1993 CADILLAC ELDORADO brakes

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.
202

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 TOWING A TMLER
’ A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive properly, you
can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the
trailer is too heavy, the brakes may not work well
-- or even at
all. You and your passengers could be seriously injured. Pull a
trailer onp7 ;€you have followed all the step? in this section.
NOTJCE
Fulling
I
in costly repairs not covered by your wan lty. To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice
in this secti I.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to
work harder against the drag of the added weight.
The engine is required
to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the traile\
r adds
considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
0 Handling
0 Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
There are many different laws having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal,
not only where you live but also where you’ll be
driving.
A good source for this information can be state or provincial
police.
21 1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Follow
the manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety chains. \
Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow
safety chains
to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Does your trailer have its own brakes? Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into your vehicle’s
brake system. If you do, both brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want
to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with the added weight
of
the trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly so responsive as your vehicle is by
itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
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.
214

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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
the 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
may think drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes
so much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around
45
mph (70 km/h) or less to reduce the possibility of engine and transaxle
overheating.
215

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 Kg) and you have an
automatic transaxle with Overdrive, you may want to drive
in “3” instead
of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a lower gear). This will help your
transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be
injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into “P” (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into “P” (Park) firmly and
apply your parking brake.
5. Release the regular brakes.
the
chocks absorb the load.
When You Are Ready to Leave Afier Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
216

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BRAKE M!XSTER CYLINDER
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is filled with DOT-3 brake fluid.
4.9 Liter
4.6 Liter (Northstar)
There are only
two reasons why the brake fluid level in your master
cylinder might go down. The first is that the brake fluid goes down to an
acceptable level during normal brake lining wear. When new linings
are
put in, the fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your brakes won’t
work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off” your
289

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ~~~~~~~~~ ’OTICE:
- DOT-5
silicone brake fluid can dam,,e your vehicle. Don’t
use it.
0 Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid. For
example, just a few drops
of mineral-based oil, such a
engine oil, in your brake system can damage brake sv,
r ~rts so badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
0 Brake fluid can damage pai so be careful not to spill brake
fluid on your vehicle.
I
REPUCING BRAKE SYSTEM PARTS
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its many parts have
to be
of top quality and work well together if the vehicle is to have really
good braking. Vehicles
we design and test have top-quality GM brake
parts in them, as your Cadillac does when it is new. When you replace
parts
of your braking system -- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure you get new
genuine GM replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no longer
work properly.
For example, if someone puts in brake linings that are
wrong for your vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change, for the worse. The braking performance you’ve come to
expect can change in many other ways
if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
BATTERY
Every new Cadillac has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You never have to
add water to one of these. When it’s time for a new battery, we
recommend a Delco Freedom@ battery. Get one that has the catalog
number shown
on the original battery’s label.