brake light CADILLAC SEVILLE 1993 4.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TRAFFIC OFFICER
The traffic police officer is also a source of important information. The
officer’s signals govern, no matter what the traffic
lights or other signs
say.
The next section discusses some
of the road conditions you may
encounter.
DEFENSm DmNG
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defens\
ively.
Please start with a
very important safety device in your Cadillac: Buckle
up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On\
city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what they might do.
Be ready for their
mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars, often followed by
other children. Expect occupants
in parked cars to open doors into traffic.
Watch for movement in parked cars
-- someone may be about to open a
door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are on
a through street.
Be ready to brake if necessary as you go through intersections.
You may
not have to use the brake, but if you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot where mere are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows, and designated parking are\
as,
expect some drivers to ignore all these markings and dash straight toward
one part
of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general, you must give
way to pedestrians even
if you know you have the right of way.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a
lot of heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest lightly on the
brake pedal
while driving.
8
A CAUTION:
“Riding” your brakes can cause them to overheat to the point
that they won’t work well. You might not be able
to stop your
vehicle in time to avoid
an accident. If you “ride” your brakes,
they
will get so hot they will require a lot of pedal force to slow
you down. Avoid “riding” the brakes.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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.
Once the vehicle speed reaches about
5 mph (8 krnh), 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete axle sets. \
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 Agustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc brakes adjust for
wear.
If you rarely make a moderate or heavier stop, then your brakes might
not adjust correctly. If you drive
in that way, then -- very carefully -- make
a few moderate brake stops about every
1000 miles (1600 km), so your
brakes will adjust properly.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. 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.
STEERING
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.)
0 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.
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 and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn a corner on a wet, snow-
or ice-covered road), ease your foot
off the accelerator pedal as soon as
you feel
the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer the way you want to go. If
you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will straighten out. As it
does, straighten the front wheels.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving too fast throl
car washes can cause
Try to avoid puddles.
them. Igh
large water puddles
or even going through some
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit
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A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work well in a quick\

stop and may cause pulling to one side. You could lose control
of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or a car wash,
apply your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
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.
You might not be aware
of hydroplaning. You could drive along for some
time without realizing your tires aren’t in constant contact with the road.
You could find out the hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine along, and glance over your shoulder as often as necessary. Try to blend
smoothly
with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the posted limit or to
the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want to
pass.
If you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slow lane
and the left lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the higher-speed through lane,\
and the left
lane as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors. Then use yo\
ur turn
signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your shoulder to make
sure there isn’t another vehicle in your “blind” spot.
If
you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a freeway having
more than
two lanes, make sure another vehicle isn’t about to move into
the same spot.
Look at the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale
signs: turn signals flashing, an increase
in speed, or moving toward the
edge
of the lane. Be prepared to delay your move.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you allow a
reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper lane well in
advance. Dashing across lanes at the last minute is dangerous.
If you miss
your exit do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it should \
be long enough
for you to enter it at freeway speed (after signaling, of course) and then
do your braking before moving onto the exit ramp. Unfortunately, not all
deceleration lanes are long enough
-- some are too short for all the
braking. Decide when to start braking.
If you must brake on the through
lane, and
if there is traffic close behind you, you can allow a little extra
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine time and flash your brake lights (in addition to your turn signal) as extra
warning that you are about to slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed according
to your
speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are. For example,
40 mph (65 km/h) might seem like only 20 mph
(30 km/h). Obviously, this could lead to serious trouble on a ramp
designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
DMNG A LONG DISTANCE
Although most long trips today are made on freeways, there are still
many made
on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular highways is the same
in
some ways. The trip has to be planned and the vehicle prepared, you
drive at higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns behind
the
wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and your vehicle are in good
shape. Here are some tips for a successful long trip.
BEFORE LEAWNG ONA LONG THP
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you must start when
you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s work -- don’t plan to make too
many miles that first part of
the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and
shoes
you can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it serviced and
maintained, it’s ready to
go. If it needs service, have it done before
starting out. Of course, you’ll find experienced and able service experts
in
Cadillac dealerships all across North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things
you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
0 Fuel. Enpine Oil. Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue
will not drop to the road if it becomes separated from the hitch. Follow
the manufacturer's recommendation for attaching safety chains. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow
safety chains to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakcs'? He sure IO read and follow thc
instructions for the trailer brakes so you'll he ilblc to ir~ i~lI, ;rcliw an3
maintain them properly.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer 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. And always keep
in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly so responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes are working. This
lets
you check 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 any trailer brakes are still working.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables can reach, but be
sure the vehicles aren’t touching each other. If they are, it could cause
a ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start
your Cadillac, and the bad grounding could damage the electrical
systems.
A CAUTION:
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the parking brake
firmly
on each vehicle. Put an automatic transaxle in “P”
(Park).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. lbrn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid sparks and help
save both
batteries. And it could
save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries:
A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from
any underhood electric fan.
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each battery.
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