brake CADILLAC ELDORADO 1995 10.G Owner's Manual

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YOUR DRIVING AND THE ROAD
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and
in varying weather conditions. We’ve also included many other useful tips
on driving.
DEFENSMY DRIVTNG
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.
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 when
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 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.
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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 Avoid needless heavy braking. Some peoplc drive in spurts -- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
-- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may
not have time to cool between
hard stops.
Your 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 engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Oncc thc power assist is used up, it may take
longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Cadillac has an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
a braking skid.
ANTI-
LOCK (@)
This light on the
instrument panel will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When
you start your vehicle and begin to drive away, you may hear a
momentary motor
or clicking noise. And you may even notice that your
brake pedal mows a little while this is going
on. This is the ABS system
testing itself.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brakc System Warning Light”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving
safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s 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 the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver
could. The computer
is programmed to make the most of available tire
and road conditions.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change
the time you need to get your foot
up to the brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you,
you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahcad to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you.
You may hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and
feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
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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 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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“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for
situations that might affect your passing patterns.
If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your
pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line
on your
side of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle
you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or
stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass
is coming up, start to accelerate
but stay in the right lane and don’t get too close. Time your move
so
you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other
lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a “running start” that
more than makes up for the distance you would lose
by dropping back.
And
if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need
only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity.
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.
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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 Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some
car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But if you can't, try to slow down before you hit
them.
I A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work well in a quick
stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or a car wash,
apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
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