1993 CADILLAC SEVILLE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine to pass -- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly find
yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your tires haven’t much
tread or
if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of
water is standing
on the road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it
is raining, and be careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
a
a
a
a
a
Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking lights -- to help make
you more visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind. You may want to
use your headlights even
in daytime if it’s raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And \
be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted by
road spray. If the road spray is so heavy you are actually blinded, drop
back. Don’t pass until conditions improve. Going more slowly \
is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger
if it helps.
Have good tires
with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
195

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRIVING IN FOG, MISTAND HAZE
Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can be so mild that
you can see through it for several hundred feet (meters). Or it might be
so thick that you can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can be a major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be reduced quickly.
The biggest dangers are striking the vehicle ahead or being struck by the
one behind.
Try to "read" the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
ahead starts to become less clear or, at night,
if the taillights are harder to
see, the fog is probably thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you' a
chance to slow down. Everybody then has a better chance to avoid hitting
the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only for a few feet (meters) or for miles
(kilometers); you can't really tell while you're
in it. You can only treat the
situation with extreme care.
One common fog condition
-- sometimes called mist or ground fog -- can
happen
in weather that seems perfect, especially at night or in the early
morning
in valley and low, marshy areas. You can be suddenly enveloped
in thick, wet haze that may even coat your windshield.
You can often spot
these fog patches or mist layers with your headlights. But sometimes they
can be waiting for you as you come over a
hill or dip into a shallow valley.
196
c

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, even in
daytime. You’ll
see -- and be seen -- better. Use your fog lights 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 flasher,
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 prepared 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.
197

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CIZYDRlWNG
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:
a
a
0
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.”)
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.
198

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.
FREEWAY DMNG
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.
Switch on your turn signal, check your rearview mirrors as you move
199

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 yo\
ur turn
signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over 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
200

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 km/h). Obviously, this could lead to serious trouble on a ramp
designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
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 LEAWNG ONA LONG THP
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?
0 Fuel. Enpine Oil. Other Fluids: Have you checked all levels?
201

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 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?
0 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.
I
HIGWAY HypNosIS
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
a second. and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
202
-*