1996 CADILLAC ELDORADO weight

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could
move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others
could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless
you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle
is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake
is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling
it toward you (or, if you have the
console shift lever, without first pressing the button).
If
you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into
PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into
PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of
PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P).
2-26

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I
Drunken Driving,
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims every
year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol.
In most cases,
these deaths are the result
of someone who was drinking
and driving.
In recent years, some 18,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never ‘drive after drinking. For persons under
21, it’s
against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The
obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what
if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon
four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during
drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
According to the American’ Medical Association, a
180-lb. (82
kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce
(120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of
a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka,
4-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to
0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have a
somewhat lower BAC level.
There
is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage
of body water than men. Since
alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher
BAC level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.
The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at
a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of US. states, and
throughout Canada, the limit is
0.08 percent. In some
other countries it’s even lower. The BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to six
drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of
many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance
of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC
of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision
is 12 times greater; at a
level of
0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
4-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long
as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
‘ OCCUPANTS
VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT
XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT. ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER’S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the driver’s door tells you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you important
information about the number of people that can be in
your vehicle and the total weight that you can carry.
This weight is called the Vehicle Capacity Weight and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo and all
options not installed in the factory.
I
4-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWR
GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE
U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY,
BUMPER, AND THEFT PR,EVENTION
STANDARDS
IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rex’ edge of the driver’s door.
It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The.GVWR includes the
1 weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear
axle.
If you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out..
Don’t carry more than
176 lbs. (80 kg) in your trunk.
PI CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR.
If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, or it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause
you to lose control.,
Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your
vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because
of over loading.
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages or anything else
-- they will go as fast as
the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a Trailer
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and
injure people in
a sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
Put things in the trunk of your vehicle. In a
trunk, put them as far forward as you can.
'Iky to spread the weight evenly.
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you carry something inside the
vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly,
you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
-- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Cadillac dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
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.
4-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your vehicle can tow a trailer if it is equipped with
proper towing equipment. To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should read
the information in “Weight of the Trailer” that appears
later in this section. But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durdbility and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In
it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag of the added weight. The engine
is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s more, the
trailer adds considerably to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
0
0
0
0
0
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having
to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
SO0 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
SO mph (80 h/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps
your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faste.r than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or
no more than 55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight of the trailer, the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg)
total, including the load. But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for
our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Cadillac Customer Assistance Center
Cadillac Motor Car Division
30009 Van Dyke
P.O. Box 9025
Warren, MI 48090-9025
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may carry in
it
and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And if
you will tow a trailer, you must subtract the tongue load
from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too.
See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B