1993 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0
0
0
It takes longer to pass anothcr vehicle when you're going uphill. You'll
want to le.ave extra room to pass. If a vehicle is passing you and
doesn't have enough room, slow down to make
it easier for the other
vehicle to get
by.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs
on mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades, passing
or no-passing zone.s, a
falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter driving can present special problems. See "Winter Driving"
in
the Index.
Parking on Hills
203
Hills and mountains mean spectacular scenery. But please be careful
where you stop
if you decide to look at the view or take pictures. Look for
pull-offs or parking areas provided for scenic viewing.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Another part of this manual tells how to use your parking brake (see
“Parking Brake” in the Index). But
on a mountain or steep hill, you can
do one more thing. You can turn your front wheels to keep your vehicle
from rolling downhill or out into traffic.
Here’s how:
Parking Downhill
I
Turn your wheels to
the right.
You don’t have to jam
your tires against the
curb,
if there is a curb.
A gentle contact is all
you need.
Parking Uphill
If there is a curb, turn
your wheels to the left
if the curb is at the
right side
of your
vehicle.
204

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If there is no curb
when you’re parking
uphill, turn the wheels
to the right.
If there
is no curb when you’re parking uphill on the left side of a
one-way street, your wheels should be turned to the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic Transaxle)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your transaxle into “P”
(Park) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out
of “P” (Park). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque
lock, always be sure
to shift into “P” (Park) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “ Shifting Into ’P’ (Park)” in the Index.
205

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If “torque lock” does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some
of the pressure from the transaxle, so
you can pull the shift lever out of “P” (Park).
WINTER DRZVTNG
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Cadillac in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
0 Snow tires can help in loose snow, but they may give you less traction
on ice than regular tires.
If you do not expect to be driving in deep
snow, but may have to travel over ice, you may not want
to switch to
snow tires at all.
coolant
mix is correct.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine h
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel,
a
flashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction. Be
sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road probably
have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have a very slippery situation. You'll have a lot less traction or "grip" and
will need to be very careful.
207

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be
slick and hard
to drive on. But wet ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the least traction
of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s about
freezing
(32*F; O°C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow --
drive with caution. Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begm stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. See
“’Anti-lock” in the Index.
0 Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
0 Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps
of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a
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.
208

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
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.
I A CAUTION:
I
l IOW can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle. This can cause
deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and
kill you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you
might not
know it was in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle , especially any that is blocking
your exhaust pipe.
And check around again from time to time to
be sure snow doesn’t collect there.
CAUTION: (Continued)
209

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that’s away
from the wind. This will help keep GO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less
fuel for the heat that you get and it
keeps the battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to restart
the vehicle,
and possibly for signaling later on with your headlights. Let
the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the cold. But do
it as little as possible.
Preserve the fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so
until help comes.
VYou’re Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the vehicle out of deep snow without
damaging
it. See “Rocking Your Vehicle’’ in the Index.
210