trailer CADILLAC DEVILLE 1996 7.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons
why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and
do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag
on the ground.
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0 If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when loaded, will
weigh more
than 2,000 lbs. (900 kg), be sure to use
a properly mounted, weight-distributing hitch and sway control of the proper size. This equipment is
very important for proper vehicle loading and good
handling when you’re driving.
0 Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide”
in the Index). Dirt
and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended
for hitches.
Do not attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use’only
a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes, don’t try to tap into
your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system. If you do, both
brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to maintain them properly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine nailer Wiring Harness
If your vehicle is equipped with the 3,000-lb.
(1 360 kg) trailer towing package option, you will have
a wiring harness located under the trunk
trim. The
harness is a five wire, with connector.
These trailer wiring harness color codes should be followed when connecting it to your trailer:
WHITE: Direct trailer ground for trailer lamps.
BROWN: Parking lamps.
YELLOW: Left turn and stoplamps.
GREEN: Right turn and stoplamps.
BLUE: Auxiliary circuit.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of expenence.
Before setting out
for the open road, you'll want to get
to know your
rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the trailer brake controller
by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load
is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This
can help
you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need
to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you
can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back
up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Thms
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine lhrn Signals When Towing a nailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different
turn signal flasher and extra wiring. Check
with your Cadillac dealer. The green
arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will
also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
I€ you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 b/h) or less to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transaxle overheating.
If your vehicle weighs more
than 1,OOO lbs. (450 kg),
you may want to drive in
THIRD (3) instead of
OVERDRIVE (@).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine f
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Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your
rig on a hill, here’s
how to do
it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P).
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply
the regular brakes. Then shift into
PARK (P) firmly and apply your parking brakes.
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are-Ready to Leave After
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT-IDLE
ENGINE message
or a STOP ENGINE ENGINE
OVERHEATED message on the DIC. There is also an
engine temperature warning light
on the instrument
panel. See “Engine Temperature Warning Light” in the
Index.
Overheated Engine Protection Operating
Mode
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Should a low coolant condition exist and the message
STOP ENGINE
ENGINE OVERHEATED is displayed,
an overheat protection mode which alternates firing
groups
of four cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
This operating mode
allows your vehicle to be driven
to a safe place in
an emergency; you may drive up to
50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the overheat
protection mode should be avoided.
I NOTICE:
After driving in the Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode,
to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool before
attempting any repair. The engine oil may be
severely degraded. Change the
oil and reset the
oil life indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
~ Change” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not
be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
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If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for
a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Dial temperature control to the highest heat setting and open the window, as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- OVERDRIVE (a) or THIRD (3).
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes,
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
nonnally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop
and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two
or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down. Also, see “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” listed previously in
this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get &mice
help right away.
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Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change
both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83 0oO km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such
as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid
and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at
your Cadillac dealership
service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here,
or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust ,system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if
you check your
transaxle fluid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is
180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving abut 15 miles (24 km)
when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10°C). If it's
colder
than 50°F (lO"C), you may have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
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Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift Lever
in
PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift lever
in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then, without shutting off
the engine, follow these steps:
1. The black transaxle fluid cap is located next to the
radiator hose and below the air cleaner assembly
on
the driver's side of the engine. Remove the air
cleaner assembly
so you can reach the transaxle fluid
cap. The assembly is attached to the vehicle
by two
fasteners. Simply
lift up on the air cleaner assembly
to remove it. Find the transaxle fluid cap and turn
it
counterclockwise to remove. Pull out the dipstick
and wipe
it with a clean rag or paper towel.
then pull it back out again.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
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