1993 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Start your windshield wipers and washer, to help clear accumulated road
dirt. Slow down carefully.
Tips on Driving in Fog
If you get caught in fog, turn your headlights on low beam: (en In
daytime. You’ll see -- and be seen -- better. Use your fog lignts if your
vehicle has them.
Don’t use your high beams.
The light will bounce off the water droplets
that make up fog and reflect back at
you.
Use your defogger. In high humidity, even a light buildup of moisture on
the inside
of the glass will cut down on your already limited visibility. Run
your windshield wipers and washer occasionally. Moisture can build up
on the outside glass, and what seems to be fog may actually be moisture
on the outside of your windshield.
Treat dense fog as an emergency. Try to find a place to pull off the road,
Of course you want to respect another’s property, but you might need to
put something between you and moving vehicles
-- space, trees, telephone
poles,
a private driveway, anything that removes you from other traffic.
If visibility is near zero and you must stop but are unsure whether you are.
away from the road, turn your lights
on, start your hazard warning
flashers, and sound your horn at intervals or when you hear approaching
traffic.
Pass other vehicles
in fog only if you can see far enough ahead to pass
safely.
Even then, be preparcd to delay your pass if you suspect the fog is
worse up ahead. If other vehicles try to pass you, make it easy for them.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CITYDRWTNG
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the amount of traffic on
them. You’ll want to watch out for what the other drivers are doing and
pay attention to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Try not to drive
around trying to pick out a familiar street or landmark. Get a city map
and plan your trip into an unknown part of the city just as you would
for
a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next section, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it. When a light turns green, and
just before you start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they are for ideal
road, weather and visibility conditions.
You may need to drive below
the posted limit
in bad weather or when visibility is especially poor.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of intersections when you
see or hear emergency vehicles.
FREEWAYDIWTNG
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have
their own special rules.
The
most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and
keep to the right. Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers are
driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a
smooth traffic flow. Treat
the left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you
have a clear view
of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp,
you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow.
If traffic is light, you may have no problem. But if it is
heavy, find a gap as you move along the entering lane and time
your
approach. Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Switch on your turn signal, check your rearview mirrors as you move
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 your turn
signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quicklyover 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

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 kmih). Obviously, this could lead to serious trouble on a ramp
designed for
20 mph (30 kmih)!
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 LEAVTNG ONA LONG TRIP
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?
Fuel. Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels‘?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
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Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important
to a safe, trouble-free trip. Is the
tread good enough for long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated
to the recommended pressure‘?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid
a major storm
system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
ON THE ROAD
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel
to about 100 miles (160 km) or two
hours at a sitting. Then, either change drivers or stop for some
refreshment like
coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up. But do
stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way. Heavier meals tend to
make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want
to watch for some situations not usually
found on freeways. Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers
with direct access to the highway,
no passing zones and school zones,
vehicles turning left and right
off the road, pedestrians, cyclists, parked
vehicles, and even animals.
HIGWAY mPlVOSIS
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just
plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack
of
awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum
of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and
the rush
of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less than
What
can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen. and
you could crash and be injured.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan
the road ahead and to the sides. Check
your rearview mirrors frequently and your instruments from time
to
time. This can help you avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can cause drowsiness. But
don’t wear sunglasses at night.
They will drastically reduce your
overall vision at the very time you need all the seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into a rest, service, or parking area
and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and allow adequate
following distances.
HILL AND MOUNTMN ROADS
J
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or
rolling terrain.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re planning to visit there,
here are some tips that can
make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some
of the slowing down. Don’t make your brakes
do it all. Shift to a lower gear when you go down a steep or long hill.
That way, you
will slow down without excessive use of your brakes.
<
A CAUTION: .r S<*.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so hot that they ’+--*
wouldn’t work well. You would then have poor braking or even
none going down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on
a stef downhil’ lope.
- - i. .*$
Coasting downhill in “N” (Neutral) or with the ignition off is
dangerous. Your brakes will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well. You
could crash. Always have your engine running and your vehicle
in gear when you
go downhill.
0 Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center
of the road.
Drive at speeds that let you stay
in your own lane. That way, you won’t
be surprised by a vehicle coming toward
you in the same lane.
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