warning CADILLAC CATERA 2000 1.G Owners Manual

ii
Table of Contents
Keys and Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Trunk Release
Automatic Transmission
Windows
Tilt Wheel
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Windshield Wipers
Cruise ControlInterior and Exterior Lamps
Mirrors
Storage Compartments
Convenience Net
Accessory Power Outlet
OnStar® System (If Equipped)
Sunroof (Option)
HomeLink® Transmitter (Option)
Instrument Panel, Warning Lights and Gages Seats and Seat Controls
Safety BeltsAir Bag Systems
Child Restraints
Section
1
Section
2
Seats and Restraint Systems
Features and Controls

Section
3
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
Section
4
Your Driving and the Road
Section
5
Table of Contents (cont'd)
Your Driving, the Road and Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a Vehicle
BrakingSteering
Driving Tips for Various Road Conditions
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer Heating and Air Conditioning
Setting the Radio Clock
Radio/Cassette Player/CD PlayerRadio Theft-Deterrent Feature
Steering Wheel Controls
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your VehicleEngine Overheating
Changing a Flat Tire
If You're Stuck
Problems on the Road

viii
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

ix
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
CAUTION
POSSIBLE
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR
FLAME
COULD
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
AIR BAG
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
MASTER
LIGHTING
SWITCH
TURN
SIGNALS
PARKING
LAMPS
HAZARD
WARNING
FLASHER
DAYTIME
RUNNING
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
WASHER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
REAR
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP
BATTERY
CHARGING
SYSTEM
BRAKE
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
FUEL
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

2-
2-1
Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and information on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you if everything is
working properly
-- and what to do if you have a problem.
2
- 2 Keys
2
- 4 Door Locks
2
- 7 Remote Keyless Entry System (RKE)
2
- 11 Trunk
2
- 12 Theft
2
- 13 Theft-Deterrent System (Option)
2
- 15 Immobilizer
2
- 16 New VehicleªBreak-Inº
2
- 16 Ignition Positions
2
- 18 Starting Your Engine
2
- 19 Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
2
- 21 Automatic Transmission Operation
2
- 26 Parking Brake
2
- 27 Shifting Into PARK (P)
2
- 29 Shifting Out of PARK (P)
2
- 30 Parking Over Things that Burn2
- 31 Engine Exhaust
2
- 31 Running Your Engine While You're Parked
2
- 32 Windows
2
- 34 Horn
2
- 34 Tilt Wheel
2
- 35 Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
2
- 41 Exterior Lamps
2
- 47 Interior Lamps
2
- 48 Mirrors
2
- 50 Storage Compartments
2
- 53 OnStar
System (If Equipped)
2
- 54 Sunroof (Option)
2
- 58 HomeLink
Transmitter (If Equipped)
2
- 62 The Instrument Panel -- Your
Information System
2
- 66 Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators

2-26
Parking Brake
The parking brake is located on the center console
between the front seats.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your foot and pull up on the parking brake
lever. If the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come on.If you start to drive with the parking brake set, the
BRAKE warning light stays on. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº in the Index for more information.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down
with your foot and pull the parking brake lever up until
you can press the end release button. Hold the release
button in as you move the brake lever all the way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause the
rear brakes to overheat. You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage other parts of
your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. This section
shows what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-37
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, replace them with new blades.
See ªWindshield Wiper Blade Replacementº in
the Index.
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.
Windshield Washer
Pull and hold the
washer lever to wash
the windshield. Release
the lever when you have
enough fluid. The wipers
will clear the windshield
and either stop or return
to your preset speed.
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.
This light on the instrument
panel cluster will be
displayed when the washer
fluid reaches a low level.
See ªLow Washer Fluid Warning Lightº in the Index for
more information.

2-42
Headlamps.
Fog lamps.
Twilight Sentinel.
Turns the Twilight Sentinel system off.
Instrument panel brightness control.
Turn the lamp control dial clockwise (to the first
position) to turn on the parking lamps, front and rear
sidemarker lamps, taillamps, license plate lamps, ashtray
lamps, instrument panel lights and backlighting to the
center console controls. Turn the lamp control dial all
the way clockwise (to the second position) to turn on
the low
-beam headlamps.
Turn the lamp control dial counterclockwise to turn
the lamps off.
Headlamps
Turn the lamp control dial all the way to the right to turn
on the low
-beam headlamps.
To turn on the high
-beam headlamps, the low-beam
headlamps must already be on. Push the turn signal lever on
the left side of the steering wheel away from you to engage
the high
-beam headlamps. Pull the lever toward you to
return to the low
-beam headlamps. For more information,
see ªHeadlamp High/Low Beamº in the Index.
Turn the lamp control dial all the way to the left to turn
the headlamps off.
Please note that if the headlamps are activated while
driving and then you turn your vehicle's ignition off
while the lamp dial is still turned on, the headlamps will
turn off. If, however, you open the driver's door while
the lamp dial is still turned on, a warning chime will
sound reminding you to turn the lamp control dial to
OFF. This will stop the warning chime from sounding.
(If you want the headlamps to remain on, you must
manually turn the lamp control dial off and then back
on to the headlamp position. The headlamps will stay
on until manually turned off again.)

2-43
Your vehicle may be equipped with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps. Your headlamps come on at
a lower intensity and gradually increase to full brightness.
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. 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:

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.

2-63
The instrument panel is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You'll know how fast
you're going, how much fuel you're using and many of the other things you'll need to know to drive safely and
economically. The main components of the instrument panel are:
A. Air Outlets
B. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
C. Instrument Panel Cluster
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
E. Comfort Controls
F. Lamp Controls
G. Horn
H. Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Audio System
I. Hood ReleaseJ. Heated Front Seat Control (Option)
K. Hazard Warning Flasher Button
L. Fuel Door Release Button
M. Ashtray
N. Radio
O. Trunk Release Button
P. Rear Power Sunshade Button
Q. Traction Control On/Off Button
R. Glove Box