1994 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD headlights

slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or
packed snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
DRZWNG AT NIGHT
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that
some drivers are likely to be impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
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0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older
these differences increase. A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice
as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For
example, if you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down on
glare from headlights, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a
second or
two, or even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the
dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t
lower the high beams,
or a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean
-- inside and
out. Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the
inside
of the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would, making the pupils
of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlights light up far less
of a roadway when you
are in
a turn or curve. Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick
out dimly lighted objects. Just as your headlights should be checked
regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes be examined regularly.
Some drivers suffer from night blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light
-- and aren’t even aware of it.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up under your tires
that they can actually ride on the water. This can happen
if the road is wet
enough and you’re going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your tires haven’t much
tread or
if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of
water is standing on the road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard
and fast rule about hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down when it
is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your low-beam headlights -- not just your parking lights -- to
help make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted by
road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Run- your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When 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 aslittle 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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Headlights
The headlight wiring is protected by a circuit breaker in the light switch.
An electrical overload will cause the lights to go on and off, or in some
cases to remain
off. If this happens, have your headlight wiring checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected by a circuit breaker and a fuse.
If the motor overheats due to heavy snow, etc., the wiper will stop until
the motor cools. If the overload is caused by some electrical problem and
not snow, etc., be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers in the fuse panel protect the power windows and other
power accessories. When the current load is too heavy, the circuit breaker
opens and closes, protecting the circuit until the problem is fixed or goes
away.
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