brake CADILLAC ELDORADO 2002 10.G Owner's Manual

2-81
If this message appears and stays on while driving or
after starting your vehicle, 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 the
accessories. You can monitor battery voltage on the
DIC by pressing the SKIP INFO button. The normal
range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL
- 82: This means that
the life of the engine oil has expired and it should be
changed within 200 miles (322 km). See ªEngine Oilº
in the Index. After an oil change, the Oil Life Indicator
must be reset. See ªOil Life Indicator, How to Resetº
in the Index.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID
- 47: This message will
appear when it is time to replace the transaxle fluid.
See ªMaintenance Scheduleº in the Index for the proper
fluid and change intervals.CHECK BRAKE FLUID LEVEL
- 37: This message
will display if the ignition is in RUN to inform the
driver that the brake fluid level is low. Have the brake
system serviced by a technician as soon as possible.
See ªBrake System Warning Lightº in the Index.
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL
- 2: This message
will appear when there is a low level of engine coolant.
Have the cooling system serviced by a technician as
soon as possible.
CHECK FUEL GAUGE
- 39: This message will
appear when the fuel supply is less than 3.5 gallons
(13.2 L) remaining. A single chime will also sound
when this message is displayed.
CHECK GAS CAP
- 61: This message will appear
if the gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it's fully tightened.

2-84
OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE - 35: If this
message appears while the engine is running, stop the
engine and do not operate it until the cause of low oil
pressure is corrected. Severe damage to the engine can
result. A multiple chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.
OPTIONS NOT SET
- 99: This message will display
if a fault has occurred in your vehicle's memory.
Have your vehicle serviced by your dealership.
PROGRAM PASS KEY
- 31: This warning message
displays when the PASS
-Key
II pellet information
has not been programmed into your vehicle. See your
dealership for service.
REMOVE KEY
- 70: This message will appear when
the PASS
-Key
II system is unable to read the pellet
on the ignition key or an improper key pellet has been
inserted. This message usually appears following the
display of STARTING DISABLED REMOVE KEY.
The instrument panel cluster will then run a timer and
change the messages to WAIT 3 MINUTES, WAIT
2 MINUTES, WAIT 1 MINUTE and then START CAR.
When the REMOVE KEY message is displayed, remove
the ignition key. Check the ignition key for damage. If it is damaged, it may need to be replaced. If you see
no damage, clean the pellet contacts with a soft cloth or
napkin before inserting the key back into the ignition.
Have your vehicle serviced if the message still appears.
SERVICE A/C SYSTEM
- 14: This message
appears when the electronic sensors that control the air
conditioning and heating systems are no longer working.
Have the climate control system serviced if you notice a
drop in heating and air conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE AIR BAG
- 83: There is a problem with
the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (air bag) system
when this message appears. Let only a qualified
technician work on your vehicle. See your dealership
for service at once.
SERVICE BRAKE FLUID SWITCH
- 37: A problem
in the brake fluid detection circuit causes this message
to display if the ignition is in RUN. Have the brake
system serviced by a technician as soon as possible.
If the brake warning light is on, refer to the directions
listed in that part.

2-86
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.STARTING DISABLED REMOVE KEY
- 33: This
message will appear when the PASS
-Key
II system
senses that an improper ignition key is being used to try
to start the vehicle. Check the ignition key for damage.
If it is damaged, it may need to be replaced. If you see
no damage, clean the pellet contacts with a soft cloth or
napkin. Remove the ignition key and wait for the DIC
to display WAIT 3 MINUTES. The instrument panel
cluster will then run a timer and change the messages
to WAIT 2 MINUTES, WAIT 1 MINUTE and then
START CAR. When the START CAR message is
displayed, try again to start the engine.
THEFT SYSTEM PROBLEM, CAR MAY NOT
RESTART
- 34: This message means there is a problem
in the PASS
-Key
II system. A fault has been detected
in the system which means that the PASS
-Key
II
system is disabled and is not protecting the vehicle.
The vehicle usually restarts, however, you may want to
take your vehicle to a proper service center before
turning off the engine.

2-87
TOP SPEED FUEL OFF - 111 : This message will
appear when the PCM senses that the maximum speed
for your vehicle has been reached. The speed of your
vehicle will decrease several mph as the fuel supply is
cut off. This allows your vehicle to stay in a stable
operating range.
TRACTION ENGAGED
- 91: When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
ENGAGED message will be displayed. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message is displayed, so
adjust your driving accordingly. This message will stay
on for a few seconds after the traction control system
stops limiting wheel spin.
TRACTION OFF
- 89: This message will be displayed
after the traction control has been turned off.
TRACTION READY
- 90: This message informs
the driver that the traction control system is available.
This occurs when the traction on/off button in the glove
box has been returned to ON (pressing the button once
turns the traction control system off; pressing the button
again turns the system back on). This message also
self
-cancels after five seconds.TRACTION SUSPENDED
- 56: This message
displays when the traction control system has been
temporarily shut off because your vehicle's brakes
have overheated. This message does not indicate a
problem with your vehicle's traction control system.
After a few minutes, the traction control system will be
available again and the TRACTION READY message
will appear.
TRANS FLUID RESET
- 48: With the engine not
running and the ignition on, press and hold the OFF and
rear defog buttons located on the climate control panel
until the TRANS FLUID RESET message appears on
the DIC (between five and 20 seconds).
TRANS HOT IDLE ENG
- 112: This message
indicates that the transaxle fluid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN
- 24: This message indicates that the
trunk is open when your vehicle's ignition is in RUN.

4-2
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. See ªSafety Beltsº in the Index.Defensive driving really means ªbe ready for anything.º
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
ªalways expect the unexpected.º
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.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate
on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more
difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this,
or pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving techniques could save
your life.

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.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people 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. Once the
power assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with
the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.

4-8
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you.
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.

4-9
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.
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 to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ENGAGED message will display on
the Driver Information Center when the traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. See ªDriver Information
Center Messagesº in the Index. You may feel or hear
the system working, 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
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in
the Index.

4-12
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.
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.