1995 CADILLAC DEVILLE steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Speed Sensitive Steering (SSS)
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This system varies the amount of steering effort proportionate to your
vehicle speed. Steering is easicr at
a lower spccd for increased
nlancuverahility and parking ease.
As your vehicle speed increases, the
steering effort
is also increased proportionately. At highwav speeds the
amount of steering effort is greatly increased to provide a manual-like
steering feel for maximum control
and enhanced vehicle stability.
Speed Sensitive Suspension
The Speed Sensitive Suspension automaticallv controls the firmness of the
car's ride
by automatically controlling an actuator in each of the four
struts. Thesystem has three damping modes
-- Comfort, Normal and
Firm. Damping mode selection
is controlled by the electronic control
module according
to vehicle speed conditions, liftldive input, lateral
acceleration switch input and any error conditions which may exist.
The control module
is a computer used to control and monitor the Speed
Sensitive Suspension svstem.
It also controls the operation of the Speed
Sensitive Steering.
If the control module receives an incorrect feedback
signal for
two successive ignition cycles, an error code will be set in
memory and a SERVICEkIDE CONTROL message will be displayed on
the Drker Information Center. If the messagc should appear, have your
vehicle serviced at your Cadillac dealer at your earliest convenience.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine CONTROL OF A WHICLE
You have three systenx that make your vehicle go where you want it to go.
They are the brakes, thc steering and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at thc 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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ..... .. ..
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To turn the system off, press the button labeled TRAC OFF located inside
of
the glove box. The TRACTION OFF message will display on the
Driver Information Center.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press the button, the system won’t iurn off right away. It will wait until
there’s no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing the button again.
The TRACTION ON nmsage will display briefly on thc Driver
Information Center.
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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 nlanv cmergencics. steering can
help you more than even the very best braking.
STEEMNG
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.
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Steering Tips
The traction vou can get in a CUI-VC depcnds on the condition of your tires
and the roaddsurfacc, the angle at which thc cun~ is banked, and your
speed. Whilc
you'rc in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering
through c a sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate.
Both control systems -- stccring and acceleration -- have to do
their work where the tircs meet the road. Unless you have traction control
and the system is on, adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
muck 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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, td 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 renmving
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
You mav find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge
of a rmd onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pave.ment, recovery
should
be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer so that vour vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight
down the roadway.
PASSING
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead,
then goes back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane
as oncoming traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face to face with the worst of all traffic accidents -- the
head-on collision.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lamps are not flashing,
it may be slowing down or starting to turn,
0 If you're being passed, make it easv for the following driver to get
ahead
of you. Perhaps you can easi a little to the right.
LOSS OF CONTROL
Let's review what driving experts sav about what happens when the three
control svstems (brakes, steering an> 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.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try Vour 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
slide. You may not realize the surfdce is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding.
Leain 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 brake system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking L. skid.
DRIVING 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.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
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