1994 CADILLAC SEVILLE Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine HILL AND MOUNTMN ROADS
I
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from driving in flat or
rolling terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're planning to visit there,
here are some tips that can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
a
a
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to
go down hills. The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift to
a lower gear
when you
go down a steep or long hill.
196

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
0
0
0
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transaxle, and you can
climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center of the road.
Drive at speeds that let you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special
problems. Examples are long grades, passing or no-passing zones, a
falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
197

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine WNTER DmNG
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Cadillac in good shape for winter. Be sure your engine
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in your trunk.
coolant
mix is correct.
198

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
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
A
199

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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’F; O°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.
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.
e 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.
200

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Caught in u Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things
to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: Turn
on your hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the snow. Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you have
no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor mats
-- anything you
can wrap around yourself or tuck under your clothing
to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
201

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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.
202

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TOWNG A TMLER
I
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.
203