develop these two estimates,
separate tests are used to represent typical everyday city and rural
driving.
The test used to determine the city fuel economy estimate simulates a 7.5
mile (12 km), stop and go trip with an average speed of 20 mph (32
km/h). The trip takes 23 minutes and has 18 stops. About one fifth of the
time is spent idling,
as in waiting at traffic lights or in rush hour traffic.
Two kinds of engine starts are used: a cold start, which is similar to
starting a car
in the morning after it has been parked all night and a hot
start, which is similar to restarting a vehicle after it has been warmed up,
driven and stopped for a short time.
The test used to determine the highway fuel economy estimate represents
a mixture of "non-city" driving. Segments corresponding to different
kinds
of rural roads and interstate highways are included. The test
simulates
a 10 mile (17 km) trip with an average speed of 48 mph (77
km/h). The test is run from a hot start and has little idling time and no
stops.
To assure that the fuel economy numbers are most useful for consumers,
the EPA adjusts these laboratory test results to account for the difference
between controlled laboratory conditions and actual driving on the road.
The laboratory fuel economy results are adjusted downward to arrive at
the estimates on
the fuel economy window sticker and the Gas Mileage
Guide. The city estimate is lowered by 10 percent and the highway
estimate is lowered
by 22 percent from the laboratory test results.
Experience has proven that these adjustment.s make the mileage
estimates correspond more closely to the actual fuel economy realized by
the average driver.
Even though these figures are adjusted, they still represent what the
average driver will get. Your fuel economy may be significantly higher or
lower, depending on how, when, and where your vehicle is driven. Here
are some things you can
do to increase fuel economy;
0 Combine errands into one trip.
0 Turn the engine off rather than letting it idle for more than a minute.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your transaxle. Too
much can mean that some of the fluid could come out and fall
on hot engine parts or exhaust system, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle fluid level if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90" F (32" C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal operating
temperature, which is
180 " F to 200 " F (82 C to 93 C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles (24 km) when
outside temperatures are above
50 F (10 C). If it's colder than 50 F
(10 " C), you may have to drive longer.
To check thefluid level
Park your vehicle on a level place.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in "P" (Park).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each
gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then,
position the shift lever in "P" (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.