Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine IFA TIRE GOES FLAT
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving, especially if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that pulls
the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot
off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a skid and may
require the same correction you’d use
in a skid. In any rear blowout,
remove your foot from the accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under
control by steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently brake to a stop, well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next section shows how to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.
ro
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine not occur.) If you’re using 91 or higher octane unleaded gas and you still
get heavy knocking, your engine needs service.
What about gasoline with blending materials that contain oxygen
(oxygenates), such as MTBE or alcohol?
MTBE is “methyl tertiary-butyl ether.” Fuel that is no more than
15%
MTBE is fine for your Cadillac.
Ethanol is ethyl or grain alcohol. Properly-blended fuel that is no more
than
10% ethanol is fine for your Cadillac.
I Methanol is methyl or wood alcohol.
NOTICE:
Fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for your vehicle.
Don’t use it. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t be
covered under your warranty. And even at
5% or less, there must
be “cosolvents” and corrosion preventers in this fuel to help
avoid these problems.
Gasolines for Cleaner Air
Your use of gasoline with deposit control additives will help prevent
deposits from forming in your engine and
fuel system. That helps keep
your engine in tune and your emission control system working properly.
It’s good for your vehicle, and you’ll be doing your part for cleaner air.
Many gasolines are now blended with oxygenates. General Motors
recommends that you use gasolines with these blending materials, such as
MTBE and ethanol. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in
those parts of the country that have high carbon monoxide levels.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing reformulated
gasolines. These gasolines are specially designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. General Motors reco.mmends that you use reformulated
gasoline. By doing
so, you can help clean the air, especially in those parts
of the country that have high ozone levels.
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ip
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under
identical conditions.
There are
two different fuel economy estimates for each vehicle, one for
city driving and one for highway driving.
To develop these two estimates,
separate tests are used to represent typical everyday city and rural
driving.
The test used to determine the city fuel economy estimate simulates a 7.5
mile (12 km), stop and go trip with an average speed of 20 mph (32
km/h). The trip takes 23 minutes and has 18 stops. About one fifth of the
time is spent idling,
as in waiting at traffic lights or in rush hour traffic.
Two kinds of engine starts are used: a cold start, which is similar to
starting a car
in the morning after it has been parked all night and a hot
start, which is similar to restarting a vehicle after it has been warmed up,
driven and stopped for a short time.
The test used to determine the highway fuel economy estimate represents
a mixture of "non-city" driving. Segments corresponding to different
kinds
of rural roads and interstate highways are included. The test
simulates
a 10 mile (17 km) trip with an average speed of 48 mph (77
km/h). The test is run from a hot start and has little idling time and no
stops.
To assure that the fuel economy numbers are most useful for consumers,
the EPA adjusts these laboratory test results to account for the difference
between controlled laboratory conditions and actual driving on the road.
The laboratory fuel economy results are adjusted downward to arrive at
the estimates on
the fuel economy window sticker and the Gas Mileage
Guide. The city estimate is lowered by 10 percent and the highway
estimate is lowered
by 22 percent from the laboratory test results.
Experience has proven that these adjustment.s make the mileage
estimates correspond more closely to the actual fuel economy realized by
the average driver.
Even though these figures are adjusted, they still represent what the
average driver will get. Your fuel economy may be significantly higher or
lower, depending on how, when, and where your vehicle is driven. Here
are some things you can
do to increase fuel economy;
0 Combine errands into one trip.
0 Turn the engine off rather than letting it idle for more than a minute.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your transaxle. Too
much can mean that some of the fluid could come out and fall
on hot engine parts or exhaust system, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your transaxle fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle fluid level if you
have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90" F (32" C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal operating
temperature, which is
180 " F to 200 " F (82 C to 93 C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles (24 km) when
outside temperatures are above
50 F (10 C). If it's colder than 50 F
(10 " C), you may have to drive longer.
To check thefluid level
Park your vehicle on a level place.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in "P" (Park).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each
gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then,
position the shift lever in "P" (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine x---
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4. If the fluid.leve1 is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in
all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what kind of transaxle
fluid to use. See “Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper fluid to bring the
level into the cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick. ..
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the dipstick hole to
bring it to the-proper 1evel.It doesn’t take
much fluid, generally less
than a pint
(0.5L). Don’t overfin. Wenxommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRON@-111 or DEXRON@-IIE, because fluids with that
label are made especially for your automatic transaxle. Damage
caused
by fluid other than DEXRON@-111 or DEXRON@-IIE is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Check.”
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as described under “How to
269
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or overinflation is
all right. It’s not.
If your tires don’t have enough air
(underinflation) you can get:
Too much flexing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check Check your tires once a month or more.
The tire pressures are:
Front - 30 psi (207 kPa)
Rear - 30 psi (207 kPa)
Recommended tire size
is:
Michelin XW4 Blackwall (P215/70R15)
T125/70RIS (Compact Spare)
c-
How to Check Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. Simply looking at
the tires will not tell you the pressure,
especially
if you have radial tires -- which may look properly inflated even
if they’re underinflated.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one
and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are: A, B, and C. They
represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces
sf asphalt
and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
Temperature = A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire €ailure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger car tires.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine While the tires ava.ilable as standard or optional equipment on General
Motors vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all such tires
meet
General Motors performance standards and have been approved for use
on General Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric) tires must
conform to Federal safety requirements
in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.
In most cases, you
will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way
or
the other, the alignment may need to be reset. If you notice your
vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need
to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. If wheel nuts
keep coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be
replaced. If the wheel leaks air, replace
it (except some aluminum wheels,
which can sometimes be repaired). See your Cadillac dealer
if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer
will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying capacity, diameter,
width, offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts,
replace them only with new GM original equipment parts. This way,
you
will be sure to have the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for your
Cadillac model.
298