
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
a
0
a
0
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors
, glance over your shoulder, and start your left
lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When
you are far enough ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back
into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is
convex. The vehicle
you just passed may seem to be farther away from
you than it really is.)
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.
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going through some
car washes can cause problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit
them.
A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work well in a quick
stop and may cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle
of water or a car wash,
apyiX7 your brake pedal lightly until yol’p brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires
that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
You might not be aware
of hydroplaning. You could drive along for some
time without realizing your tires aren’t
in constant contact with the road.
192

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‘?
199

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 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 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