CADILLAC CATERA 2001 1.G Owners Manual

2-34
6. At the bottom of the shift lever, you will see a
yellow tab. With one hand, push the tab to unlock
the shift lever.
7. Shift to NEUTRAL (N) with the other hand.
8. Start the engine (if you can) and then shift to the
drive gear you want.
9. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.

2-35
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn.
Engine Exhaust
CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:

Your exhaust system sounds strange
or different.

Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.

Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.

Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.

Repairs weren't done correctly.

Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:

Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and

Have your vehicle fixed immediately.

2-36
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running.
But if you ever have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaust.º
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
See ªBlizzardº in the Index.
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake after
you move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
The horn can be sounded by pressing either horn symbol
on the steering wheel.

2-37
Tilt Wheel
Tilt steering allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you begin driving. Raising the steering wheel to
the highest level gives your legs more room when you
enter and exit your vehicle.
Hold the steering wheel and pull the lever toward you
to tilt the wheel. Adjust the steering wheel to a
comfortable position and then release the lever to
lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever

2-38 Turn and Lane Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the turn signal/multifunction
lever all the way up or down. The lever returns
automatically when the turn is complete.
This arrow on the
instrument panel cluster
will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to flash to
signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane change
is complete. The lever returns when it is released.
Arrows that flash rapidly when signaling for a turn or
lane change may be caused by a burned
-out front signal
bulb. (This does not occur with a burned
-out rear bulb).
Other drivers won't see the turn signal. Replace
burned
-out bulbs to help avoid possible accidents.
Check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the
Index) and for burned
-out bulbs if the arrow fails to
work when signaling a turn.
Headlamp High/Low Beam
With the Twilight Sentinel
on or with the lamp
control dial turned to the headlamp position, push the
turn signal/multifunction lever on the driver's side of
the steering wheel away from you to turn on the
high
-beam headlamps.
This light on the instrument
panel cluster will be on,
indicating high
-beam usage.
Pull the lever back to the original position to return to
low
-beam headlamps. For more information, see
ªHeadlampsº in the Index.
Flash-To-Pass
This feature uses the high-beam headlamps to signal the
driver in front of you that you want to pass. This feature
will work with either the headlamps on or off.
To use, pull the turn signal lever toward you and release.

2-39 Windshield Wipers
WIPER: Move the lever on the passenger's side of the
steering wheel up and down to control the wipers.
MIST: Tap the lever up and then release it for a single
wipe cycle. For more cycles, pull and hold the lever.= (HIGH): Move the lever all the way up for a fast
wiper speed.
- (LOW): The third position up controls the low
wiper speed.
-- (DELAY): This position is for a controlled delay
setting. Turn the control dial on the lever to increase or
decrease the delay between wipe cycles.
o (OFF): This position turns off the wipers.
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.

2-40 Windshield Washer
Pull and hold the washer
lever towards you 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.

2-41 Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h).
Cruise control shuts off when you apply the brakes.
CAUTION:

Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.

Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control.
Don't use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.

2-42
Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Accelerate to the speed you want.
2. Press the SET/ACCEL button at the end of the lever
and release it.
3. Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.

2-43
Resuming a Set Speed
Setting the cruise control at a desired speed and then
applying the brake will end the cruise function.
Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can press the RESUME/DECEL. button briefly
to reset. This returns you to your desired preset speed.
If you hold the SET/ACCEL. button in briefly, the
vehicle will accelerate until you release the button or
apply the brake. So unless you want to go faster,
don't hold the button in.Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:

Use the accelerator pedal to go to a higher speed.
Push the SET/ACCEL. button at the end of the lever
and then release the button and the accelerator pedal.
You'll now cruise at a higher speed.

Press the SET/ACCEL. button until the desired
speed is reached. The new speed is maintained when
the button is released. To increase your speed in
very small amounts, tap the SET/ACCEL. button
repeatedly. Each time you do this, your vehicle will
go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you have
set the cruise control speed by pushing the
SET/ACCEL. button.