traction control CADILLAC XLR 2005 1.G Owner's Manual

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as well
because your tire-to-road traction is not as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires do not have much tread
left, you will get even less traction. It is always wise to
go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when
your reexes are tuned for driving on dry pavement.The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road,
and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank lled
with washer uid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
5-18

Driving On Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You
will have a lot less traction, or grip, and will need to be
very careful.
What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.But wet ice can be even more trouble because it may
offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it
is about freezing (32°F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins
to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has
a traction control system, you will want to slow down and
adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain
conditions, you may want to turn the traction control
system off, such as when driving through deep snow and
loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower
speeds. SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 5-8.
The StabiliTrak
®System may also activate. See
StabiliTrak®System on page 5-10.
5-26

Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. Turn your
traction control system off; seeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 5-8. Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator
pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission is in gear. By slowly
spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may free
your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few
tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need to
be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 5-35.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
5-30

{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
6-59

Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specied indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underination, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
6-60

Used Replacement Wheels
{CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven. It could fail
suddenly and cause a crash. If you have to
replace a wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
Do not use tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a vehicle
without the proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and you or others may be injured
in a crash. Use another type of traction device
only if its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination and
road conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, re-adjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and do
not spin your wheels. If you do nd traction
devices that will t, install them on the
rear tires.
6-63

Lamps (cont.)
Exterior......................................................3-28
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver......................3-32
Fog ...........................................................3-31
Reading.....................................................3-33
Twilight Sentinel
®........................................3-31
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-28
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-30
Lifting Your Vehicle, Tires.................................6-64
Light
Airbag Off..................................................3-50
Airbag Readiness........................................3-49
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-53
Brake System Warning.................................3-52
Fog Lamp..................................................3-59
Highbeam On.............................................3-59
Lights On Reminder.....................................3-59
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-55
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-48
Security.....................................................3-59
TCS Warning Light......................................3-53
Tire Pressure..............................................3-55
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-53Lighting
Entry/Exit...................................................3-33
Limited-Slip Rear Axle....................................... 5-9
Lockout Protection..........................................2-12
Locks
Door........................................................... 2-9
Lockout Protection.......................................2-12
Power Door................................................2-11
Loss of Control...............................................5-15
Lowering the Retractable Hardtop......................2-45
Lumbar
Power Controls............................................. 1-2
M
Magnetic Ride Control....................................... 5-9
Maintenance Schedule
Additional Required Services........................... 7-6
At Each Fuel Fill........................................... 7-8
At Least Once a Month.................................. 7-8
At Least Once a Year.................................... 7-9
Introduction.................................................. 7-2
Maintenance Footnotes.................................. 7-7
Maintenance Record....................................7-14
Maintenance Requirements............................. 7-2
7

Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow......................5-29
Sun Visors.....................................................2-18
Symbols........................................................4-36
System Needs Service, If.................................4-45
System Overview
Overview, Navigation System.......................... 4-2
T
Tachometer....................................................3-48
TCS Warning Light..........................................3-53
Telescopic Steering Column, Power Tilt Wheel...... 3-7
Theft-Deterrent, Radio.....................................3-78
Theft-Deterrent System....................................2-19
Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-19
Tire
Pressure Light.............................................3-55
Tires.............................................................6-46
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels,
Cleaning.................................................6-76
Buying New Tires........................................6-58
Chains.......................................................6-63
Cleaning....................................................6-76Tires (cont.)
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................6-68
Ination -- Tire Pressure...............................6-53
Inspection and Rotation................................6-57
Lifting Your Vehicle......................................6-64
Pressure Monitor System..............................6-55
Run-Flat.....................................................6-52
Tire Sidewall Labelling..................................6-47
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................6-49
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................6-59
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................6-61
Wheel Replacement.....................................6-61
When It Is Time for New Tires......................6-58
Top Strap......................................................1-27
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................5-35
Towing a Trailer..........................................5-35
Your Vehicle...............................................5-35
Traction
Control System (TCS).................................... 5-8
Control System Warning Light.......................3-53
Limited-Slip Rear Axle.................................... 5-9
Magnetic Ride Control................................... 5-9
Stabilitrak
®System......................................5-10
12