1996 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
When the compact spare is installed, don’t take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with
guide rails. The compact spare can get caught on
the rails.
That can damage the tire and wheel,
and maybe other parts
of your vehicle.
Don’t use your compact spare on other vehicles.
And don’t mix your compact spare tire
or wheel with
other wheels
or tires. They won’t fit. Keep your spare
tire
and its wheel together.
NOTICE:
Tire chains won’t fit your compact spare. Using
them can damage your vehicle and can damage
the chains
too. Don’t use tire chains on your
compact spare.
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice OF
Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck,
but
you must use caution.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and
you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine compartment
fire or other damage. When you’re stuck, spin the
wheels
as little as possible. Don’t spin the wheels
above
35 mph (55 kdh) as shown on the
speedometer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
~
For information about using tire chains on your vehicie,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. You should turn
your traction control system off. (See “Traction Control
System” in the Index.) Then shift back and forth
between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after
a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out,
see “Towing Your
Vehicle’’ in the Index.
5-37
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5-38

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ,-/Y -A-,
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Cadillac. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important
fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical
information about your vehicle, and
a part devoted to its
appearance care.
Service
Your Cadillac dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
dealer for all your service needs. You’il get genuine GM
parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Cadillac service manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your Cadillac than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Cadillac” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and
list the mileage and the date of any service work
you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Maintenance
Schedule booklet.
6-1
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, and the proper replacement
parts and tools before you attempt any
vehicle maintenance task.
0 Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English’ and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher. At a minimum, it should meet specifications
ASTM
D4,814 in the United States and CGSB 3.5-M93
in Canada. Improved gasoline specifications have been
i ~ developed by the American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) for. better vehicle performance
and engine protection. Gasolines meeting the
AAMA
specification could provide improved driveability and
emission control system protection compared
to other
gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least 91. If
the octane is less than 91, you may get a heavy knocking
2
noise when you drive. (In an emergency, you may be
able to use
a lower octane -- as low as 87 -- if heavy
knocking does not occur.)
If you’re using 91 or higher
octane unleaded gasoline and you still hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label),
it is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications.
If such fuels are not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal
specifications, but emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction inbcator lamp on
your instrument panel may
turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail a smog-check test.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized Cadillac dealer for diagnosis to determine the
cause
of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
6-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In Canada, some gasolines contain an octane-enhancing
additive called MMT. If you use such fuels, your
emission control system performance may deteriorate
and the malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on. If this happens, return to your
authorized Cadillac dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines are now required to
contain additives that will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system, allowing your
emission control system to function properly. Therefore,
you should not have to add anything to the fuel. In
addition, gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers
and ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be
available in your area to help clean the air. General
Motors recommends that you use these gasolines if they
comply with the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don’t use it. It can corrode
metal parts
in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn’t
be covered under your warranty.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States
or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard to
find. Never use leaded gasoline
or any other fuel not
recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel wouldn’t be covered
by
your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you’ll be driving.
You can also write us at the following address for
advice. Just tell us where you’re going and give your
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
General Motors Overseas Distribution Corporation
North American Export Sales (NAES)
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
6-3
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -Yng Your Tank
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. It burns
violently, and that can cause very bad injuries.
Don't smoke if you're near gasoline or refueling
your vehicle. Keep sparks, flames and smoking
materials away from gasoline.
The cap is behind a hinged door on the driver's side of
your vehicle.
6-4 .

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The fuel door release is located on the optional full
console and
on the Keyless
Entry transmitter. If your
vehicle
is not equipped with
the
full console, then you
must use the transmitter to
open the fuel door.
An alternate fuel door release is located
inside of the trunk
on the left hand side.
Pull
it to release the
fuel door. Hang
the cap inside the fuel door while refueling. To take off the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise).