1994 CADILLAC DEVILLE wheel

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-lock, you
can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help
you more than even the very best braking.
STEEMNG
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news
happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to the same laws of
physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice,
you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve depends on the condition of your tires
and
the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor
you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much
of those places. You can lose control.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before
you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the
curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a
car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can avoid these problems
by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Cadillac can perform
very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as much speed as yowan from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If
you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. r
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ........
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good
reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts
properly. - -.
OFF=ROAD l2ECO’VE.Y
You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
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 114 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight
down the roadway.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
If you have the traction control system, remember: It helps avoid only the
acceleration skid.
If you do not have traction control, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to
go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if
it occurs.
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.
c-

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 weamer outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short time to avoid
a major storm
system?
__ Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
HIGmAY HKPNOSIS
c_ 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. -_
__
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area
your
rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently.
and take a nap, get
some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
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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.
If you have the traction control system, it will improve your ability to
accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has
a traction control system, you’ll want to slow down and adjust your
driving to the road conditions. See “Traction Control System” in the
Index.
If you don’t have the traction control system, 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 begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See
“Anti-lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery road.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so
until help comes.
TO'WING A ERiULER
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result
in costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in this section.
Your Cadillac is a passenger vehicle. It was not designed for many of the
demands that trailer towing can add. Trailer towing can change the way
your vehicle performs on the road. It brings new forces into play and can
add plenty
of strain and stress to your vehicle.
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. Trailer towing adds considerably to
wind resistance increasing the pulling requirements.
All of that means changes in:
Handling
0 Durability
Fuel Economy
You may decide not to pull
a trailer but meet your load carrying needs in
some other way.
207

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.
Bucking 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 also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel
will
flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you
may think drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not.
It’s important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working. -
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