brakes CADILLAC DTS 2008 1.G User Guide

Alerting the Driver
The Adaptive Cruise
Control alert symbol is
located on the display at
the top of the instrument
panel to the right of
the driver.
The alert symbol will ash and a warning beep will
sound when driver action may be required. If Adaptive
Cruise Control is engaged, the alert symbol will
ash when:
Adaptive Cruise Control cannot apply sufficient
braking because you are approaching a vehicle
too rapidly.
The vehicle speed drops below about
20 mph (32 km/h).
A temporary condition prohibits Adaptive Cruise
Control from operating. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-75for more information.
A malfunction is detected in the system.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-75
for more information.
SeeDefensive Driving on page 4-2.
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control has only limited
braking ability to slow your vehicle. In some
cases, Adaptive Cruise Control may not have
time to slow your vehicle enough to avoid a
collision. Be ready to take action and apply
the brakes yourself. SeeDefensive Driving
on page 4-2.
3-25

Approaching and Following a Vehicle
The Vehicle Ahead symbol
is located on the top of the
instrument panel to the
right of the driver.
The Vehicle Ahead symbol only appears when a vehicle
is detected in your path.
If this symbol does not appear, or disappears briey,
Adaptive Cruise Control will not respond to vehicles you
may see ahead.{CAUTION:
When the Adaptive Cruise Control radar is
blocked by snow, ice, or dirt, it may not detect
a vehicle ahead. Adaptive Cruise Control may
not have time to slow your vehicle enough to
avoid a collision. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control when the radar is blocked by snow,
ice, or dirt. Keep your radar clean. See
“Cleaning the System” later in this section.
Adaptive Cruise Control automatically slows your
vehicle down when approaching a slower moving
vehicle. It then adjusts your vehicle speed to follow
the vehicle in front at the selected follow distance.
Your vehicle speed increases or decreases to follow
the vehicle in front of you, but will not exceed the
set speed. It may apply limited braking, if necessary.
When braking is active, your brake lights will come on.
Braking may feel or sound different than if you were
applying the brakes yourself. This is normal.
3-26

Stationary or Very Slow-Moving Objects
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles or
other objects ahead of you. You could crash
into an object ahead of you. Do not use
Adaptive Cruise Control when approaching
stationary or slow-moving vehicles or other
objects.
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles or
other objects ahead of you. Your vehicle may
accelerate toward objects, such as a stopped
vehicle that suddenly appears after the lead
vehicle changes lanes. Your complete attention
is always required while driving and you
should be ready to take action and apply the
brakes.
Low-Speed Deactivation
If your speed falls below 20 mph (32 km/h) while
following a vehicle ahead, Adaptive Cruise Control will
begin to disengage. The Driver Alert symbol will
ash and the warning beep will sound. The driver must
take action since Adaptive Cruise Control will not
slow the vehicle to a stop.
3-27

Passing a Vehicle/Adaptive Cruise Control
Override
If you need to increase speed to pass a vehicle,
use the accelerator pedal. While you are doing this,
the system will not automatically apply the brakes.
A message will appear on the DIC. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-75. Once you remove
your foot from the accelerator pedal, Adaptive Cruise
Control will return to normal operation and be able
to apply the brakes, if needed.
{CAUTION:
If you rest your foot on the accelerator pedal,
the system will not automatically apply the
brakes. You could crash into a vehicle ahead
of you. Do not rest your foot on the accelerator
pedal when using Adaptive Cruise Control.
Curves in the Road
{CAUTION:
Due to Adaptive Cruise Control limitations in
curves, it may respond to a vehicle in another
lane, or may not have time to react to a vehicle
in your lane. You could crash into a vehicle
ahead of you, or lose control of your vehicle.
Give extra attention in curves and be ready to
use the brakes if necessary. Select an
appropriate speed while driving in curves.
Adaptive Cruise Control may operate differently in a
sharp curve. It may reduce your speed if the curve is
too sharp.
3-28

When following a vehicle and entering a curve,
Adaptive Cruise Control could lose track of the vehicle
in your lane and accelerate your vehicle. When this
happens the Vehicle Ahead symbol will not appear.Adaptive Cruise Control may detect a vehicle that is
not in your lane and apply the brakes.
Adaptive Cruise Control may, occasionally, provide
a driver alert and/or braking that you consider
unnecessary. It could respond to signs, guardrails,
and other stationary objects when entering or exiting
a curve. This is normal operation. Your vehicle does
not need service.
3-29

Highway Exit Ramps
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may lose track of
the vehicle ahead and accelerate up to your
set speed while entering or on highway
exit ramps. You could be startled by this
acceleration and even lose control of the
vehicle. Disengage Adaptive Cruise Control
before entering a highway exit ramp.
Do not use Adaptive Cruise Control while
entering or on exit ramps.
Other Vehicle Lane Changes
If another vehicle enters the same lane as you,
Adaptive Cruise Control will not detect the vehicle
until it is completely in the lane. Be ready to take
action and apply the brakes yourself.
3-30

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 4-26.
{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.
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light
For vehicles with the
Antilock Brake System
(ABS), this light comes
on briey when the
engine is started.
That is normal. If the light does not come on then, have it
xed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the ignition off. If the light
comes on when you are driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the ABS 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, your vehicle still has brakes, but
not antilock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, your vehicle does not have antilock
brakes and there is a problem with the regular brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-60.
For vehicles with a Driver Information Center (DIC),
seeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-75for all
brake related DIC messages.
3-61

SERVICE A/C SYSTEM
This message displays when the air delivery mode door
or the electronic sensors that control the air conditioning
and heating systems are no longer working. Have
the climate control system serviced by your dealer/
retailer if you notice a drop in heating and air
conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE BATTERY CHARGING
SYSTEM
This message displays when a problem with the
charging system has been detected. The charging
system light also displays on the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light on page 3-60for
more information. Have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer/retailer.
SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST
This message displays if there is a problem with the
brake system. The brake system warning light and the
antilock brake system warning light may also be
displayed on the instrument panel cluster. SeeBrake
System Warning Light on page 3-60andAntilock Brake
System (ABS) Warning Light on page 3-61for more
information. If this happens, stop as soon as possible
and turn off the vehicle. Restart the vehicle and
check for the message on the DIC display.If the message is displayed or appears again when you
begin driving, the brake system needs service. See
your dealer/retailer as soon as possible. SeeBrakes
on page 5-37for more information.
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM
This message displays if the ignition is on to inform the
driver that the brake uid level is low. Have the brake
system serviced by your dealer/retailer as soon as
possible.
SERVICE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM
If your vehicle has the Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) system, this message may display to indicate
that the LDW system is not working properly.
If this message remains on after continued driving,
the system needs service. See your dealer/retailer.
SeeLane Departure Warning (LDW) on page 2-46for
more information.
SERVICE PARKING ASSIST
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic Front and Rear
Parking Assist (UFRPA) system, this message displays
if there is a problem with the UFRPA system. Do not
use this system to help you park. SeeUltrasonic Front
and Rear Parking Assist (UFRPA) on page 2-40for
more information. See your dealer/retailer for service.
3-82

For persons under 21, it is against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good medical,
psychological, and developmental reasons for
these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol and
then drive.
Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s
system can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart. This means
that when anyone who has been drinking — driver
or passenger — is in a crash, that person’s chance of
being killed or permanently disabled is higher than if the
person had not been drinking.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your vehicle
while driving — brakes, steering, and accelerator. At
times, as when driving on snow or ice, it is easy to ask
more of those control systems than the tires and road can
provide. Meaning, you can lose control of your vehicle.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) on page 4-5.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-60.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths 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 three-fourths 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, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of
the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.
4-3

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. The brakes might not have time to cool
between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are driving,
brake normally but do not pump the brakes. If you do,
the pedal could get harder to push down. If the
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 can take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Antilock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start the engine and begin to drive away,
ABS will check itself. You might hear a momentary
motor or clicking noise while this test is going on, and
you might even notice that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on
page 3-61.
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.
4-4