CADILLAC ELDORADO 1994 10.G Owners Manual

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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. W\
hen 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 headlights. Let
the heater run for awhile.
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.
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NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result
in costly repairs not covered by your warranty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice
in this section.
Your Cadillac is a passenger vehicle. It was not designed for many of the
demands that trailer towing can add.. Trailer towing can change the way
your vehicle performs on the road. It brings new forces into play and can
add plenty
of strain and stress to your vehicle.
Load pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to work harder against the drag
of the added weight.
The engine is required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. Trailer towing adds considerably to
wind resistance increasing the pulling requirements.
All
of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel Economy
You may decide not to pull a trailer but meet your load carrying needs in
some other way.
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If you do, here are some important points.
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There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig will be legal, not
only where you live but also where you’ll be driving. A
good source for this information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using
a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t drive
over
50 mph (80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
When towing a trailer, close all windows and set the Electronic
Climate Control System to
“ECON”, “AUTO”, “DEFOG” or
Defroster to assure that the fan is running.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
1. Weight of the nailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 pounds
(450 kg).
It depends on how you plan
to use your rig. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your
vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can also
depend on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer
for our trailering information or advice, or
you can write
us at Cadillac.
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In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer L .
Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7.
2. Weight of the nailer Tongue
When a trailer is connected to your vehicle, the trailer tongue adds
to the weight your vehicle is carrying.
So, remember to subtract the
weight
of the trailer tongue from your vehicle’s capacity weight.
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The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailerand
then the tongue, separately, to see
if the weights are proper. If they
aren’t, you may be able to get them.right simply by moving-some
items around in the trailer.
3. Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires.
You’ll find these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge
of the driver’s door (or see Index-under “Tire Loading”). Then be
sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
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Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads are a few reasons why you’ll need the
right hitch. Here are some rules to
follow:
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch?
If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later
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.
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The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them.\
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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. Alwa\
ys
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. L:
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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Folbwing Distance ~ ..
Stay at Least ,twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicie without a trailer.
This can help you.avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
,Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead-.when you’re towing a. trailer.
And, because y0u’re.a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you .can return to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer ‘to .the- left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to
the right, .move -your hand
‘to the right. Always back up. slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making nrns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do
.this so your trailer won? strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other .objects. Avoid jerky.or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn sigreals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
.= flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument panel will f
J I flash, whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked. up, the
trailer
l&hts will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
flash for turns even’if the.bulbs on the trailer are burned out. .Thus, you
may think drivers behind
you are seeing your- signal when they are not.
’ Et’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer. bulbs are still
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i When towing a trailer; the green arrows on your instrument panel will
t! working.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) or less to reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 Kg) and you have an
automatic transaxle with Overdrive, you may want
to drive in “3” instead
of Overdrive
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, \
on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.\

But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into “P’, (Park).
Have someone place chocks-under the- trailer wheels.
When. the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until
the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. THen shift into “P7, (Park) firmly and
apply your parking brake.
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave Afler Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
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F, 4. Stop and have someone pick up .and store the chocks.
Engine Cooling When Tru.ilering
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I ? Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during severe operating
conditions such as;
Climbing grades steeper than 4% at ambient temperatures above
90” Fahrenheit (32O Celsius) with a loaded vehicle and trailer.
Stopping after high-speed driving.
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If ,“ENGINE HOT A/C COMPRESSOR OFF” message appears on. the
Driver Information Center, do.not be alarmed.
This is. a normal function
continue to drive’your vehicle.
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
transaxle selector to
P (Park) and allow the engine to idle.:Do not turn off
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
- designed. to reduce the load on the.engine and cooling system. You can
- If “ENGINE COOLANT HOT IDLE ENGINE” message.appears on
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I the engine or increase engine speed.above a normalidle. Wit-hin two or
b- IDLE ENGINE” message is not displayed.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
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Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer.
See the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are
(don’t overfill), engine oil,
axle lubricant, belts, cooling system, and brake
adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will
these sections before you start your trip.
i especially important in trailer operation are, automatic transaxle fluid
7 help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
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Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
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PROBLEMS ON THE ROAD
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the
road. 7
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