tow CADILLAC DEVILLE 1998 7.G Owner's Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 s‘6~1&@kt pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule booklet
for more
on this. Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake
adjustment. 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.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Probler--. on the R -lad
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5-3 Other Warning Devices
5-3 Jump Starting
5-8 Towing Your Vehicle
5- 15 Engine Overheating
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5-34
5-35
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other
or any other metal.
/-c+I
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle. See “Roadside Service” in
the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not be correct.
Before you
do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains towing instructions and
illustrations. The onerator may want to see them.
5-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Front Towing
Rear Towing
I-
To help avoid inJury to you or others:
0
0
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
being towed. Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured. Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
Never use J-hooks. Use only T-hooks in the
front T-hook slots and only R-hooks in the
rear R-hook slots.
5-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I I
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains
or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the front T-hook slots or
R-hooks inserted in the rear R-hook slots. Never
use J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to
OFF. The steering wheel should be clamped in
a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
5-10

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or carcarrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance
is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
'-Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
5-11

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Rear Towing
Tow Limits -- 35 mph (55 kph), 25 miles (40 km) NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling type equipment or rear
bumper valance damage will occur. Use wheel-lift or car-carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car-carrier equipment. Use
.
safety chains and wheel straps.
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from
vehicle to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift
equipment. To help avoid damage, install a
towing dolly and raise the vehicle until adequate
clearance is obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.,
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car-carrier
equipment.
Always use R-hooks inserted in the
R-hook slots.
5-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Overheating
You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT, IDLE
ENGINE message or an ENGINE
OVERHEATED
STOP, ENGINE message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). You will
also hear a chime. There is also
an engine temperature warning light andor gage on the
instrument panel. See “Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light” or “Engine Coolant Temperature Gage”
in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
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 will be severely degraded. Repair
the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset
the oil life indicator. See “Engine Oil, When to
Change” in the Index.
Should an overheated engine condition exist and the
message ENGINE OVERHEATED STOP ENGINE is
displayed, an overheat protection mode which alternates
firing groups
of four cylinders helps prevent engine
damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power
and engine performance. This operating mode allows
your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in
an
emergency; you may drive up to 50 miles (80 lun).
Towing a trailer in the overheat protection mode should
be avoided.
5-15

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. See “Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode” in the Index.
____~
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.
0 Tow a trailer.
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 windows, as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- OVERDRIVE (GO) 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 normally.
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 service
help right away.
5-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few\

tips about what to expect
and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely. If a tire goes
flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Changing
a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
2. Set the parking brake firmly.
3. lhrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire
on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
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