1994 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD steering

TILT WHEEL
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before you
drive.
A tilt and telescope steering wheel allows you to adjust the height of the
steering wheel before you drive and to move the steering wheel toward
you and away
from you.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your legs more room
when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the lever. Move the
steering wheel to a comfortable level, then release the lever
to lock the
wheel
in place.
POWER STEERLNG
Your Cadillac is equipped with Electronic Variable Assist power steering
system. Steering is easier at a lower speed and when parallel parking. At
higher speeds, steering efforts are increased to improve vehicle stability.
If your engine stops (or the power assist is reduced),
you can still steer.
But it will take more effort.
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The lever on the left side of the steering column includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlight High-Low Beam & Passing Signal
Windshield Wipers
0 Windshield Washer
Cruise Control
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
To signal a turn, move
the lever all the way up
or down. When the
turn is finished, the
lever
will return
automatically.
To signal a lane change. slightly move the lever up or down. When the
lane change is finished release the lever.
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CONTROL OF A KEHICLE
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator.
All three
systems have to do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means
you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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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.
STEEHNG
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.
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 your traction control
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system is on, 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.
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 you can 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.
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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 RECOVERY
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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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.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration
skid.
If your traction control system is off, 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.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by
shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
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Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the road 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 OF; 0 * 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.
1 Keep your traction control system on. It improves 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.
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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.. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches 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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