brake CADILLAC DEVILLE 2004 8.G Owner's Manual

Charging System Light
When you turn the key to
ON or START, this light will
come on briey to show
that the generator and
battery charging systems
are working properly.
If this light stays on, you need service and you should
take your vehicle to the dealer at once. To save
your battery until you get there, turn off all accessories.
Brake System Warning and Parking
Brake Indicator Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briey when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it
does not come on
then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
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The light will stay on if your parking brake does not fully
release. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-33.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when your engine
is started and may stay
on for several seconds.
That is normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as possible
and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the light still stays on, or comes on
again while you are driving, your vehicle needs service. If
the regular brake system warning light is not on, you still
have brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system warning light is also on, you do not
have anti-lock brakes and there is a problem with your
regular brakes. SeeBrake System Warning and Parking
Brake Indicator Light on page 3-51.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briey when you turn the ignition key to ON. If
the light does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
This warning light should come on briey when the
engine is started.If the warning light does not come on then, have it xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem. If
it stays on, or comes on when you are driving, there may
be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If there is a brake system problem that is specically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service. United States
Canada (Analog Only)
3-53

BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW – 6:This message will
appear when the electrical system is charging less than
10 volts or if the battery has been drained. If this
message appears immediately after starting, it is
possible that the generator can still recharge the battery.
The battery should recharge while driving but may
take a few hours to do so. Consider using an auxiliary
charger (be sure to follow the manufacturer’s
instructions) to boost the battery after returning home or
to a nal destination. If this message appears while
driving or after starting your vehicle and stays on, have
it checked immediately to determine the cause of
this problem. To help the generator recharge the battery
quickly, you can reduce the load on the electrical
system by turning off the accessories. You can monitor
battery voltage on the DIC by pressing the INFO
button. The normal range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL – 82:This means that the life
of the engine oil has expired. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 6-4. After an oil change, the Oil
Life Indicator must be reset. SeeOil Life Indicator
on page 3-89. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-15.CHANGE TRANS FLUID – 47:This message will
appear when it is time to change the transaxle uid. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for the proper
uid and change intervals.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID – 37:This message will display
if the ignition is in ON to inform the driver that the brake
uid level is low. Have the brake system serviced by a
technician as soon as possible. SeeBrake System
Warning and Parking Brake Indicator Light on page 3-51.
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL – 2:This message will
appear when there is a low level of engine coolant. Have
the cooling system serviced by a technician as soon
as possible. SeeEngine Coolant on page 5-27.
CHECK FUEL GAGE – 50:(Analog Cluster) This
message will appear when the fuel supply is less than
5 gallons (18.9 L) and the display is turned off. A
single chime will also sound when this message is
displayed.
CHECK GAS CAP – 61:This message will appear if
the gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it is on properly.
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STABILITY SYS ENGAGED – 55:You may see the
STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you
are steering. This stability enhancement system
activates when the computer senses that your vehicle is
just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of
ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the system
is on, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want to
go. The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message comes on, you will know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin, so
you should consider slowing down. A single chime will
also sound when this message is displayed.
STARTING DISABLED REMOVE KEY – 33:This
message will appear when the PASS-Key
®III system
detects that an improper ignition key is being used to try
to start the vehicle. Check the ignition key for damage.
If it is damaged, it may need to be replaced. If it is
not damaged, remove the key and try to start the vehicle
again. If it still does not start, try another ignition key
or see your dealer for service.THEFT ATTEMPTED – 40:This message is displayed
if the theft system has detected a break-in attempt
while you were away from your vehicle.
TOP SPEED FUEL CUT-OFF – 111:This message will
appear when the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
detects that the maximum speed for your vehicle has
been reached. The speed of your vehicle will surge
as the fuel supply is cut off. Your vehicle’s top speed is
based on the top speed rating of the tires. This
ensures that your vehicle stays in a safe operating
range for the tires.
TRACTION ENGAGED – 91:When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
ENGAGED message will be displayed. Slippery
road conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. This message
will stay on for a few seconds after the traction control
system stops limited wheel spin.
TRACTION OFF – 89:This message will be displayed
after the traction control system has been turned off
using the TRAC ON/OFF button on the center console.
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TRACTION READY – 90:This message informs the
driver that the traction control system is available.
Pressing the TRAC ON/OFF button on the center
console once turns the traction control system off;
pressing the button again turns the system back on. This
message will automatically disappear from the display
after ve seconds.
TRACTION SUSPENDED – 56:This message displays
when the traction control system has been temporarily
shut off because your vehicle’s brakes have overheated.
This message does not indicate a problem with your
vehicle’s traction control system. After a few minutes,
the traction control system will be available again
and the TRACTION READY message will appear.
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE – 112:This message
indicates that the transaxle uid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN – 24:This message indicates that the
trunk is open when the ignition is on.TURN SIGNAL ON – 20:If you drive your vehicle for
more than a mile with a turn signal on, this message will
appear as a reminder to turn off the turn signal. A
multiple chime will sound when this message is
displayed.
VEHICLE OVERSPEED – 52:This message is
displayed when the vehicle speed exceeds a certain
limit as required by some export countries. A continuous
chime will sound when this message is displayed.
Climate Controls and Radio System
Personalization
These features allow both drivers to personalize their
own climate control settings as well as their radio
settings. For more information, seeClimate Controls
Personalization on page 3-43andRadio Personalization
with Home and Away Feature on page 3-113.
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Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-7.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It is the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task — such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the oor — makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to
help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place
to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
4-2

Control of a 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.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow or ice, it
is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also seeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeand
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That isperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That isreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But that is
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 km/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 is pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.
4-6

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 distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not 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 Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-52.
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Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is 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 both 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. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8