wheel CADILLAC DEVILLE 1993 7.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead
of
you because it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason to drive slower.
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 Cadillac can perform
very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. 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. You must then be
prepared to steer back to your original lane and then brake to a
controlled stop.
Depending on your speed, this can be rather violent for an unprepared
driver. This is one of the reasons driving experts recommend that you use
your safety belts and keep both hands on the steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good
reason to practice defensive driving at all times.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be
fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight
down the roadway.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to
turn.
0 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.
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 Cadillac’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 and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn
a corner on a wet, snow-
or ice-covered road), ease your foot off the accelerator pedal as
soon as
you feel the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will
straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front wheels.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine time and flash your brake lights (in addition to your turn signal) as extra
warning that you are about to slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are. For example,
40 mph (65 kmh) might seem like only 20 mph
(30 krn/h). Obviously, this could lead to serious trouble on a ramp
designed
for 20 mph (30 km/h)!
DmNG A LONG DISTANCE
Although most long trips today are made on freeways, there are still
many made
on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular highways is the same in
some ways. The trip has to be planned and the vehicle prepared, you
drive at higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns behind the
wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and your vehicle are in good
shape. Here are some tips for a successful long trip.
BEFORE LEAWNG ONA LONG TMP
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when
you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s work -- don’t plan to make too
many miles that first part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and
shoes you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and
maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs service, have it done before
starting out.
Of course, you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Cadillac dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
c
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 Tires: They are vitally important to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the
tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated
to the recommended pressure?
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short time
to avoid a major storm
system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
ON THE ROAD
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel to about
100 miles (160 km) or two
hours at a sitting. Then, either change drivers or stop for some
refreshment like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up. But do
stop and move around. Eat lightly along the
way. Heavier meals tend to
make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways that
do not have
___ controlled access, you’ll want to watch for some situations not usually
found on freeways. Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers
with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and school zones,
vehicles turning left and right off the road, pedestrians, cyclists, parked
vehicles, and even animals.
HIGHFKAY HIPNOSIS
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just
plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of
__ awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum
of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and
the rush
of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than
a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - Another part of this manual tells how to use your parking brake (see
“Parking Brake” in the Index). But on a mountain or steep hill, you can
do one more thing. You can turn your front wheels to keep your vehicle
from rolling downhill or out into traffic.
Here’s how: -
Parking Downhill
Turn your
the right. wheels
to
I_ You don’t have to jam your tires against the curb, if there is a curb. A
gentle contact is all you need.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Uphill
If there is a curb, turn
your wheels
to the left
if the curb is at the
right side
of your
vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If there is no curb
when you’re parking
uphill, turn the wheels
to the right.
If there is no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left side of a
one-way street, your wheels should be turned to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transaxle into “P”
(Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.’’ To prevent torque
lock, always be sure to shift into “P” (Park) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see “Shifting Into
“P” (Park)” in the Index.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours
a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the transaxle, so
you can pull the shift lever out of “P” (Park).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s 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’s about
freezing
(32OF; O°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. Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels
will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on
a
slippery road. Even though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See
“Anti-lock” in the Index.
0 Allow greater following distance on any slippery roaa.
0 Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps
of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle” in the Index.
TOWING A TWLER
I
‘ A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive properly, you
can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the
trailer
is too heavy, the brakes may not work well -- or even at
all. You and your passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a
trailer only if you have followed all the steps in this section.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer.
To identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you should read the information in “Weight
of the Trailer” that appears later in this section. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes in
handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In
it are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of these are important for your
safety and that
of your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to work harder against the drag of the added weight.
The engine is required
to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
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