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Automatic Transaxle Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change
both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83 0oO km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such
as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid
and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at
your Cadillac dealership
service department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here,
or you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust ,system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if
you check your
transaxle fluid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with new
DEX-COOL (orange-colored, silicate-free) engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to remain in your vehicle for
5 years or 100,000 miles (166 0o0 km),
whichever occurs first.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to
add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem with
engine overheating, see “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of water and the proper coolant for
your Cadillac will:
Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37 O C).
Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (129 “C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
0 Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant it is important that you use
DEX-COOL TM (orange-colored, silicate-free)
coolant meeting
GM Specification 6277M.
If silicated coolant is added to the system,
premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion may result. In addition, the engine
coolant
will require change sooner -- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first.
What
to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL (orange-colored,
silicate-free) antifreeze that meets
GM Specification
6277M, which won’t damage aluminum parts. Use
GM Engine Coolant Supplement (sealer) (GM Part
No. 3634621) with any complete coolant change. If you
use this mixture, you don’t need
to add anything else.
A special procedure is required for adding sealer; see the
Cadillac service manual.
(To order a service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications”
in the Index.)
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What to ,Add
When
you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11@ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only,
and always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing
it.
A CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes
may not work well, or they
may not even work
at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just
a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system
parts
so badly that they’ll have to be replaced. Don’t
let someone put in the wrong kind
of fluid.
NOTICE: (Continued) NOTICE:
(Continued)
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint finish can
be damaged. Be
carefbl not to spill brake
fluid on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
Brake Wear
Your Cadillac has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
worn
and new pads are needed. The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake
pedal fmly).
A CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that sooner
or later your brakes won’t work well. That could
lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
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Battery
Every new Cadillac has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. When it’s time
for a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom@
battery. Get one that has the replacement number shown
on the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days
or more, take
off the black, negative (-) cable from
the battery.
This will help-keep your battery from
running down.
1 A CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas
that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you
aren’t careful. See
“Jump Starting” in the Index
for tips
on working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Contact your dealer
to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
Also, for your audio system, see “Theft-Deterrent
Feature’’ in the Index.
Bulb Replacement
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact your Cadillac dealer service department.
Halogen Bulbs
A CAUTION:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst
if you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions on the bulb package.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new Cadillac comes with
high-quality tires made by a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have questions about your tire warranty and
where to obtain service, see your Cadillac Warranty
booklet for details.
A CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are
dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating
as a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle’’ in
the Index.
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain
the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should
be checked
when your tires are cold.
CAUTION: (Continued)
Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by
a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires
at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
See “Inflation
-- Tire Pressure’’ in this section
for inflation pressure adjustment for higher
speed driving.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label which is located on
the rear edge of the driver’s door, shows the correct
inflation pressures for your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more
than a mile.
If you’ll be driving at speeds higher than
100 mph
(160 km/h) where it is legal, raise the cold inflation
pressure
of each tire to 35 psi (240 Wa). When you end
this very high-speed driving, reduce the cold inflation
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The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear
for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Maintenance Schedule
booklet for scheduled rotation intervals.
When rotating
your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern
shown here.
Don’t include the compact spare
tire in your tire rotation. After
the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See “Wheel
Nut Torque” in
the Index.
A CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened,
can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When
you change a wheel, remove
any rust
or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency,
you can
use a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be I
sure to use a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get
all the rust or dirt off. (See I
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
I
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When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
1 A time for-new tires is to
check the treadwear indicators,
which will
appear when
your tires have
only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
+- You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
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You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
tire’s rubber.
enough
to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge
or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired
well because of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had a Tire Performance Criteria Specification
(TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires, get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed
by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes
may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure
to use the same
size
and type tires on all four wheels.
It’s all right
to drive with your compact spare,
though. It
was developed for use on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to vehicles sold
in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or
to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may
vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria
(TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
--.
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