warning light CADILLAC ELDORADO 2001 10.G Owner's Manual

5-2
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press the button in to make your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and off.
This light on the instrument
panel will flash, indicating
that the hazard warning
flashers are on.
The hazard warning flashers will work once the button
is pressed in regardless of the ignition key position.

5-9
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service if
you need to have your vehicle towed. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find an ENGINE COOLANT HOT, IDLE
ENGINE message or an ENGINE OVERHEATED,
STOP ENGINE message on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). You will also hear a chime. There is also
an engine temperature warning light and/or gage on the
instrument panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature
Warning Lightº or ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº
in the Index.
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode
Should an overheated engine condition exist and the
message ENGINE OVERHEATED, STOP ENGINE is
displayed, an overheat protection mode which alternates
firing groups of cylinders helps prevent engine damage.
In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine
performance. This operating mode allows your vehicle
to be driven to a safe place in an emergency; you may
drive up to 50 miles (80 km). Towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode should be avoided.
NOTICE:
After driving in the overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow
the engine to cool before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely degraded.
Repair the cause of coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life indicator. See ªEngine Oilº
in the Index.

6-22 How to Reset Transaxle Fluid
Change Indicator
Your vehicle is equipped with a transaxle fluid change
indicator. A CHANGE TRANS FLUID message will
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC) when
the powertrain computer determines that the transaxle
fluid needs to be changed or at each 100,000 miles
(160 000 km) interval, whichever occurs first. See your
Maintenance Schedule booklet for more information.
When this message appears, change the transaxle fluid
and reset the transaxle fluid life indicator as follows:
1. Turn the ignition on but do not start the engine.
2. Press and hold the OFF and rear defog buttons on the
climate control system at the same time until the
TRANS FLUID RESET message appears on
the DIC.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with
DEX
-COOL
engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only
DEX
-COOL
extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to add
coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with engine
overheating, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL
coolant will:

Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).

Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).

Protect against rust and corrosion.

Help keep the proper engine temperature.

Let the warning lights and gages work as they should.

6-30
There are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won't work well, or won't work at all.
So, it isn't a good idea to ªtop offº your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won't correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you'll have too much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
CAUTION:
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is hot
enough. You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See ªBrake System Warning
Lightº in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT
-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container only.
Refer to ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.

6-32
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly applied.
This does not mean something is wrong with your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet under Part C
ªPeriodic Maintenance Inspections.º
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top
-quality GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system
-- for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
have to have new ones put in
-- be sure you get new
approved GM replacement parts. If you don't, your brakes
may no longer work properly. For example, if someone
puts in brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle,
the balance between your front and rear brakes can
change
-- for the worse. The braking performance you've
come to expect can change in many other ways if someone
puts in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free ACDelco

battery. When it's time for a new battery, get one that has the
replacement number shown on the original battery's label.
We recommend an ACDelco battery. See ªEngine
Compartment Overviewº in the Index for battery location.
WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer and
reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

6-45 Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system developed
by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, which grades tires by treadwear, traction
and temperature performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.) The grades are molded
on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The Uniform
Tire Quality Grading system does not apply to deep tread,
winter
-type snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited
-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a
half (1 1/2) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
-- AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight
-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.