steering CADILLAC ELDORADO 2001 10.G User Guide

2-83
SERVICE STEERING SYS - 127: This message is
displayed when a problem has been detected in the
Magnasteer

variable effort steering system. Service is
required. A single chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
- 100: If a problem is
detected with the transaxle, this message will appear.
Have your vehicle checked by your dealership.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
- 3: If a problem is
detected with the transaxle, this message will appear.
Have your vehicle checked by your dealership.
SERV STABILITY SYS
- 54: If you ever see the
SERV STABILITY SYS message, it means there may
be a problem with your stability enhancement system. If
you see this message, try to reset the system (stop; turn
off the engine; then start the engine again). If the SERV
STABILITY SYS message still comes on, it means there
is a problem. You should see your dealer for service.
Reduce your speed and drive accordingly. A single
chime will also sound when this message is displayed.STABILITY ENGAGED
- 55: You may see the
STABILITY ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer
-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY ENGAGED message is on, you
should continue to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
ENGAGED message comes on, you'll know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin, so
you should consider slowing down.

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Climate Control Panel
3
-6 Electronic Solar Sensor
3
-6 Air Conditioning
3
-7 Heating
3
-7 Defrosting
3
-7 Rear Window Defogger
3
-8 Ventilation System
3
-9 HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
3
-10 Climate Control Personalization (If Equipped)
3
-10 Audio Systems
3
-10 Setting the Clock
3
-10 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
3
-14 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data
Systems (RDS) and Digital Signal
Processing (DPS) (If Equipped)3
-24 Radio Data Systems (RDS) Program
Type (PTY) Selections
3
-25 CD Adapter Kits
3
-25 Trunk Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
-29 Radio Personalization with Home and Away
Feature (If Equipped)
3
-30 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-31 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
-31 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-32 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-33 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-34 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-34 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-35 Power Antenna Mast Care

3-9
Ventilation Tips

Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow or
any other obstruction (such as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of the windows.

When you enter a vehicle in cold weather, adjust the
fan to the highest speed for a few moments before
driving off. This helps clear the intake outlets of
snow and moisture, and reduces the chance of
fogging the inside of the windows.

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps circulate air throughout
your vehicle.HVAC Steering Wheel Controls
Some heating and cooling
controls can be adjusted at
the steering wheel. Other
touch controls operate some
audio controls. SeeªAudio
Steering Wheel Controlsº
in the Index.
FAN SPEED: Press the up arrow lever to
increase the fan speed and the down arrow lever to
decrease fan speed.
TEMP: Press the up arrow lever to increase
the temperature and the down arrow lever to
decrease temperature.

3-31 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio controls
can be adjusted at the
steering wheel. They
include the following:
VOLUME: Press the up arrow lever to increase volume
and the down arrow lever to decrease volume.
SELECT: When listening to the radio, press the up or
down arrow lever to tune to the next or previous preset
radio station. (If your vehicle is equipped with the
AM
-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player, factory
presets which have not been reprogrammed with your
stations will be ignored). When listening to a cassette tape, the up or down arrow
lever can be used to SEEK forward and rearward
through the tape. Pressing the up or down arrow lever
when listening to a CD will cause the player to go to
the next or previous selection. When in Radio Data
Systems (RDS) Program Type (PTY) mode, the up or
down arrow lever can be used to perform a PTY preset
seek. PSEEK will appear on the display while the PTY
preset seek is performed. The radio will seek all of the
PTYs stored in presets, except for the PTY Any.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for
FM, especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.

4-
4-1
Section 4 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.
4
-2 Defensive Driving
4
-3 Drunken Driving
4
-6 Control of a Vehicle
4
-6 Braking
4
-9 Traction Control System
4
-10 Steering
4
-12 Off-Road Recovery
4
-13 Passing
4
-14 Loss of Control
4
-15 Driving at Night4
-17 Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
4
-20 City Driving
4
-21 Freeway Driving
4
-22 Before Leaving on a Long Trip
4
-23 Highway Hypnosis
4
-23 Hill and Mountain Roads
4
-25 Winter Driving
4
-29 Recreational Vehicle Towing
4
-29 Loading Your Vehicle
4
-31 Towing a Trailer

4-6
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.
Also see ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 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; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-8
You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
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
both 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. This
can help you 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 or always decrease
stopping distance. 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 ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly 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.
Braking in Emergencies
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.

4-10
To turn the system off, press
the TRAC OFF button
located inside the
glove box.
The TRACTION OFF message will display on the
Driver Information Center. If the system is limiting
wheel spin when you press the button, the TRACTION
OFF message will display
-- but the system won't turn
off right away. It will wait until there's no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The TRACTION READY message
should display briefly on the Driver Information Center.
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.
Magnasteer

This system continuously adjusts the effort you feel
when steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº 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.

4-11
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. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control. Refer to
ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
If you have Stabilitrak

, you may see the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver Information
Center. See ªStability Sys Engaged Messageº in the Index.
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 ªdriveº 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.
Steering in Emergencies
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 vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. 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.

4-12
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.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find 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 one
-quarter turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.