1996 CADILLAC DEVILLE brakes

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BATTERY VOLTS HIGH - 08: This message shows
that the electrical charging system is overcharging (more
than
16 volts). To avoid being stranded, have the
electrical system checked by your Cadillac dealership.
You can reduce the charging overload by using the
accessories.
Turn on the lamps and radio, set the climate
control on
AUTO and the fan speed on HI, and turn the
rear window defogger on. You can monitor battery
voltage on the DIC by pressing the INFORMATION
button. The normal range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts when the
engine
is running.
BATTERY VOLTS LOW - 06: This message will .
appear when the electrical system is charging less than
10 volts or if the battery has been drained. If this
message appears immediately after starting, it is possible that the generator can stili recharge
the battery. The
battery should recharge after driving a few miles and the
message should go out.
If this message appears while
driving or after starting your vehicle and stays on, have
it checked immediately to determine the cause of this
problem.
To help the generator recharge the battery
quickly
you can reduce the load on the electrical system
by turning off the accessories. You can monitor battery voltage on the
DIC by pressing the INFORMATION
button. The normal range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts.
BRAKE.VACUUM PROBLEM - 108: The circurr in
the brake booster vacuum has shorted or is loose when
this message appears. Your vehicle may lose power
brakes but you will still have the use
of manual brakes.
The power brakes will not be affected if the problem is
caused by a failed sensor. Have your vehicle serviced
immediately at your Cadillac dealership.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL - 82: This means that the life
of the engine oil has expired and it should be changed
within
200 miles. See “Engine Oil” and “Filter
Recommendations” in the Maintenance Schedule. After
an’oil change, the Oil Life Indicator must be reset. See
“Oil Life Indicator’’ in the Index on how to reset
it.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID - 47: This message WUI
appear when it is time to replace the transaxle fluid
(system has determined that the transaxle fluid has
reached
0%). See the Maintenance Schedule booklet for
the proper fluid and change intervals.
’
CHECK BRAKE FLUID LEVEL - 37: This message
will display if the ignition is in the RUN position to
inform the driver that the brake fluid level is low. Check
the brake reservoir level and add fluid as needed. Have the brake system serviced by a Cadillac technician as soon as possible. If the brake warning light is
on, follow
the directions in that part.
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Control of a Vehicle
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.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds
or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement
or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
md road can provide. That means you can lose control
your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot
of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If
you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder
to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
ANTI -
LOCK
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System
Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly
an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about
to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the
most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot
up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close
to the vehicle in
front of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room
up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work
for you. You may hear the
anti-lock
pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Traction Control System
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 the front wheels are spinning
or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system works
the
front brakes and reduces engine power 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 or hear
the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle
is in cruise control when the traction
control system 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.)
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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. Unless your traction control 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. (See “Braking
in
Emergencies’’ earlier in this section.) 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.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
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.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver
to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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 comering 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side. You
could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
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