ESP CADILLAC FLEETWOOD 1994 User Guide

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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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 b.ack 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.
take care thatsomeone 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.)
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
0 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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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 easing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration
skid.
If your traction control system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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
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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 braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
DRZWNG AT NIGHT
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that
some drivers are likely to be impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires
that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen
if the road is wet
enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your tires haven’t much
tread or
if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of
water is standing on the road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it
is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your low-beam headlights -- not just your parking lights -- to
help make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by
road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Trailer Wiring Harness
I
If your Fleetwood is equipped with one of the heavy duty trailering
options, a
5 wire trailering harness is located in the trunk. You may have
to have it wired to your vehicle.
These trailer harness color codes should be followed when connecting to
your trailer:
White: Direct Trailer Ground for Trailer Lights
Brown: Park Lamps
Yellow: Left Turn and Stop Lamps
Dark Green: Right Tuh and Stop Lights
Dark Blue: Auxiliary Circuit
DRIFTNG WTHA TWLER
Safe trailer towing requires a certain amount of experience. Before
setting out
for the open road, you'll want to get to know your rig.
Acquaint-yourself with the feel
of handling and braking with the added
weight of the trailer. Always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving
is longer and not nearly as responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and apply the trailer brakes
by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This also checks your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip check occasionally to be sure that the load is secure and
that the lights and trailer brakes are operating correctly.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
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Engine Cooling When Trailering
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during severe operating
conditions such as;
Climbing grades steeper than 4% at ambient temperatures above
90’Fahrenheit (32O Celsius)
with a loaded vehicle and trailer.
0 Stopping after high-speed driving.
0 Idling for long periods in stop and go traffic.
If the “TEMP” warning light comes on, pull
to the side of the road as
soon as it is safe to do
so. When the vehicle is at a complete stop, shift the
transmission selector to P (Park) and allow the engine to idle. If your
Electronic Climate Control system is on, shut it
off. Do not turn off the
engine or increase engine speed above a normal idle. Within
two or three
minutes the system should cool sufficiently to allow A/C operation to
resume. At that time resume driving at a reduced speed. Return to
normal driving after
10 minutes if the “TEMP” warning light is not
displayed.
Maintenance when Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer.
See the Maintenance Schedule for details. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, engine drive belt, cooling system, and
brake adjustment. Each of these is covered in this manual. The Index will
help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch attaching nuts and bolts are tight.
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1

r IF A TIREGOES FLAT
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear blowout,
remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under
control by steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off
the road
if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.
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n and.you don’t have to buy a higher octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s
the heavy, constant knock that means you have a problem.
What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen
(oxygenates), such
as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.’’ Fuel that is no more than
15%
MTBE is fine for your vehicle.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel that is no more
than
10% ethanol is fine for your vehicle.
Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for your.vehicle.
Don’t. use it. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic and rubber.parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or less, there must
he “cosolvents” and corrosion preventers in this fuel to help
avoid these problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will help prevent
deposits from forming in your engine and fuel system. That helps. keep
your engine in tune and your emission control system working properly.
It’s good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates. General Motors
recommends that you use gasolines with these blending materials, such as
MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in
those parts
of the country that have high carbon monoxide levels.
~ In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing reformulated
gasolines. These gasolines are specially designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. General Motors recommends that you use reformulated
gasoline. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those parts
of the country that have high ozone levels.
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treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under
identical conditions.
There are
two different fuel economy estimates for each vehicle, one Ior
city driving and one for highway driving.
To develop these two estimates,
separate tests are used to represent typical everyday city and rural
driving.
The test used to determine the city fuel economy estimate simulates a
7.5 mile (12 km), stop and go trip with an average speed of 20 mph
(32
km/h). The trip takes 23 minutes and has 18 stops. About one fifth
of the time is spent idling, as in waiting at traffic lights or in rush hour
traffic. Two kinds of engine starts are used: a cold start, which is similar to
starting a car in the morning after it has been parked all night and a hot
start, which is similar to restarting a vehicle after it has been warmed up,
driven and stopped for a short time.
The test used to determine the highway fuel economy estimate
represents a mixture of “non-city” driving. Segments corresponding to
different kinds
of rural roads and interstate highways are included. The
test simulates a 10 mile (17 km) trip with an average speed of 48 mph
(77 km/h). The test is run from a hot start and has little idling time and
no stops.
To assure that the fuel economy numbers are most useful for consumers,
the
EPA adjusts these laboratory test results to account for the difference
between controlled laboratory conditions and actual driving on the road.
The laboratory fuel economy results are adjusted downward
to arrive at
the estimates on the fuel economy window sticker and the Gas Mileage
Y Guide. The city estimate is lowered by 10 percent and the highwq
estimate
is lowered by 22 percent from the laboratory test results.
Experience has proven that these adjustments make the mileage
estimates correspond more closely to the actual fuel economy rea
by the average driver. lized
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