steering CADILLAC ELDORADO 2000 10.G User Guide

2-75
SERVICE RIDE SYS - 84: This message is displayed
to indicate that the suspension system is not operating
properly. To correct this problem, have your vehicle
serviced at your dealership.
SERVICE STEERING SYS
- 127: This message is
displayed when a problem has been detected in the
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variable effort steering system. Service is
required. A single chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
- 100: If a problem is
detected with the transaxle, this message will appear.
Have your vehicle checked by your dealership.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
- 3: If a problem is
detected with the transaxle, this message will appear.
Have your vehicle checked by your dealership.
SERV STABILITY SYS
- 54: If you ever see the
SERV STABILITY SYS message, it means there may
be a problem with your stability enhancement system.
If you see this message, try to reset the system
(stop; turn off the engine; then start the engine again).
If the SERV STABILITY SYS message still comes on,
it means there is a problem. You should see your dealer
for service. Reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
A single chime will also sound when this message
is displayed.STABILITY ENGAGED
- 55: You may see the
STABILITY ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer
-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY ENGAGED message is on, you
should continue to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
ENGAGED message comes on, you'll know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin,
so you should consider slowing down.

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
- 2 Comfort Controls
3
- 2 Climate Control Panel
3
- 6 Electronic Solar Sensor
3
- 6 Air Conditioning
3
- 6 Heating
3
- 7 Defrosting
3
- 7 Rear Window Defogger
3
- 8 Ventilation System
3
- 9 HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
3
- 9 Climate Control Personalization (If Equipped)
3
- 9 Audio Systems
3
- 9 Setting the Clock
3
- 10 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
3
- 13 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data
Systems (RDS) and Digital Signal
Processing (DPS) (If Equipped)3
- 22 Radio Data Systems (RDS) Program
Type (PTY) Selections
3
- 23 CD Adapter Kits
3
- 23 Trunk Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
- 27 Radio Personalization with Home and
Away Feature (If Equipped)
3
- 28 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
- 28 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
- 29 Understanding Radio Reception
3
- 29 Tips About Your Audio System
3
- 30 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
- 31 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
- 32 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
- 32 Power Antenna Mast Care

3-9

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
fan to the highest speed for a few moments before
driving off. This helps clear the intake outlets of
snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of the windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps circulate air throughout
your vehicle.
HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
Some heating and cooling
controls can be adjusted at
the steering wheel. Other
touch controls operate some
audio controls. SeeªAudio
Steering Wheel Controlsº in
the Index.
FAN SPEED: Press the up arrow lever to increase
the fan speed and the down arrow lever to decrease
fan speed.TEMP: Press the up arrow lever to increase the
temperature and the down arrow lever to
decrease temperature.
Climate Control Personalization
(If Equipped)
This feature allows both driver's (driver 1 or 2 depending
on the number on the back of your remote keyless entry
transmitter) to personalize their own climate control
settings. For more information, see ªMemory and
Personalization Featuresº in the Index.
Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with it
first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all its controls, to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Setting the Clock
Press and hold HR or MN until the time display begins
to change. Release the button as you get close to the
correct time. The time may be set anytime the clock is
displayed. There is a two
-second delay before the clock
goes into time
-set mode.

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When battery power is removed and later applied, you
will not have to reset your home radio presets because
the radio remembers them. However, you will have to
reset your away radio presets.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. Your vehicle has a ªbuilt
-inº theft-deterrent
feature on each radio that is automatic
-- there is no
programming required. The radio in your vehicle cannot
be used in any other vehicle. When the radio was
originally installed in your vehicle at the factory, it
stored the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Each
time the ignition is turned on, the VIN is verified. If the
vehicle's VIN does not match the VIN stored in the
radio, THEFTLOCK will be activated and the audio
system will not play. If the radio is removed from your
vehicle, the original VIN in the radio can be used to
trace the radio back to your vehicle.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls
can be adjusted at the
steering wheel. They
include the following:
VOLUME: Press the up arrow lever to increase volume
and the down arrow lever to decrease volume.

4-
4-1
Section 4 Your Driving and the Road
Here you'll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in varying weather conditions. We've also
included many other useful tips on driving.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-10 Steering
4
-12 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-14 Loss of Control
4
-15 Driving at Night
4
-17 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads4
-20 City Driving
4
-21 Freeway Driving
4
-22 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-23 Highway Hypnosis
4
-23 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-25 Winter Driving
4
-29 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-29 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-31 Towing a Trailer

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road
can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle.
(Also see ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index.)
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-8
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
The anti
-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and
road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti
-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti
-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.

4-10
To turn the system off,
press the TRAC OFF
button located inside
the glove box.
The TRACTION OFF message will display on the
Driver Information Center. If the system is limiting
wheel spin when you press the button, the TRACTION
OFF message will display
-- but the system won't turn
off right away. It will wait until there's no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The TRACTION READY message
should display briefly on the Driver Information Center.
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.
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This system continuously adjusts the effort you feel
when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
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's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.

4-11
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. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. Refer to ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
If you have Stabilitrak

, you may see the STABILITY
ENGAGED message on the Driver Information Center.
See ªStability Engaged Messageº in the Index.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.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 ªdriveº through
the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
-- if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the
time for evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or
right depending on the space available.

4-12
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one
-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.