towing capacity CADILLAC DEVILLE 1996 7.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with
proper towing equipment.
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 part. 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
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider
using a sway control if your trailer will
weigh
2,000 lbs. (900 kg) or less. You should always
use a sway control if your trailer will weigh more
than
2,000 lbs. (900 kg). You can ask a hitch dealer
about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
1 ,OOO miles
(1
600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle
or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 kmh) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
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Three important considerations have to do with weight: the trailer, the weight of the trailer tongue and the total
weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
If you have a DeVille without the optional h-ailer towing
package,
the maximum trailer weight is 1,OOO lbs. (450 kg).
If you have a DeVille Concours or a DeVille with the
optional trailer towing package, the maximum trailer weight should never be more than
3,900 lbs. (1 773 kg)
total including the load. But even that can be too heavy.
The optional trailer towing package. provides the
necessary oil cooler for the DeVille to
tow a trailer
heavier than 1,OOO lbs.
(450 kg). The Concours is
equipped with this cooler as standard equipment.
The maximum trailer weight for your vehicle can
be
determined from the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight
(GCVW). The GCVW
= curb weight + passenger’s
weight
+ cargo + trailer weight, should never weigh more
than
8,200 lbs. (3 727 kg) total loaded vehicle and trailer.
It depends
on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle, You
can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write
us at:
Cadillac Customer Assistance Center
Cadillac Motor Car Division
30009 Van Dyke
P.O. Box 9025
Warren,
MI 48090-9025
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight
to measure because it affects the total capacity
weight
of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight
of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it
and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And
if
you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the tongue load
from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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