1993 CADILLAC DEVILLE light

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

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

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
- i
c
r

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.
188
-‘ I
-
I cc
-.
r
)--r
-
LL

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.
189

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 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. It’s hard to tell how fast the
vehicle ahead is going just by looking at its taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
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’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also make a lot
of things invisible that
should remain visible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to put
on your
sunglasses after you have pulled into a brightly-lighted service or
refreshment area. Eyes shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly
to darkness back
on the road. But be sure to remove your sunglasses
before you leave the service area.
IOU can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a
second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the
dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t
lower the high beams, or
a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights.
If there is a line
of opposing traffic, make occasional glances over the line of headlights to
make certain that one
of the vehicles isn’t starting to move into your lane.
Once you are past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before
resuming speed.
194

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on, signal by flicking
yours to high and then back to low beam. This is the usual signal to
lower
the headlight beams. If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams,
resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This only makes
two
half-blinded drivers.
7
On a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas where you won’t
impair approaching drivers. In some places, like cities, using high beams
is illegal.
When you follow another vehicle on
a freeway or highway, use low
beams. True, most vehicles now have day-night mirrors that enable the
__ driver to reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not of this type and high
beams from behind can bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
Keep your 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 film caused by dust. Tobacco smoke also
makes inside glass surfaces very filmy and can be a vision hazard if it’s left
there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly. You might even want
to keep a cloth and some glass cleaner
in your vehicle if you need to clean
- your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights light up far less
of a roadway when you
are in a turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted
objects.
Just as your headlights 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 aren’t even aware of it.
195