lights CADILLAC ELDORADO 1993 10.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A/C OVERHEATED - A/C COMPRESSOR OFF
If the refrigerant system ever reaches an over-pressure condition, this
message
will appear to tell you that the air conditioning compressor has
been turned
off. Air conditioned air will not be delivered to cool your
vehicle. If the pressure returns
to a normal operating range, you must
select “AUTO”, “DEFOG”
, or Defrost to start the compressor. If this
message continues to appear, have the system repaired as soon as
possible to avoid compressor damage.
BATTERY NO CHARGE
This message will appear if your battery is not being charged. Have your
electrical system checked by
your Cadillac dealership at your earliest
convenience.
BATTERY VOLTS HIGH
This message shows that the electrical charging system is overcharging,
(more than
16 volts). To avoid being stranded have the electrical system
checked by your Cadillac dealership at your earliest convenience.
You can
reduce the charging overload
by using the accessories. Turn on the lights,
radio, set the Climate Control on
“AUTO” and the fan speed on “HI”
and turn the rear window defogger on. You can monitor battery voltage
on the Driver Information Center by toggling the “INFORMATION’’
button. When the engine is running, the normal range is
11.5 to 15.5
volts.
BATTERY VOLTS LOW
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 after driving a few
miles and the message should go out. 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 your accessories. You can monitor battery
voltage
on the Driver Information Center by toggling the
“INFORMATION” button. The normal range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TRAFFIC LIGHTS
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We're all familiar with traffic lights or stop lights. Often green arrows are
being used in the lights for improved traffic control. On some multilane
roads, green arrows light up, indicating that traffic in one or more lanes
can move or make a turn. Green arrows don't mean "go no matter what."
You'll still need to proceed with caution, yielding the right of way to
pedestrians and sometimes to other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red arrows to signify that you must
stop before
turning on red.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TRAFFIC OFFICER
The traffic police officer is also a source of important information. The
officer’s signals govern, no matter what the traffic lights
or other signs
say.
The next section discusses some
of the road conditions you may
encounter.
DEFENSIVE DMNG
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a
very important safety device in your Cadillac: Buckle
up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
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.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars, often followed by
other children. Expect occupants in parked cars to open doors into traffic.
Watch for movement in parked cars
-- someone may be about to open a
door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are
on a through street.
Be ready to brake if necessary as
you go through intersections. You may
not have to use the brake, but if
you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot where there are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows, and designated parking are\
as,
expect some drivers to ignore all these markings and dash straight toward
one part
of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general, you must give
way
to pedestrians even if you know you have the right of way.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they
are common. Allow enough following distance. It’s the best defensive
driving maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never know wh.en
the vehicle in front
of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news
happen on curves. Here’s 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’s
no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going
in the same direction.
If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you’ll 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’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through
a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate.
Those two control systems -- steering and acceleration -- can overwhelm
those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Let up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
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’ll 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.
When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead of
you because it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason
to drive slower.
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If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors
, glance over your shoulder, and start your left
lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When
you are far enough ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back
into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is
convex. The vehicle
you just passed may seem to be farther away from
you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake
a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to
turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
LOSS OF CONTROL
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t 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 Cadillac’s three control
systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more
on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the
vehicle ahead is going just by looking at its taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch
for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older
these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice
as much light to see the same thing
at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can
also affect your night vision. For
example, if you spend the day
in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have
less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also make a lot
of things invisible that
should remain visible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to put on your
sunglasses after you have pulled into a brightly-lighted service or
refreshment area. Eyes shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly
to darkness back on the road. But be sure to remove your sunglasses
before you leave the service area.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a
second or
two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t
lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights. If there
is a line
of opposing traffic, make occasional glances over the line
of headlights to
make certain that one
of the vehicles isn’t starting to move into your lane.
Once
you are past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before
resuming speed.
High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on, signal by flicking
yours to high and then back to low beam. This is the usual signal
to lower
the headlight beams. If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams,
resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This only makes two
half-blinded drivers.
On a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas where you won’t
impair approaching drivers. In some places, like cities, using high beams
is illegal.
When you
follow another vehicle on a freeway or highway, use low
beams. True, most vehicles now have day-night mirrors that enable the
driver
to reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not of this type and high
beams from behind can bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean -- inside and
out. Glare at night
is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the
inside
of the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Tobacco smoke also
makes inside glass surfaces
very filmy and can be a vision hazard if it’s left
there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly. You might even want
to keep a cloth and some glass cleaner in your vehicle if you need to clean
your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights light up far less of a roadway when you
are
in a turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Just as your headlights should be checked regularly for proper aim, so
should your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t even aware of it.
DRn/lNG IN THE RAIN
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road you can’t
stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as
good
as on dry roads. And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll
get even less traction.
It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you
are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain can makc it harder to see road
signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge
of the road, and
even people walking. Road spray can often be worse for vision than rain,
especially
if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield,
or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You could find out the hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
to pass
-- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly find
yourself out
of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your tires haven’t much
tread or if the pressure in one or more
is low. It can happen if a lot of
water is standing on the road.
If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it
is raining, and be careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking lights -- to help make
you more visible to others.
Look
for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind. You may want to
use your headlights even in daytime
if it’s raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by
road spray.
If the road spray is so heavy you are actually blinded, drop
back. Don’t pass until conditions improve. Going more slowly is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DMNG IN FOG, MIST AND HAZE
Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can be so mild that
you
can see through it for several hundred feet (meters). Or it might be
so thick that you can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can
be a major hazard.
When
you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be reduced quickly.
The biggest dangers are striking
the vehicle ahead or being struck by the
one behind.
Try to “read” the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
ahead starts to become less clear or, at night,
if the taillights are harder to
see, the fog
is probably thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you a
chance
to slow down. Everybody then has a better chance to avoid hitting
the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only for a few feet (meters) or for miles
(kilometers); you can’t really tell while you’re in
it. You can only treat the
situation with extreme care.
une common fog condition
-- sometimes called mist or ground fog -- can
happen
in weather that seems perfect, especially at night or in the early
morning in valley and low, marshy areas.
You can be suddenly enveloped
in thick, wet haze that may even coat your windshield. You can often spot
these
fog patches or mist layers with your headlights. But sometimes they
can be waiting for you
as you come over a hill or dip into a shallow valley.
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