CADILLAC DEVILLE 1998 7.G Owners Manual
Page 91 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Engine 
Move  your  shift  lever  to  PARK (P) or  NEUTRAL (N). 
Your engine  won’t  start in any  other  position -- that’s  a 
safety  feature.  To restart  when  you’re  already  moving, 
use  NEUTRAL 
(N) only. 
NOTICE: 
Holding  your  key in START for longer  than 
15 seconds  at a  time  will cause  your  battery  to be 
drained  much sooner.  And the excessive  heat  can 
NOTICE: 
damage  your  starter  motor. 
Don’t 
try to  shift to PARK  (P) if your  Cadillac  is 
moving. 
If you  do, you  could  damage  the 
transaxle. 
Shift to PARK (P) only  when  your 
vehicle 
is stopped. 
1. Without  pushing  the  accelerator  pedal,  turn  your  ignition  key  to  START.  When the  engine  starts,  let 
go of the  key.  The  idle  speed  will go down  as  your 
engine  gets  warm. 
2. If it  doesn’t start right  away,  hold  your  key  in 
START  for  about  three  seconds  at  a  time  until  your 
engine  starts.  Wait  about 
15 seconds  between  each 
try to  help  avoid  draining  your  battery  or  damaging 
your  starter. 
2-20   
Page 92 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. If your  engine still won’t  start  (or  starts  but  then 
stops),  it could  be  flooded  with  too  much  gasoline. 
Try pushing  your  accelerator  pedal  all  the way  to  the 
floor  and  holding  it there  as  you  hold  the key  in 
START for about  three  seconds.  If the  vehicle  starts 
briefly  but then  stops  again, 
do the same  thing. 
I NOTICE: 
Your  engine is designed  to  work with the 
electronics  in  your vehicle. 
If you add  electrical 
parts  or  accessories,  you could  change  the 
way 
the engine  operates.  Before  adding  electrical 
equipment,  check  with  your  dealer. 
If you don’t, 
your  engine  might  not  perform properly. 
If  you  ever  have  to  have  your  vehicle towed, see 
the  part  of this  manual  that  tells how  to  do 
it 
without damaging  your  vehicle. See “Towing 
Your  Vehicle’’  in  the Index. 
P 
Engine Coolant  Heater (If Equipped) 
In  very  cold  weather, 0” F (- 18 O C) or  colder,  the  engine 
coolant  heater  can  help.  You’ll  get  easier  starting  and 
better  fuel economy  during  engine  warm-up.  Usually, 
the  coolant  heater  should  be  plugged 
in a  minimum of 
four hours  prior to starting  your  vehicle. 
2-21   
Page 93 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Engine  Coolant  Heater 
1. Turn off the  engine. 
2. Open  the  hood  and  unwrap  the electrical  cord. 
3. Plug  it  into  a normal,  grounded  110-volt AC outlet. 
- 
Plugging  the  cord  into an ungrounded  outlet 
could  cause  an  electrical  shock.  Also,  the  wrong 
kind 
of extension  cord  could  overheat  and cause 
a fire.  You could  be  seriously  injured.  Plug  the 
cord  into 
a properly  grounded  three-prong 
110-volt 
AC outlet. If the  cord  won’t  reach,  use a 
heavy-duty  three-prong  extension  cord  rated for 
at least 15 amps. 
4. Before  starting  the  engine, be sure to  unplug and store 
the cord as it was before  to keep it  away  from  moving 
engine  parts. 
If you  don’t,  it  could be damaged. 
How  long  should  you  keep  the  coolant  heater  plugged 
in? The  answer  depends  on  the  outside  temperature,  the 
kind  of oil  you  have, 
and some  other  things.  Instead  of 
trying  to  list everything  here,  we  ask  that  you contact 
your  dealer  in  the  area  where  you’ll  be  parking 
your 
vehicle.  The  dealer  can  give  you  the  best  advice  for that 
particular  area. 
2-22   
Page 94 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic l’ransaxle Operation 
The  automatic  transaxle  may  have  either a shift lever 
located  on  the  steering 
column or  on  the  console 
between  the  seats. 
There  are  several  different  positions  for the  shift  lever. 
P 
R 
N 
8 
3 
2 
1 
Console  Shifter 
I 
Column  Shifter 
PARK (P): This  position  locks  the  front wheels. It’s the 
best  position  to use  when  you  start the  engine  because 
your  vehicle  can’t  move  easily. 
A CAUTION: 
It is dangerous  to  get out of your  vehicle  if  the 
shift  lever  is  not  fully  in 
PARK (P) with  the 
parking brake 
firmly set.  Your  vehicle  can  roll. 
Don’t  leave  your  vehicle  when  the  engine 
is 
running unless  you  have  to. If you have  left  the 
engine  running,  the  vehicle  can  move  suddenly. 
You or  others  could  be  injured. To be  sure your 
-vehicle  won’t  move,  even  when  you’re  on  fairly 
level  ground,  always  set  your  parking  brake and 
move  the  shift  lever  to 
PARK (P). 
See  “Shifting  Into PARK (P)” in  the Index.. If 
you’re  pulling a trailer,  see  “Towing a Trailer”  in 
the  Index. 
I 
2-23   
Page 95 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ensure the shift  lever  is  fully  in  PARK  (P) range  before 
starting  the  engine.  Your vehicle  has  a  Brake-Transaxle 
Shift  Interlock  (BTSI).  You have  to  fully 
apply your 
regular  brakes 
befure you  can  shift  from  PARK  (P) 
when  the  ignition  key  is in RUN. 
If you  cannot  shift  out 
of  PARK 
(P), ease  pressure  on  the shift  lever -- push  the 
shift  lever  all  the  way into PARK  (P)  and  release  the 
shift  lever  button  on the floor  shift  console  models  as 
you  maintain  brake  application.  Then  move  the  shift 
lever  into  the  gear  you  wish.  (Press  the  shift  lever  button 
before  moving  the  shift  lever 
on floor  shift  console 
models.)  See  “Shifting  Out 
of PARK (P)” in  this  section. 
REVERSE  (R):  Use  this  gear  to  back  up. 
NOTICE: 
Shifting  to  REVERSE  (R)  while your vehicle  is 
moving  forward  could  damage  your  transaxle. 
Shift  to  REVERSE 
(R) only  after  your  vehicle 
has  stopped. 
NEUTRAL (N): In  this  position,  the  engine  doesn’t 
connect  with  the wheels.  To  restart  when  you’re 
already  moving,  use  NEUTRAL  (N)  only.  Also,  use 
NEUTRAL 
(N) when  your  vehicle  is  being  towed. 
Also  use  this  gear  to  rock  your  vehicle  back  and  forth 
to 
get  out  of  snow,  ice  or  sand  without  damaging  your 
transaxle.  See “If  You’re  Stuck 
in Sand,  Mud,  Ice or 
Snow” in the  Index for additional  information.  Shifting  out 
of PARK 
(P) or  NEUTRAL (N) while 
your  engine 
is “racing”  (running  at high  speed)  is 
dangerous.  Unless your foot 
is firmly  on  the 
brake  pedal,  your vehicle  could move very 
rapidly. 
You could  lose control  and  hit  people or 
objects.  Don’t shift  out 
of PARK (P) or 
NEUTRAL 
(N) while  your  engine is racing. 
NOTICE: 
Damage  to  your  transaxle  caused  by shifting  out 
of 
PARK (P) or  NEUTRAL (N) with  the engine 
racing  isn’t covered  by your  warranty. 
I I 
2-24   
Page 96 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for  normal  driving. 
If you  need  more  power  for passing,  and  you’re: 
Going  less  than 35 mph (55 kmk), push  the 
accelerator  pedal  about  halfway  down. 
Going  about 35 mph (55 kmh) or  more,  push  the 
accelerator  all  the  way  down. 
The  transaxle  will  shift  down  to the  next  gear  and 
have  more  power. 
.NOTICE: 
If your  vehicle  seems  to  start up rather  slowly,  or 
if it doesn’t  seem to shift  gears  as you  accelerate, 
something  may  be  wrong  with 
a transaxle  system 
sensor.. 
If you  drive  very far that way, your 
vehicle  can be  damaged. 
So if this  happens,  have 
your  vehicle  serviced  right 
away. Until  then, you 
can  use  SECOND 
(2) when  you  are driving  less 
than 
35 mph (55 km/h) and,OVERDRIVE (a) 
for higher  speeds.- 
THIRD (3): This position  is also. used  for normal 
driving,  however,  it offers  more  power  and  lower  fuel 
economy  than 
OVERDRIVE (0). 
Here  are  examples  for  using THIRD (3) instead of 
OVERDRIVE (0): 
When driving on  hilly,  winding  roads. 
When  towing  a trailer, so there  is less  shifting 
. When going down  a steep  hill. 
SECOND (2): This  position  gives  you  more  power. You 
can  use SECOND (2) on  hills.  It  ,can  help  control  your 
speed  as  you  go  down  steep  mountain  roads,  but  then 
you  wbuld 
also want to use  your  brakes off and  on. 
between  gears. 
‘I 
NOTICE: 
~  ~~ 
Don’t shift into 
SECOND (2) unless  you  are going 
slower  than 
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can 
damage  your  engine. 
! 
2-25   
Page 97 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FIRST (1): This  position  gives  you  even  more  power 
than 
SECOND (2). You  can  use  it on  very  steep  hills, 
or 
in deep  snow  or  mud.  (If  the  shft lever  is put  in 
FIRST (l), the  transaxle  won’t  shift  into gear  until the 
vehicle  is going  slowly  enough.) 
I NOTICE: 
- ~~ 
If your  front  wheels can’t  rotate,  don’t try to 
drive. This  might  happen if you were  stuck  in 
very  deep  sand 
or mud or were up against  a  solid 
object. 
You could  damage  your  transaxle. 
Also, if you  stop  when going uphill,  don’t  hold 
your  vehicle  there with only the  accelerator 
pedal.  This  could  cause  overheating  and  damage 
the  transaxle. 
Use your  brakes  to  hold  your 
vehicle  in position  on  a hill. 
Parking  Brake 
Hold  the  regular  brake 
pedal  down  with  your  right 
foot  and  push  down  the 
parking  brake  pedal  with 
your  left  foot to set the 
parking  brake.  If the 
ignition  is on,  the  PARK 
BRAKE  indicator  light 
should  come  on. 
If it 
doesn’t,  you  need  to  have 
your  vehicle  serviced. 
If the  parking  brake  has  not  been  fully  released  and  you 
try  to  drive  off  with  the  parking  brake  on,  the  PARK 
BRAKE  indicator  light  comes  on  and  stays  on.  See  “Parking  Brake  Indicator  Light”  in  the  Index  for 
more  information. 
When  you  move  out  of  PARK 
(P) or  NEUTRAL (N), 
if  the  engine  is running,  the  parking  brake  should 
release.  If it  doesn’t,  you  can  manually  release  the 
parking  brake. 
2-26   
Page 98 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Before  releasing  the  manual  parking  brake,  be  sure 
to  put the vehicle 
in PARK (P) and  turn  the  ignition 
to 
OFF. 
Reach  under  the driver’s  side of the instrument  panel 
and  pull  on  the  manual  release  lever,  which  is  located  above  the parking  brake  pedal. 
If the  parking  brake  does 
not  release, 
you should  either drive to the nearest  service 
station  or have 
your vehicle  towed. 
Always  shift to PARK (P) before  pulling  the 
manual  release  lever. 
If your  hand or  arm is in 
the  way 
of the  pedal  you  could  be  hurt. The  pedal 
springs  back  quickly.  Keep  your  hand and arm 
away  when  you  use  the  manual  release  lever. 
NOTICE: 
Driving  with the parking brake  on  can  cause 
your  rear brakes  to  overheat.  You  may  have  to 
replace  them  and you  could  also  damage  other 
parts 
of your  vehicle. 
If you are towing  a  trailer  and  are  parking  on  a  hill,  see 
“Towing  a  Trailer”  in  the Index.  This  section  shows 
what 
to do  first to keep  the trailer  from  moving. 
---e 2-27   
Page 99 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Shifting Into PARK (P) 
It can  be  dangerous  to get out  of your  vehicle if 
the shift lever is not fully  in PARK (P) with the 
parking  brake  firmly  set. Your  vehicle  can roll. 
If 
you  have  left the engine  running,  the  vehicle can 
move  suddenly.  You or  others  could  be  injured. 
To  be  sure  your vehicle  won’t  move,  even  when 
you’re 
on fairly level  ground,  use  the  steps  that 
follow. 
If you’re  pulling a trailer,  see “Towing  a 
Trailer”  in  the  Index. 
Steering  Column  Shift Lever 
(DeVie 
and DeVille  d’Elegance Only) 
1. Hold  the  brake  pedal  down  with you right  foot. 
2. Move  the  shift  lever  into PARK (P) like  this: 
Pull  the  lever  toward  you. 
2-28   
Page 100 of 386
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. 
4. 
5. 
0 Move the lever up  as far as it  will go. 
With  your  right  foot still holding  the  brake  pedal 
down,  set the  parking  brake. 
Twn the ignition  key to LOCK. 
Remove  the  key  and  take  it with  you. If you can 
leave  your  vehicle  with  the  ignition  key  in  your 
hand,  your  vehicle  is  in  PARK 
(P). 
Console  Shift Lever 
1. Hold the brake  pedal  down  with  your  right  foot. 
2. Move the shift  lever into  PARK (P) like this: 
0 Hold  in  the  button  on  the  lever  and  push  the  lever 
all  the  way  toward  the  front 
of your  vehicle. 
3. With  your  right  foot  still holding  the  brake  pedal 
down, set the parking brake. 
4. Turn  the  ignition  key to LOCK. 
5. Remove  the key  and  take  it with  you.  If  you  can 
leave  your  vehicle  with 
the ignition  key  in  your 
hand,  your  vehicle  is  in 
PARK (P).