1993 CADILLAC DEVILLE steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news
happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going
in the same direction.
If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you’ll understand this.
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The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate.
Those
two control systems -- steering and acceleration -- can overwhelm
those places where the tires meet the road and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Let up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed.
Of
course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before
you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of
the
curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead
of
you because it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason to drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a
car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems
by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Cadillac can perform
very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If
you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you can turn it a
full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. You must then be
prepared to steer back to your original lane and then brake to a
controlled stop.
Depending on your speed, this can be rather violent for an unprepared
driver. This is one of the reasons driving experts recommend that you use
your safety belts and keep both hands on the steering wheel.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good
reason to practice defensive driving at all times.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be
fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to
go straight
down the roadway.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine QCe ROAD RECOVER)
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If the shoulder appears to be about four inches (100 mm) or more below
the pavement, this difference can cause problems.
If there is not enough
room to pull entirely onto the shoulder and stop, then follow the same
procedures. But if the right front tire scrubs against the side of the
pavement,
do NOT steer more sharply. With too much steering angle, the
vehicle may jump back onto the road with so much steering input that it
crosses over into the oncoming traffic before you can bring it back under
control.
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Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering input, straddle the
pavement once more, then try again.
PASSING
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead,
then goes back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway
is a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender
to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face with the worst
of all traffic accidents -- the
head-on collision.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
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.
0 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 the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will
straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front wheels.
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
192

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
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. Steer the way you want to go.
DRIPTNG 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.
0 Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
0 Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more
on this problem.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on
it.
Try not to brake while you're actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
IfYou%e Caught in a Blizzard
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If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing
or wrap a blanket
around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
-- anything you
can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to
th.e right, move your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and,
if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green arrows on your instrument panel
will
flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lights will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash for turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
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