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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - 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.
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a
person with a higher BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to
avoid the collision.
-
-_ need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A
-~ . 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. -
* Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, and judgment will be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You could have a serious -- or even fatal --
accident if you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver who has been drinking. Ride home’in a cab;
or if you’re with a pup, designate a driver who will not drink
- CONTROL OF A WHICLE
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. --
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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; and the condition
of your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overwork the
braking system with poor driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts -- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
-- rather than keeping pace
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Page 194 of 406
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
a Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest lightly on the
brake pedal while driving.
CAUTION:
“Riding” your braws 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.
Page 195 of 406
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.
I
Lr
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -
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.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. The computer
separately works 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
I 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
t- lug ~OU 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.
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. You may also hear this during
a hard stop.
Traction Control System (Option)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that limits wheel spin.
This is especially useful in slippery road conditions. The traction control
system works at low speeds only, such as when you accelerate from
a stop.
It applies brake pressure to an individual wheel that the system senses is
about to spin.
ITER
The “TRACTION
ACTIVE’’ light will
appear in your
information center
when your traction
control system is
working.
r
184
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine r
.-
You may feel the system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
is normal.
The “TRACTION
OFF” warning light
lets you know if your
traction control
I
system is not working.
See “Traction Control
System Warning
, , ,, . I , -1
Light” in the Index.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
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).
A CAUTION
The brake wear waming sound means thgt sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well. That could lead to an accident. when
you hear the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced. 5-
., I
185
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine VOTICE:
Cmtinuing to drive with worn-out brake pads could result in
I
costly brake repair
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.
Rear Drum Brakes
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if you ever hear a
rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings inspected.
Also, the
rear brake drums should be removed and inspected each time the tires
are removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brakes
replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
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 Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your 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.
186
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