steering CADILLAC ELDORADO 1995 10.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine HORN
To sound the horn just press the center of the steering wheel.
TILT WHEEL
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before you
drive.
You can also raise
it to the highest level to give your legs more room when
you exit and enter the vehicle.
c
, :.
To tilt the wheel hold
the steering wheel
and
pull the lever. Move
the steering wheel to
a
comfortable level, then
release the lever to
lock the wheel
in place.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TURN SIGNLIMULTIFUNCTION LEVER
The lever on the left side of the steering column includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp High-Low Beam
Flash-To-Pass Feature
0 Headlamp Washers (Export Only)
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
0 Cruise Control
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TRACTION DISABLED - 88
m This message will be displayed if a problem is noted in the Traction
Control System. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
TRANS FLUID RESET - 48
With the engine not running and
the ignition ON, press and hold the OFF
and REAR DEFOG buttons until the TRANS FLUID RESET message
appears
in the Information Center (between five and 20 seconds).
TURN SIGNAL ON - 20
This message is a reminder, after driving about a mile, that you have your
turn signal on.
TRUNK OPEN - 24
This message indicates that your trunk is open when the ignition is ON.
VERY LOW REFRIGERANT A/C COMPRESSOR OFF - 12
This message means that the Air Conditioning system detects a
refrigerant level that is
low enough to cause damage to the A/C
compressor. To avoid damage the A/C compressor automatically turns off
and the Electronic Climate Control will automatically switch from AUTO
to ECON and remain there. Have your A/C system serviced
if this
message appears.
Speed Sensitive Steering (SSS)
This system varies the amount of steering effort proportionate to your
vehicle speed. Steering
is easier at a lower speed for increased
maneuverability and parking ease. As your vehicle speed increases, the
steering effort is also increased proportionately. At highway speeds the
amount
of steering effort is greatly increased to provide a manual-like
steering feel for maximum control and enhanced vehicle stability.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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’re driving on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you
can lose control
of your vehicle.
BRAKING
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide
to push on the brake pedal. That’sperception
time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
314 of a second. But that’s 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’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet,
dry, icy); tire tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road conditions.
The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power (by shutting off
fuel injectors) to limit wheel spin.
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The TRACTION ACTIVE message will display on the Driver
Information Center when the traction control system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Driver Information Center Messages”
in the Index. You may
feel
the system working, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is
in cruise control when the traction control system begins
to
limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to safely use
it again, you may re-engage the
cruise control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the Index.)
The TRACTION DISABLED message
will display on the Driver
Information Center to let
you know if there’s a problem with your traction
control system. See “Driver Information Center Messages”
in the Index.
When this message is displayed, the system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-lock, you
can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help you more than even the very best braking.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STEERING
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering in Emergencies
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There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a
hill and find 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 can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s
the time for evasive action -- steering around the problem.
Your Cadillac can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. 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.
An emergency like this requires close attention
and a quick decision. If
you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions,
you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good
reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts
properly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should
be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight
down the roadway.
I
OFF ROAD RECOVERY
c@y// SLOW DOWN
y// Mge of paved sudace
PASSING
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead,
then goes back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender
to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face with
the worst of all traffic accidents -- the
head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
A cornering skid is best handled by casing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration
skid.
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.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on
the road. For safety, you’ll 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
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.
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.
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