CADILLAC SRX 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It is much more likely to happen going
uphill. But if it happens going downhill, here is
what to do.
1. Stop your vehicle by applying the regular
brakes. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to PARK (P) and, while still braking,
restart the engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking
brake, and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not start, get out and
get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go
across the incline of a hill. If this happens,
you have to decide whether to try to drive across
the incline. Here are some things to consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up or down
may be too steep to drive across. When you go
straight up or down a hill, the length of the
wheel base — the distance from the front
wheels to the rear wheels — reduces the
likelihood the vehicle will tumble end over end.
But when you drive across an incline, the much
more narrow track width — the distance
between the left and right wheels — may not
prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.
Also, driving across an incline puts more weight
on the downhill wheels. This could cause a
downhill slide or a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you
drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots,
or even wet grass can cause your tires to slip
sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips
sideways, it can hit something that will
trip it — a rock, a rut, etc. — and roll over.
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Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of
the incline even worse. If you drive across a
rock with the uphill wheels, or if the downhill
wheels drop into a rut or depression, your
vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide
carefully whether to try to drive across an incline.
Just because the trail goes across the incline
does not mean you have to drive it. The last
vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
{CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that is too steep
will make your vehicle roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed. If you have
any doubt about the steepness of the
incline, do not drive across it. Find
another route instead.
Q:What if I am driving across an incline that
is not too steep, but I hit some loose
gravel and start to slide downhill. What
should I do?
A:If you feel your vehicle starting to slide
sideways, turn downhill. This should help
straighten out the vehicle and prevent the side
slipping. However, a much better way to
prevent this is to get out and “walk the course”
so you know what the surface is like before
you drive it.
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Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you are crossing an
incline, be sure you, and any passengers, get out
on the uphill side, even if the door there is
harder to open. If you get out on the downhill side
and the vehicle starts to roll over, you will be
right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the
path the vehicle will take if it does roll over.{CAUTION:
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a
vehicle stopped across an incline is
dangerous. If the vehicle rolls over, you
could be crushed or killed. Always get out
on the uphill (high) side of the vehicle and
stay well clear of the rollover path.
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Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand, the wheels
will not get good traction. You cannot accelerate
as quickly, turning is more difficult, and you
will need longer braking distances.
It is best to use a low gear when you are in
mud —the deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In
really deep mud, the idea is to keep your vehicle
moving so you do not get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you will sense a change
in wheel traction. But it will depend upon how
loosely packed the sand is. On loosely packed
sand, such as on beaches or sand dunes, the tires
will tend to sink into the sand. This has an effect
on steering, accelerating, and braking. Drive
at a reduced speed and avoid sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers.Hard packed snow and ice offer the worst tire
traction. On these surfaces, it is very easy to lose
control. On wet ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will have difficulty accelerating.
And, if you do get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can cause you to slide out
of control.
{CAUTION:
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds, or rivers
can be dangerous. Underwater springs,
currents under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehicle could
fall through the ice and you and your
passengers could drown. Drive your
vehicle on safe surfaces only.
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Driving in Water
Heavy rain can mean ash ooding, and ood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive
through it. If it is deep enough to cover your wheel
hubs, axles, or exhaust pipe, do not try it — you
probably will not get through. Also, water that deep
can damage the axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water is not too deep, drive slowly through it.
At faster speeds, water splashes on your
vehicle’s ignition system and your vehicle can
stall. Stalling can also occur if you get the tailpipe
under water. And, as long as the tailpipe is
under water, you will never be able to start the
engine. When you go through water, remember
that when the brakes get wet, it may take you
longer to stop.{CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be
dangerous. Deep water can sweep your
vehicle downstream and you and your
passengers could drown. If it is only
shallow water, it can still wash away the
ground from under your tires, and you
could lose traction and roll the vehicle
over. Do not drive through rushing water.
SeeDriving in Rain and on Wet Roads on
page 308for more information on driving through
water.
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After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on
the underbody, chassis, or under the hood.
These accumulations can be a re hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake
linings cleaned and checked. These substances
can cause glazing and uneven braking. Check the
body structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage. Also, check
the fuel lines and cooling system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service
due to off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance
Schedule for additional information.
Driving 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.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot 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 vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so
much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe
place and rest.
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No one can see as well at night as in the daytime.
But as we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example, if you spend the
day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble
adjusting to night. But if you are driving, do not
wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlamps, but they also make a
lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to re-adjust
to the dark. When you are faced with severe glare,
as from a driver who does not lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps,
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching headlamps.Keep the windshield and all the glass on your
vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is
made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass can build up a lm caused
by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
ash more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it is easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as the headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your
eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night blindness — the inability to see in dim
light — and are not even aware of it.
307

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a
wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn as
well because your tire-to-road traction is not as
good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have
much tread left, you will get even less traction. It is
always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain
starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your reexes are tuned for
driving on dry pavement.The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer uid
reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield,
or when strips of rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
308

{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as 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 the brake pedal
lightly until the brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to slow
down before you hit them.
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 are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if
your tires do not have 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 reections 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 is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through
deep puddles or standing water, water can
come in through the engine’s air intake
and badly damage the engine. Never drive
through water that is slightly lower than the
underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot avoid
deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
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Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. If you try to drive through owing
water, as you might at a low water
crossing, your vehicle can be carried
away. As little as six inches of owing
water can carry away a smaller vehicle. If
this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore
police warning signs, and otherwise be
very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlamps — not just
your parking lamps — 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 on page 398.
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