CADILLAC DEVILLE 1994 7.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine According to the American Medical Association, a 180-pound (82 kg)
person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will
end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same
BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three
mixed drinks
if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin
1 or vodka.
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person
drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an
hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes
food just before or during drinking will have a slightly lower
BAC level.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRINKING THAT WILL
RESULT IN A BAC OF .O5%
I# THE TIME SHOWN
NUMBER OF. DR!NKS (as In plcture)
I00 120 140 160 100 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS HOURS
HOURS
HOUR
The
law in most U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent.
In Canada the limit is
0.08 percent, and in some other countries it’s lower
than that. The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in
one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in
the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
But it’s very important to keep in mind that 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 an accident
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC
of 0.05 percent or above. A
driver with a BAC level
of 0.06 percent (three beers in one hour for a
180-pound or
82 kg person) has doubled his or her chance of having an
accident. At a BAC level
of 0.10 percent, the chance of that driver having
an accident is
six times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chances are
twenty-five times greater! And, 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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine person with a higher BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to
avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and drivifig that many people
don’t know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can
make crash injuries worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord
and heart injuries. That means that
if anyone who has been drinking --
driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than if that person had not beendrinking.
And we’ve already seen that the chance of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
CONTROL OFA 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 action involves perception time and reaction time.
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.
Average reaction time is about 3/4
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
h/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; and the condition of your brakes.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 Cadillac has an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
This light
on the instrument panel will go on when you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away, you may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise. And you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little while this is going on. This is the
ABS system
testing itself.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.
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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 front wheel and at the rear wheels.
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.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. 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.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down 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 (Option)
Your vehicle may have 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 front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front
brakes and reduces engine power (by shutting
off fuel injectors) to limit
wheel spin.
The “TRACTION ACTIVE” message will display on the Driver
Information Center when
the traction control system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Driver Information Center Messages” in the Index.
You may
feel the system working, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you
to safely use it again, you may re-engage the
cruise control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the Index.)
The “TRACTION DISABLED” message will display on the Driver
Information Center if there’s a problem with your traction control system.
See “Driver Information Center Messages” in the Index. When this
message is displayed, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. 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.
STEEMNG
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news
happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and
the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor
you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much
of those places. You can lose control.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
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 Cadillac can perform
very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as much speed as yowan 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. r
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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 and wear safety belts
properly. - -.
OFF=ROAD l2ECO’VE.Y
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 114 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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