1993 CADILLAC SEVILLE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
If the shoulder appears to be about four inches (100 mm) or more below
the pavement, this difference can cause problems. If there is not enough
room to pull entirely onto the shoulder and stop,
then follow the same
procedures. But
if the right front tire scrubs against the side of the
pavement,
do NOT steer more sharply. With too much steering angle, the
vehicle may jump back onto the road with
so much steering input that it
crosses over into the oncoming traffic before you can bring it back under
control.
Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering input, straddle the
pavement once more, then try again.
PASSING
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead,
then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is
a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
187

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face
with the worst of all traffic accidents -- the
head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0
0
0
0
a
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads
for situations that might affect your passing patterns.
If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch
for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your
pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your
side of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the vehicle you want
to pass isn’t
aware
of your presence, tap the horn a couple of times before passing.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or
stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass
is coming up, start to accelerate
but stay in the right lane and don’t get too close. Time your move so
you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other
lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a “running start” that
more than makes up for the distance you would
lose by dropping back.
And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need
only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity.
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
188
H
-.-
rc

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
0 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.
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 to go. If
you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will straighten out. As it
does, straighten the front wheels.
189

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine
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
surfaces because stopping distance
will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by
shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice 01
packed snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid. Steer the way
you want to go.
DRM.NG AT NIGHT
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that
some drivers are
likely to be impaired -- by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or
by fatigue.
Here
are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
190
I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0 0
0
0
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more
on this problem.)
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.
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.
You 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.
191

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once YOU are past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before
resuming speed.
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 lowcr thc beams,
resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This only makcs two
half-blinded drivers.
When you follow another
vehiclc on ii Irt'CHiI! or h1gh;n. uw I(VH
beams. True, most vehicles now have d;wnight mirror that cn;rblc rhc
driver to reduce glare. But outside mirrbrs arc' not of thi< typc i\d high
beams from behind can bother the driver ahcad.
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,
192

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DmNG IN THE RAIN
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a w et road ya IU can’t
stop, accelerate or turn as well because your tire-to-road traction isn’t as
good as on dry roads. And,
if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll
get even less traction.
It’s always wise
to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while you
are driving. The surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see road
signs and traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge
of the road, and
even people walking. Road spray can often be worse for vision than rain,
especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape and keep your
windshield washer tank filled. Replace your windshield wiper inserts
when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips
of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
193

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving too fast throl
car washes can cause
Try to avoid puddles.
them. Igh
large water puddles
or even going through some
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit
r
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,
apply your brake pedal lightly until your 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.
You could find out the hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
194