Brake CADILLAC CATERA 1998 1.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Low Fuel Light
If the fuel level is low,
approximately two gallons
(7.57 L) of fuel remaining
in the fuel tank, a light will
come
on and stay on until
you add fuel.
It will also come on for a few seconds when
you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show it’s working. If
it
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed.
Automatic Transmission Warning Light
0
This light comes on briefly
when the ignition
is turned
on. If the light remains on
or lights up while driving,
there may be a fault in the
automatic transmission.
Have your vehicle serviced.
Leveling Indicator Light
LEVELING
This light comes on steady
when the rear load level in
your vehicle changes.
Do not drive your vehicle when this light is on. The rear
of your vehicle is too low and part of the body or the rear
axle may be damaged when driving over bumpy roads.
When the light goes out, leveling is complete.
This
procedure is automatic -- you don’t have to do anytlmng.
If the light comes on flashing, there may be a problem
with the leveling system. You should reduce your
vehicle speed and have your vehicle serviced soon.
Brake Pad Wear Indicator Light
This light comes on when
the brake pads
on your
vehicle have significantly
worn. The pads will have to
be replaced,
so have your
vehicle serviced soon.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine lc"' -+a
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
4-3
4-6
4-6
4-7 4- 10
4- 12
4- 12
4-13
4-
15
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Steering
Off-Road Recovery
Passing
Loss of Control
Driving at Night 4- 16
4-19
4-20
4-2
1
4-22 4-22
4-24
4-28
4-30 Driving in Rain and
on Wet
Roads
City Driving
Freeway Driving
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Highway Hypnosis
Hill and Mountain Roads
Winter Driving
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
Catera: Buckle up. (See "Safety Belts" in the Index.) Defensive driving really means
"be ready for anything."
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
"always expect the unexpected."
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they rnight
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable
of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It's the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more
difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or
pull off the road in
a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving techniques could save your life.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Average
reaction time is about 314 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.
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.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction tim.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do
a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist
is used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake
pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin
to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
ABS
If there’s a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
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 wheel.
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.
I
I
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.
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only
if it senses that
one or both
of the rear wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When this happens, the system brakes
the spinning wheel and/or reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
This warning light will
come on to let you know if
there’s a problem with your traction control system.
See “Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will
not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The
traction control system automatically comes
on
whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to.
(You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
To turn the system off, press the TCS
OFF button located
next to the radio on the
center console.
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.
4-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 “drive” 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 “Braking
in
Emergencies” 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. 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.
4-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited
to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed
or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid
is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
If your traction control system is off, then
an
acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs. Of
course, traction
is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed
snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.