1993 CADILLAC SEVILLE Owners Manual

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.
A CAUTION
Snow 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)
21 1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
CAUTION: (Continued)
Open a window just a little on the side of the vehicle that's away
from the wind. This will help keep CO 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.
212
e

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TOWNG A TRAlrLER
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 only if you have followed all the steps in this section.
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 trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
All
of that means changes in:
e Handling
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.
213

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Consider using a sway control.
u
-
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
0 Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and don’t make starts at full throttle.
This helps your engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
When towing a trailer, close all windows and set the Electronic
Climate Control System to
“ECON”, “AUTO”, “DEFOG” or
Defroster to assure that the fan is running.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
1. Weight of the nailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg). But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how
you plan to use your rig. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how much your
vehicle is used
to pull a trailer are all important. And, it can also
depend on any special equipment that
you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or
you can write us at Cadillac.
In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer
Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario L1H
8P7.
2. Weight of the ’hailer Tongue
When a trailer is connected to your vehicle, the trailer tongue adds
to the weight your vehicle is carrying. So, remember to subtract the
weight of the trailer tongue from your vehicle’s capacity weight.
214
L-

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
..
I -A
I ..
The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately,
to see if the weights are proper. If they
aren’t, you may be able to get them right simply by moving some
items around in the trailer.
3. Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the limit for cold tires.
You’ll find these numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge
of the driver’s door (or see Index under “Tire Loading”). Then be
sure you don’t
go over the GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment. Crosswinds, large
trucks going by, and rough roads are a few reasons why you’ll need the
right hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
0 Will you have to make any holes in the body of your vehicle when you
install
a trailer hitch? If you do, then be sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) from your exhaust can get into your vehicle (see
Index under “Carbon Monoxide”). Dirt and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do not
attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them.
215

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 brakcs'? He sure IO read and follow thc
instructions for the trailer brakes so you'll he ilblc to ir~ i~lI, ;rcliw an3
maintain them properly.
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.
216
L -4
c
L-
L-
C

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 dso flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
L.h;lrrgc I;rnc tu ~t~p.
14 IICII IWIII~ Ir.dcr. Itlc grccn arrows on your instrument panel will
tl~4l (tu ILJI~ L-~L-II 11 Ihc twlh thc trailer are burned out. Thus, you
ILA! ItllllA clrr\cr hchlnd >t)u arc swing your signal when they are not.
II’ mpwt,mt 10 L hcc.h txc~w)~~~lly IO be sure the trailer bulbs are still
worhmg.
217

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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
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 bow 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
the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into “P” (Park) firmly and
apply your parking brake.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave Afler 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.
c
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
218