CADILLAC FLEETWOOD 1994 Owners Manual

3
According to the American Medical Association, a 180-pound (82 kg)
person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will
end up with a BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (1 20 ml) glasses of wine or three
mixed drinks
if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liauor like whiskey, gin
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person
drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an
hour, the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have a slightly lower
BAC level.
I or vodka.
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DRINKING THAT WILL
RESULT IN A BAC OF .O5%
IN THE TIME SHOWN
OF DRINKS
NUMBER (as in picture)
100 120 140
160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
The law in most U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent.
In Canada the limit is
0.08 percent, and in some other countries it’s lower
than that. The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in
one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in
the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
But it’s
very important to keep in mind that the ability to drive is affected
well below a BAC
of 0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and
that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels
above
0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being in an accident
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above.
A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent (three beers in one hour for a
180-pound or
82 kg person) has doubled his or her chance of having an
accident. At a BAC level
of 0.10 percent, the chance of that driver having
an accident is
six times greater; at a level of 0.15 percent, the chances are
twenty-five times greater! And, the body takes about an hour to rid itself
of the alcohol in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
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“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a
need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A
person with a higher BAC might not be at& to react quickly enough to
avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people
don’t know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can
make crash injuries worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord
and heart injuries. That means that if anyone who has been drinking
--
driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than
if that person had not been drinking.
And we’ve already seen that the chance
of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
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r
CONTROL OF A KEHICLE
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.
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$RAKING
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; and the condition
of your brakes.
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.
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Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Cadillac has an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
This light on the
instrument panel will
go on 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 moves 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 Brake System Warning Light’’ in the Index.
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.
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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.
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 ahead 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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Traction Control System
This feature is deleted on Coach Builder limousines and funeral coach
packages.
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 the rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
When this happens, the system works the rear brakes and reduces engine
power (by closing the throttle) to limit wheel spin.
The ‘TRACTION ENGAGED’’ light will come on when the traction
control system is limiting wheel spin. See “Traction Control System Active
Light” 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.)
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The “TRACTION CONTROL? warning light will come on when you turn
the traction control system off. When the system is on, this light will come
on to let you know if there’s a problem with your traction control system.
‘When this warning light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start
your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions,
you should always leave the system on. But you can turn
the traction
control system
off if you ever need to. (You should turn the system off if
your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your
Vehicle’’
in the Index.)
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.
n The TRACTION CONTROL
DISABLE SWITCH
is located
in the glove
compartment.
I
To turn the system off, press and hold the button until the “TRACTION
CONTROC’ light comes
on and stays on. To turn the system back on, you
must stop and turn off the ignition. Then restart the engine.
Brake Wear
Your Cadillac has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The
sound may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is
moving (except when you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
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