CADILLAC ELDORADO 1999 10.G Owners Manual
Page 91 of 344
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2-35 Windshield Wipers
WIPER: Turn the band on the turn signal lever to
control the wipers.
MIST: Turn the band toward you and then release it for
a single wiping cycle. For more cycles, hold the band on
MIST longer.
LO or HI: Turn the band away from you to either LO
(low speed) or to HI (high speed), depending on the
wiper speed you want.
DELAY: You can set the wiper speed for a long or short
delay between wipes with this setting. Turn the band to
the DELAY position. The closer you turn it to LO, the
shorter the delay.OFF: Turn the band to OFF to turn off the wipers.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If the blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor. A
circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Rainsense Wipers (ETC Only)
This moisture sensor is mounted on the passenger's
interior side of the windshield behind the rearview
mirror and is used to automatically operate the wipers
by monitoring the amount of moisture that is on
the windshield.
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2-36
The Rainsense system can be activated by turning the
wiper stalk to one of the five sensitivity levels within the
AUTO DELAY area. The AUTO DELAY position
closest to OFF is the lowest sensitivity setting. This
allows more water to collect on the windshield between
wipes. Turning the stalk away from you to the other
AUTO DELAY settings increases the sensitivity of the
system and frequency of wipes. A single wipe will occur
each time you turn the wiper stalk to a higher sensitivity
level. An initial wipe occurs when you turn the ignition
on as a reminder that Rainsense is active. The
windshield wipers also remain in a ªhigh parkº position
(when the wipers are stopped on the windshield and are
not in its normal park position), even when the ignition
is turned off.
The Rainsense wipers operate in a delay mode as well as
a continuous low or high speed depending on the
amount of moisture and the sensitivity level. The MIST
and ªwashº cycles operate as normal and are not
affected by the Rainsense function.
NOTICE:
The wipers must be turned off when going
through a car wash to avoid damage.
It is important to note that the Rainsense wiping feature
(AUTO DELAY) can be overridden at any time by
manually changing the wiper control to LO or HI speed.
Note: If you ever need to replace the windshield, make
sure it is Rainsense compatible.
Windshield Washer
CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
At the top of the turn signal/multifunction lever there
is a paddle with the word PUSH on it. To spray washer
fluid on the windshield, press and release this paddle.
The wipers will clear the windshield and either stop or
return to your preset speed. For more washer cycles,
press and hold the paddle.
LOW WASHER FLUID will be displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) when the washer
fluid reaches a low level.
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2-37 Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can help on long trips. Cruise
control does not work at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h).
Cruise control shuts off when you apply your brakes.
CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. (See ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index.) When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.
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Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Accelerate to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET CRUISE button at the end of the lever
and release it. The CRUISE ENGAGED message
will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Setting the cruise control at a desired speed and then
applying the brake will end the cruise function.Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to R/A
(Resume/Accelerate) for about half a second to reset.
This returns you to your desired preset speed. Also note
that the Driver Information Center (DIC) will display
the CRUISE ENGAGED message again.
Remember, if you hold the switch at R/A longer than
half a second, the vehicle will accelerate until you
release the switch or apply the brake. So unless you
want to go faster, don't hold the switch at R/A.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the button at the end of the lever and then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You'll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it there
until you reach a desired speed and then release the
switch. (To increase your speed in very small amounts,
move the switch to R/A. Each time you do this, your
vehicle will go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will only work after you have set the
cruise control speed by pushing the SET CRUISE button.
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Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach a desired lower speed, then release it. A
CRUISE ENGAGED message will then display in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you'll go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brakes
or downshifting into FIRST (1) takes you out of cruise
control. Many drivers find this to be too much trouble
and don't use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to end cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal.
Move the CRUISE switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when you
turn off the cruise control or the ignition.
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2-40
Exterior Lamps
The control on the left
side of the instrument
panel controls these
lamp systems:
Headlamps
Taillamps
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
License Plate Lamp
Underhood Lamp
Fog Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
Interior Courtesy Lamps
Instrument panel backlighting will activate whenever
the lamps or lights are turned on.
Parking Lamps
Pull the exterior lamp control knob out to the first stop to
turn on the parking as well as the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps and instrument panel lights. Push the control knob
all the way back in to turn the lamps and lights off.
Headlamps
Pull the exterior lamp control knob out all the way to
turn on the headlamps. Push the control knob all the way
back in to turn the headlamps off.
Wiper
-Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers have been in use for
approximately 20 seconds.
In order to operate the wiper
-activated headlamps, the
Twilight Sentinel must be turned on. This feature
lights the way in poor weather and it also makes your
vehicle more visible to other drivers. If the
wiper
-activated headlamps are on, and the ignition
switch is turned off, the wiper
-activated headlamps will
immediately turn off.
The wiper
-activated headlamps will deactivate if you
turn off the Twilight Sentinel or if the windshield wipers
have been turned off for a period of one or two seconds.
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2-41 Lamps On Reminder
If the manual headlamp control is activated, you will
hear a warning chime if you open either door while
leaving the lamps on. An exception to this is when
you're using Twilight Sentinel.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make the high
-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when:
the ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off and
the transaxle is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are on, only your high
-beam headlamps (at
reduced brightness) will be on. No other exterior lamps
such as the parking lamps, taillamps, etc. will be on
when the DRL are being used. Your instrument panel
won't be lit up either.When the Twilight Sentinel switch is on and it's dark
enough outside, the high
-beam headlamps (at reduced
intensity) will turn off and normal low
-beam headlamp
operation will occur. When the Twilight Sentinel switch
is on and it's bright enough outside, the regular lamps
will go off, and the high
-beam headlamps at reduced
brightness will take over for the DRL.
If it's dark enough outside and the Twilight Sentinel
control is off, a HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message
will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
This message informs the driver that turning on the
exterior lamps is recommended even though the DRL
are still illuminated (it's become dark enough outside to
require the headlamps and/or other exterior lamps).
Turning on the Twilight Sentinel, the headlamp switch
or the fog lamp switch will remove the HEADLAMPS
SUGGESTED message.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, turn off the
Twilight Sentinel switch and shift the transaxle into
PARK (P). Placing your vehicle in PARK (P) disables
the DRL. The DRL will stay off until you shift out of
PARK (P).
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
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2-42 Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better
vision in foggy or misty
conditions. When you press
the fog lamp button, a small
indicator light will tell you
that the fog lamps and the
parking lamps are on. Press
the button again to turn
them off.
If you turn on the high
-beam headlamps, the fog lamps
will turn off. They'll turn back on again when you
switch to low
-beam headlamps.
When the Twilight Sentinel is on and the fog lamp
switch is activated, the fog lamps will remain on as well
as the headlamps and parking lamps.
Cornering Lamps
The cornering lamps come on when the headlamps or
parking lamps are on and you signal a turn. They
provide more light for cornering.
Twilight Sentinel
This control is next to the
exterior lamp control knob.
It automatically turns the
lamps on and off by sensing
how dark it is outside.
To operate the Twilight Sentinel, leave the exterior lamp
control knob off and move the TWILIGHT control to
any position but OFF.
If you move the control all the way to the right, the
lamps will remain on for approximately three minutes
after the ignition has been turned to OFF or LOCK. If
you move the control so it is just on, the lamps will go
off quickly when you turn the ignition out of RUN. You
can adjust the delay time from only a few seconds to
three minutes.
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If it's dark enough outside and the Twilight Sentinel
control is off, a HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message
will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
This message informs the driver that turning on the
exterior lamps is recommended (it's become dark
enough outside to require the headlamps and/or other
exterior lamps). Turning on the Twilight Sentinel, the
headlamps or the fog lamps will remove the
HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED message.
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
and the Twilight Sentinel is located in the center of the
front defogger grille. If you cover the sensor, it will read
ªdarkº and the lamps will come on.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
If the manual parking lamp control has been left on, the
exterior lamps will turn off approximately 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned to LOCK or ACCESSORY.
This protects draining the battery in case you have
accidentally left the headlamps or parking lamps on. If
you need to purposely leave the lamps on for more than
10 minutes with the ignition in LOCK or ACCESSORY,
turn the exterior lamps control knob off and then back
on. To delay the lamps from turning off, see ªTwilight
Sentinelº in the Index.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity/Brightness
Control
The digital displays automatically dim when it becomes
dark outside and your lights are on. When it's dark, the
brightness control can be manually adjusted by turning
the exterior lamps control knob counterclockwise to dim
and clockwise to brighten the lighting. The digital
displays automatically brighten when it becomes light
outside, although backlighting will remain active at the
selected brightness as long as the lights are on.
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2-44 Illuminated Entry
The illuminated entry system turns on the courtesy lamps
and the backlighting to the door controls and to the
exterior lamps control knob when a door is opened or if
you press a remote keyless entry transmitter button. Since
the illuminated entry system has a photocell, this means
that it must be dark outside in order for the courtesy lamps
or backlighting to turn on. The courtesy lamps turn off
approximately 20 seconds after the last door is closed or
after the ignition key is placed in the ignition.
Parade Dimming
This feature prohibits the dimming of the instrument
panel lights during daylight while the headlamps are on.
This feature operates with the light sensor for the
Twilight Sentinel and is fully automatic. When the light
sensor reads darkness outside, the instrument panel
lights can be adjusted by turning the exterior lamps
control knob counterclockwise to dim and clockwise to
brighten lighting. Backlighting to the instrument panel
will turn on, regardless of light conditions.
Reading Lamps
The reading lamps are located in the roof unless your
vehicle has the optional sunroof where the lamps are
located above the windows. To turn them on, turn the
exterior lamps control knob all the way clockwise.
These lamps and the interior courtesy lamps
automatically come on when either door is opened and it
is dark outside. For manual operation, press the button
to turn them on. Press it again to turn them off.
If the reading lamps are left on, they automatically shut
off 10 minutes after the ignition has been turned off.
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver
This feature is designed to protect your vehicle's battery
against drainage from the interior lamps, trunk lamp,
glove box lamp, cigarette lighters or the garage door
opener. When the ignition is turned off, the power to
these features will automatically turn off after 10
minutes (three minutes if a new car has 15 miles
(24 km) or less). Power will be restored for an additional
10 minutes if either door is opened, the trunk is opened
or the courtesy lamps are turned on.