ESP CADILLAC CATERA 1998 1.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing
a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle
a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you
are belted.
@ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to wear
safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be
in most of them in the future.
But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use
of safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has
air bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
&: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident -- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect you
from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number
of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Door Locks
A CAUTION:
-- - -
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-0 especially children 0- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When
a door is
locked, the inside handle won’t open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren’t locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you will be far
better
off whenever you drive your vehicle. There
are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside,
use your key or the remote keyless
entry transmitter. This will avoid setting
off the optional
theft-deterrent
alarrn.
From inside your vehicle,
slide the lock lever down to
lock the door.
To unlock the
door, slide the lock lever up.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your vehicle loses power
temporarily, you can
manually open the
trunk
using the trunk release
handle. The handle is
located on the underside
of
the trunk lid on the driver’s
side and can be accessed
through the fold-down
rear seats.
Fold down the driver’s side rear seat and reach through
to the trunk compartment to find the release handle. Pulling
this handle opens the trunk. For more
information on how to
fold the rear seats, see “Folding
the Rear Seat’’ in the Index.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transmission. And remember to lock
the doors.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wiper-Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the low-beam headlamps, parking
lamps, sidemarker lamps and taillamps after the
windshield wipers have been in use for about
20 seconds.
The wiper-activated headlamps light the way in poor
weather and
also make your vehicle more visible to
other drivers.
If the wipers are on and the ignition switch
is turned off, the headlamps will immediately turn off.
The headlamps will also deactivate if the windshield
wipers have been turned
off for about 20 seconds.
Perimeter Lighting
This feature turns on the low-beam headlamps,
parking lamps, sidemarker lamps and taillamps for
about
20 seconds after the unlock button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed. Perimeter lighting
immediately ends when your vehicle’s ignition is turned
to
ON or START.
Lamps On Reminder
You will hear a warning chime if you open the door
while leaving the lamps on, if the manual headlamp
control is activated. An exception to this is when you’re
using the 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.
DIU, 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:
your vehicle’s ignition is in ON or START,
the low-beam headlamps are off (the manual lamp
switch is in the off or park lamp position) and
your vehicle’s transmission is shifted out of
PARK
(P).
When DRL are on, only the 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. The instrument panel
won’t be lit up either.
When the twilight sentinel is on and it’s dark enough
outside, the high-beam headlamps (at reduced intensity)
will change to low-beam headlamps. When it’s bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and the
high-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of
DRL.
2-41
__

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter
I6h
VOLTS
You can read battery
voltage on the voltmeter. If
it reads less than
12 volts or
more than 16 volts while the
engine
is running, and it
stays there, you may have a
problem with the electrical
charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with
the voltmeter
reading in the lower warning zone could drain
or
damage the battery. Driving with the voltmeter reading
in the upper warning zone could cause bulbs to burn out
(especially headlamp bulbs), various vehicle modules to
shut down (due to overload protection) and the
possibility
of a battery acid leak.
If you idle the engine for a while, the voltmeter reading
might move into the red zone. If the reading
stays in the
red zone while
you are driving, you may have a problem
with the electrical charging system. Have it checked.
While the voltmeter reads in the red zone, the battery
may not be able to power certain electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, the ABS light will come on.
See “Anti-Lock Brakes System Warning Light” in
this section.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn off all the accessories,
including the comfort controls and the audio system.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine +: Pressing this button increases volume.
-: Pressing this button decreases volume.
o (SOURCE): To change to a tape or CD, press
this button.
Understan hg Radio Reception Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing
damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
EM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go. To
help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
0 Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of
0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is
12 times greater; at a
level
of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to
rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action,
as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even
a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There’s
something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount
of akohol. You can have
a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you’re with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.

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 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.