Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine or the instrument
panel
...
or the safety belts!
With safety
belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time
to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the
forces. That’s
why safety belts make such good sense.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument panel. The system\
checks for electrical malfunctions, and the light tells you if there is a
problem.
You will see this light flash for a few seconds when you turn your ignition
to “Run” or “Start.” Then the light should
go out, which means the
system
is ready.
Remember,
if the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you start \
your vehicle,
or stays on, or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle serviced right \
away.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel. The right-front
passenger’s air bag is located in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s
side.
When is an air bag expected to inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes.
The air bag will only inflate if the velocity of the
impact is above the designed threshold level. When impacting straight
into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level for most
GM vehicles is between 9 and 15 mph (14 and 23 km/h). However, this
velocity threshold depends
on the vehicle design and may be several
miles-per-hour faster or slower. In addition, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher
if the vehicle strikes an object such as a parked car
which will move and deform on impact.
The air bag is also not designed
to inflate in rollovers, side impacts, or rear impacts where the inflation
would provide no occupant protection benefit.
It
is possible that in a crash, only one of the two air bags in your Cadillac
will deploy. This is rare, but can happen in a crash just severe enough to
make an
air bag inflate.
In any particular crash, the determination
of whether the air bag should
have inflated cannot be based
solely on the level of damage on the
vehicle(s). Inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and the
vehicle’s deceleration,
of which vehicle damage is only one indication.
Repair cost is not a good indicator
of whether an air bag should have
deployed.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity, the air bag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as a result
of
a crash. The sensing system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium
azide sealed in
the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which
inflates
a cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related hardware are all
part
of the air bag inflator modules packed inside the steering wheel and
in the instrument panel in front
of the passenger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel.
The air
bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not
provide protection in many types of collisions, including rollovers and
rear and side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is not
toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belt protection
in moderate to severe frontal
and near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflation?
After the air bag has inflated, it will then quickly deflate. This occurs so
quickly that some people may not even realize that the air bag inflated.
Some components
of the air bag module in the steering wheel hub for the
driver’s air bag or the instrument panel for the passenger’s bag may be
hot for a short time, but the portion of the bag that comes into contact
with
you will not be hot to the touch. There will be small amounts of
smoke and dust coming from vents in the deflated air bags. The air bag
will
not impede the driver’s vision or ability to steer the vehicle, nor will it
hinder the occupants from exiting the vehicle.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
occur in vehicles with passenger air bags because the windshield acts as a
reaction surface for the inflating air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they inflate, you’ll
need some new parts for your air bag system.
If you don’t get them,
the air bag system won’t be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and possibly other parts.
The service manual has information about the need to replace other
parts.
36
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module, which records
information about the air bag system
if the air bag deploys in a crash.
The module records information about the readiness of the system,
which sensors activated the deployment, and whether the driver’s
safety belt was
in use.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag system. Improper
service can mean that your air
.. bag system won’t work properly. See
your dealer for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the right-front\
passenger’s air bag, they may not work properly.
You may have
to replace the air bag on the steering wheel or both the air bag
and the instrument panel for the passenger’s air bag.
Do not
open
or break the air bag covers.
Is the smoke from an air bag inflation harmful?
The particles emitted during air bag inflation are not harmful to most
people. Some people with respiratory ailments may experience difficulty
breathing
if they stay in the vehicle with the windows closed after air bag
inflation.
So, if your air bag inflates, you and any passengers should exit
the vehicle
if and when it is safe to do so. If you or your passengers can’t
get out of the vehicle, try to get fresh air by opening a window, turning
on
the fan, or opening a door.
37
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FEATURES AND CONTROLS
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on
your Cadillac, and information on starting, shifting and braking.
Also
explained are the instrument panel and the warning systems that tell you
if everything is working properly -- and what to do if you have a problem.
8
I
' CAUTION:
Leaving young children in a vehicle with the ignition key is
dangerous for many reasons.
A child or others could be badly
injured or even killed.
They
could operate power windows or other controls or even make
the vehicle move.
If they turned the ignition to "ON" and moved
the
shift lever out of rcP9' (Park), that would release the parking
brake. Don't leave the keys in a vehicle with young children,
.-
I-
66
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I.
r
-
-
r
-
r
1
0 Flash-To-Pass Feature
Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator Lever
The turn signal has
two upward (for Right)
and
two downward
(for Left) positions.
These positions allow
you to signal a turn or
a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return automatically.
. A green arrow on the
instrument panel
will
flash in the direction of
the turn or lane
change.
I
105
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever until the green arrow
starts to flash. Hold it there until you complete your lane change. The
lever will return by itself when
you release it.
If for some reason your turn signal is left on, the Driver Information
Center
will display “TURN SIGNAL ON” (after driving about a mile) to
remind you to turn
it off.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t flash but just
stay on,
a signal bulb may be burned out and other drivers won’t see your
turn signal.
If
a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an accident. If the green
arrows don’t
go on at all when you signal a turn, check the fuse (see
“Fuses”
in the Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
Headlight High-Low Beam
I
To change the
headlights from
low
beam to high or high to
low, pull the turn signal
lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this blue light
on the instrument
panel also will be
on.
Flash-To-Pass Feature
This lets you use your high beam headlights to signal a driver in front of
you that you want to pass. It works even if your headlights are
off.
To use it, pull the multifunction lever toward you. When you do:
If vour headlights are
off Your high beam headlights will turn on. They’ll
stay on as long as you hold the lever there. Release the lever to turn them
off.
106