traction control CADILLAC DEVILLE 2005 8.G User Guide

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 4-8.
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” underDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-60.
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.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and nd
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You
can avoid these problems by braking — if you can stop
in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action — steering around the
problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
SeeBraking on page 4-5. It is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
4-11

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 (DIC). See “Stability Sys Engaged Message”
underDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-60.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.
4-15

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.
Traction control improves your ability to accelerate when
driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle
has a traction control system (TCS), you will want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the road
conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to
turn the TCS off, such as when driving through
deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle
motion at lower speeds. SeeTraction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-8.
4-26

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 4-8. 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 4-35.
Loading Your Vehicle
It is very important to know how much weight your
vehicle can carry. This weight is called the vehicle
capacity weight and includes the weight of all occupants,
cargo and all nonfactory-installed options. Two labels
on your vehicle show how much weight it may properly
carry, the Tire and Loading Information label and the
Certication label.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
4-30

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 4-30.
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 5-86.
{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.
5-71

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.
5-72

Tire Chains
{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has P235/55R17, LT235/60R17E
or P235/60R17/EL size tires, do not use tire
chains, there is 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. To help avoid damage to your
vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle, and do
not 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, LT235/60R17E or P235/60R17/EL
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.
5-75

I
Ignition Positions.............................................2-24
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver.......................3-22
Infants and Young Children, Restraints...............1-31
Ination -- Tire Pressure..................................5-65
Instrument Panel
Overview..................................................... 3-4
Storage Area..............................................2-49
Instrument Panel (I/P)
Brightness..................................................3-20
Cluster.......................................................3-41
J
Jump Starting.................................................5-42
K
Keyless Entry System....................................... 2-5
Keys............................................................... 2-3
L
Labelling, Tire Sidewall....................................5-58
Lamps
Battery Load Management............................3-22
Cornering...................................................3-18Lamps (cont.)
Courtesy....................................................3-21
Exterior......................................................3-15
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver......................3-20
Fog ...........................................................3-18
Inadvertent Power Battery Saver....................3-22
Reading.....................................................3-21
Twilight Sentinel
®........................................3-18
LATCH System
Child Restraints...........................................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System...................................1-42
Light
Airbag Readiness........................................3-45
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning...................3-48
Brake System Warning and Parking Brake
Indicator.................................................3-47
Charging System.........................................3-46
Cruise Control.............................................3-54
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning.............3-49
Fog Lamp..................................................3-54
Highbeam On.............................................3-54
Lights On Reminder.....................................3-54
Malfunction Indicator....................................3-50
Oil Pressure...............................................3-53
Safety Belt Reminder...................................3-45
Security.....................................................3-53
TCS Warning Light......................................3-48
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning..........3-48
7

Tires (cont.)
Chains.......................................................5-75
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-77
Cleaning....................................................5-94
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-86
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-76
Ination -- Tire Pressure...............................5-65
Inspection and Rotation................................5-69
Installing the Spare Tire................................5-80
Pressure Monitor Operation...........................5-68
Removing the Flat Tire.................................5-80
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools...............5-78
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-85
Tire Sidewall Labelling..................................5-58
Tire Terminology and Denitions....................5-62
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-72
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-73
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-73
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-70
Top Strap......................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-39
Towing
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-35
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-37
Your Vehicle...............................................4-35
Traction
Continuous Variable Road Sensing
Suspension (CVRSS)................................4-10
Control System (TCS).................................... 4-8Traction (cont.)
Control System Warning Light.......................3-48
Transaxle
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-21
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-28
Trip Computer
Oil Life Indicator..........................................3-79
Trip Odometer................................................3-43
Trunk............................................................2-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-8
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-8
Twilight Sentinel
®............................................3-18
U
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)...............3-26
Umbrella Holder..............................................2-51
Understanding Radio Reception.......................3-104
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-72
V
Valet Lockout Switch.......................................2-21
Vehicle
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Loading......................................................4-30
Symbols......................................................... iv
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