CADILLAC ELDORADO 1993 10.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine h
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel,
a
flashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be
sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle.
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'll have a lot less traction or "grip" and
will need to be very careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s 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’s about
freezing
(32*F; O°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. Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begm stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. See
“’Anti-lock” in the Index.
0 Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps
of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a
curve
or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on
it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things
to
do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow. Put
on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
-- anything you
can wrap around yourself
or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
I A CAUTION:
I
l IOW can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you
might not
know it was in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle , especially any that is blocking
your exhaust pipe.
And check around again from time to time to
be sure snow doesn’t collect there.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that’s away
from the wind. This will help keep GO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less
fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart
the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlights. Let
the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do
it as little as possible.
Preserve the fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so
until help comes.
VYou’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging
it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TOWING A TMLER
’ A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive properly, you
can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well
-- or even at
all. You and your passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a
trailer onp7 ;€you have followed all the step? in this section.
NOTJCE
Fulling
I
in costly repairs not covered by your wan lty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice
in this secti I.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to
work harder against the drag of the added weight.
The engine is required
to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the traile\
r adds
considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
0 Handling
0 Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also where you’ll be
driving.
A good source for this information can be state or provincial
police.
21 1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
0 Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over 50 mph (80 kmih) and don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
When towing a trailer, close all windows and set the Electronic
Climate Control System
to “ECON”, “AUTO”, “DEFOG” or
Defroster to assure that the fan is running.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
1. Weight of the nailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg). But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your
vehicle
is used to pull a trailer are all important. And, it can also
depend on any special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or
you can write
us at Cadillac.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer
Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario L1H
8P7.
2. Weight of the Trailer Tongue
When a trailer is connected to your vehicle, the trailer tongue adds
to the weight your vehicle is carrying.
So, remember to subtract the
weight of the trailer tongue from your vehicle’s capacity weight.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see
if the weights are proper. If they
aren’t, you may be able to get them right simply
by moving some
items around in the trailer.
3. Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires.
You’ll find these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge\

of the driver’s door (or see Index under “Tire Loading”). Then be
sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the
right hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
0 Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later
when
you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle (see
Index under “Carbon Monoxide”). Dirt and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety chains. \
Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow
safety chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into your vehicle’s
brake system. If you do, both brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want
to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with the added weight
of
the trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly so responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller
by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This
lets you check your electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer brakes are
still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help
you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need
to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to
the right, move your hand to
the right. Always back up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45
mph (70 km/h) or less to reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 Kg) and you have an
automatic transaxle with Overdrive, you may want to drive
in “3” instead
of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a lower gear). This will help your
transmission.
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. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P” (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into “P” (Park) firmly and
apply your parking brake.
5. Release the regular brakes.
the
chocks absorb the load.
When You Are Ready to Leave Afier 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 someone pick up and store the chocks.
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