traction control CADILLAC DEVILLE 2004 8.G User Guide

Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is 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 is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will 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 are
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you are 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. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9.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.
If you have Stabilitrak®, you may see the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver Information
Center. See “Stability Sys Engaged Message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
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 will 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.
4-12

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not 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 vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not 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 is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only
the acceleration skid. If your traction control system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
If you have Stabilitrak®, you may see the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver Information
Center. See “Stability Sys Engaged Message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
4-16

Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface” — and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
4-17

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You
will have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.What is 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 is
about freezing (32°F; 0°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.
Keep your traction control system on. It improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has a traction control system,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
the road conditions. SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 4-9.
4-29

Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your traction control system off. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9. Then shift back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward gear,
spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release the
accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transaxle is in gear. By
slowly spinning your wheels in the forward and reverse
directions, you will cause a rocking motion that may
free your vehicle. If that does not get you out after a few
tries, you may need to be towed out. If you do need
to be towed out, seeTowing Your Vehicle on page 4-33.
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
Roadside Service on page 7-6.
If you want to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle
for recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see Recreational Vehicle Towing following.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means towing your vehicle
behind another vehicle – such as behind a motorhome.
The two most common types of recreational vehicle
towing are known as “dinghy towing” (towing your vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground) and “dolly towing”
(towing your vehicle with two wheels on the ground and
two wheels up on a device known as a “dolly”).
With the proper preparation and equipment, many
vehicles can be towed in these ways. See “Dinghy
Towing” and “Dolly Towing,” following.
4-33

Buying New Tires
To nd out what kind and size of tires your vehicle
needs, look at the tire and loading information label. For
more information about this label and its location on
your vehicle, seeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-35.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a
Tire Performance Criteria Specication (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
GM recommends that you get tires with that same TPC
Spec number. That way your vehicle will continue to have
tires that are designed to give proper endurance,
handling, speed rating, load range, traction, ride and
other things during normal service on your vehicle. If your
tires have an all-season tread design, the TPC number
will be followed by an “MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted tires), the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes may also cause damage to your vehicle.
Be sure to use the same size and type tires on
all wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was developed
for use on your vehicle. SeeCompact Spare
Tire on page 5-96.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
5-80

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-81

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P235/55R17 size tires, don’t
use tire chains, there’s not enough clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the tire chains
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle
and you or others may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if its
manufacturer recommends it for use on your
vehicle and tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that manufacturer’s
instructions.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
To help avoid damage to your vehicle, drive
slowly, readjust or remove the device if it’s
contacting your vehicle, and don’t spin your
wheels.
If you do nd traction devices that will t,
install them on the front tires.
Notice:If your vehicle has a tire size other than
P235/55R17 size tires, use tire chains only where
legal and only when you must. Use only SAE Class
“S” type chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the front tires and tighten them
as tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions. If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues, slow down until
it stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.
5-84

L
Lamps
Exterior......................................................3-17
Interior.......................................................3-22
Lamps on Reminder........................................3-18
Lap Belt........................................................1-21
Lap-Shoulder Belt...................................1-13, 1-22
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
LATCH System........................................1-44
Leaving Your Vehicle.......................................2-11
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine Running......2-35
Light
Air Bag Readiness.......................................3-50
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-52
Brake System Warning and Parking Brake
Indicator.................................................3-51
Charging System.........................................3-51
Cruise Control.............................................3-60
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-54
Fog Lamp..................................................3-59
Lights On Reminder.....................................3-60
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-55Light (cont.)
Oil Pressure...............................................3-58
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-49
Security.....................................................3-59
TCS Warning Light......................................3-53
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-53
Lighted Rear Vanity Mirror................................2-18
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirror...............................2-18
Lights Flash at Lock........................................3-80
Lights Flash at Unlock.....................................3-79
Loading Your Vehicle.......................................4-35
Lockout Protection..........................................2-11
Locks
Central Door Unlocking System....................... 2-9
Door........................................................... 2-8
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-11
Lockout Protection.......................................2-11
Power Door.................................................. 2-9
Programmable Automatic Door Locks.............2-10
Rear Door Security Locks.............................2-10
Loss of Control...............................................4-16
Lumbar
Massaging Controls....................................... 1-3
Power Controls............................................. 1-2
Lumbar Controls, Rear Power............................ 1-6
9

Tires (cont.)
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-81
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-82
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-82
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-79
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-28
Top Strap......................................................1-40
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-41
Torque Lock...................................................2-36
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires..................4-45
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-33
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-41
Your Vehicle...............................................4-33
Traction
Continuous Variable Road Sensing Suspension
(CVRSS).................................................4-11
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-9
Control System Warning Light.......................3-53
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-45
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-24
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-28
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case Unit
Repair Manual............................................7-12Transportation Options...................................... 7-8
Trip Computer
Oil Life Indicator..........................................3-89
Trip Odometer................................................3-47
Trunk............................................................2-12
Trunk Lid Tie Down.........................................2-13
Trunk Lock Release........................................2-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-9
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-9
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer..................4-47
Twilight Sentinel
®............................................3-20
U
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)...............3-28
Umbrella Holder..............................................2-53
Underhood Fuse Block...................................5-108
Understanding Radio Reception.......................3-115
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-81
United States – Customer Assistance.................. 7-5
Used Replacement Wheels..............................5-83
Using Cleaner on Fabric..................................5-98
Using Digital Signal Processing (DSP)..............3-101
Using HomeLink
®...........................................2-49
16