
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Traction Control System
c
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of ihc front wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power (by shutting
off fuel injectors) to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION
ACTIVE message will display on the Driver
Information Center when the traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Driver Information Center Messages” in the Index. You may
feel the system working, or you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
If
your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction control svstem begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically disengage. When
road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may re-engage the
cruise control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the Index.)
The TRACTION DISABLED message will display on the Driver
Information Center to
let you know if there‘s a problem with your traction
control system. See “Driver Information Center Messages”
in the Index.
When this message is displaved, the system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on whenever you start
your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road conditions,
you should always leave the svstem on. But you can turn the traction
control system
off if you ever-need to. (You should turn the system off if
your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your
Vehicle’’
in the Index.)
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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.
L
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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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3
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 HIGmAY HYPNOSIS
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel‘? Call
it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with the same scenery,
along
with the hum of the tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and
the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less tlm
n secmd, and you could crash and be injured.
What can
you do about highway hypnosis‘? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to the sides. Check
your rearview mirrors and your instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service, or parking area
and take a nap, get some exercise, or both. For safety, treat drowsiness
on the highway as an emergency.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 part, and see your Cadillac
dealer for important information about towing a trailer with
your vehicle.
Load-pulling conlponents such as the engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced
to work harder against the drag of the added weight.
Thc engine
is required to opcrate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What's morc, the trailer adds
considerably
to wind resistance, increasing thc pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are surne important points.
There are ~nar~y different laws, including speed limit restrictions,
having to do with trailering. Makc sure your rig will be legal. not only
where \;ou live hut also where you'll be driving. A good source for this
infurmition
can IX state or provincial police.
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