1994 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or-broom, a supply of windshield
washer fluid,
a rag, some winter outer clothing, a small shovel, a
flashlight, a red cloth, and
a couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if
you will be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag of sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags, to help provide traction. Be
sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle..
Driving on Snow or Ice
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the:roaa probably
have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and the road, you can
have
a very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip” and
will need to be
very careful.
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; 0 C) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice untihalt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition -=smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow
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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.
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.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. Oman otherwise clear road, ice patc\
hes may appear in shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around clumps
of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a
curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear.
If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on
it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on the ice, and avoid sudden
steering maneuvers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. W\
hen 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.
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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
Durability
Fuel Economy
You may decide not to pull a trailer but meet your load carrying needs in
some other way.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
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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.
Consider using
a sway control.
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.
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).
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.
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In Canada, write to General Motors of Canada Limited, Customer L .
Assistance Center, 1908 Colonel Sam Drive, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7.
2. Weight of the nailer 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.
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The trailer tongue (A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailerand
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.
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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:
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do
not attach rental hitches or other bumper-type hitches to them.\
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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. Alwa\
ys
leave
just enough slack so you can turn with your rig. And, never allow
safety chains to drag on
the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Be sure to read and follow the instructions for the trailer brakes so you’ll -
be able to install, adjust and maintain them properly. L:
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.
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