1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

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OF DRINKS
NUMQER [as in picture)
HOURS
HOURS
HOUR ._.
100 120 140 160 180 200 2M 240
800Y WEIGHT-
IN POUNDS

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine “I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a
need to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street? A
person with a higher BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to
avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that many people
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don’t know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can
make crash injuries worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord
and heart injuries. That means that
if anyone who has been drinking --
driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the chance of being killed or
permanently disabled is higher than if that person had not been drinking.
And we’ve already seen that the chance of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.

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You have three systems that make your vehicle go where youwant it to
go. They .are the brakes, the. steering and the accelerator. All three
systems haveto do. their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
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Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's easy to-ask more of
those control systems thanthe tires and.road can provide. That. means
you can.lose control
of your vehide.. .
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BRAKING
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception
time. Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
3/4 of a second. But that’s only an
average. It might be less with
one driver and as long as two or three
seconds or more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph
(100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot -of-distance in an
emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of
the road (whether it’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road
(wet, dry, icy); tire tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts
-- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
-- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster
if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally \
but don’t
pump your brakes. If you
do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will -
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take
longer to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
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Anti=Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Cadillac has an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
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ANTI-
LOCK (@)
This light on the
instrument panel will
go on when you start
.. your vehicle. ,, .. v I- I‘ 1
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When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away, you may hear a
momentary motor or clicking noise, And you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little while this is going on. This is the
ABS system
testing itself.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system warning light
will stay on.
See “Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light” in the Index.
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Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving
safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in front
of you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at
each front
wheel and at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster than any driver
could.
The computer is programmed to make the most of available tire
and road conditions.
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fou can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get your
foot
up to the brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you,
you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
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To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you. You may hear the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and
feel the brake pedal pulsate, but this
is normal.
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Your vehicle has traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only
if
it senses that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or- beginning to
lose traction. When .this happens, the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power (by shutting
off fuel injectors) to limit wheel spin.
The “TRACTION ACTIVE” message will display on the Driver
Information Center when the traction control system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Driver Information Center Messages” in the Index. You may
feel the system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
is nomal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control system begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
turn the cruise
control back on. (See “Cruise Control” in the Index.)
The “TRACTION DISABLED” message
will display on the Driver
Information Center
if there’s a problem with your traction control system.
See “D,river Information Center Messages” in the Index. When. this
message is displayed, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STEEMNG
Power Steering
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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. Unless you have the traction
control system, adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much
of
those places. You can lose control.
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.
31 ~ :d 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.
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