1996 CADILLAC SEVILLE ESP

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and
rest.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can
take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as
from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up
a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you
do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare
from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible. Remember
that your headlamps light
up far less of a
roadway when
you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer
from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
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Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they
can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the
road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your
tires haven’t much tread
or if the pressure in one or
more is low.
It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
~ ~~~~ ~
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through
water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0
0
0
Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just your
parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible to
others.
Besides slowing down, allow
some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and
be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth.
(See
“Tires” in the Index.)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the
snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats -- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
A CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time
to be sure snow
doesn’t
collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away
from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains Driving with a nailer
LI
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You
should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes, don’t try to tap into
your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system.
If you do, both
brake systems won’t work well, or at all.
Be sure
to read and follow the instructions for the trailer
brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly. Towing a trailer
requires a certainanount
of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to
know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you
are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to
be sure
the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the
load
is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all
hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.

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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way
you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a
flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can
slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
2. Set the parking brake firmly.
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side
of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180 OF to 200 OF
(82°C to 93°C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles (24 km)
when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10°C). If it's
colder
than 50°F (lO"C), you may have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in PARK (P).
running.
in
PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then,
without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
1. The black transaxle fluid cap is located next to the
radiator hose and below the air cleaner assembly
on
the driver's side of the engine. Remove the air
cleaner assembly so you can reach the transaxle fluid
cap, The assembly is attached to the vehicle
by two
fasteners. Simply lift up on the air cleaner assembly
to remove it. Find the transaxle fluid cap and turn it
counterclockwise to remove. Pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with
a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way. wait three seconds and
then pull it back out again.
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Don’t overfX We recommend you use only fluid
labeled DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that label
is made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under “How to Check.”
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluidlevel must be
in the cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back
in all the way.
5. Replace the air cleaner assembly.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transaxle fluid to use. See “Recommended Fluids
and Lubricants”
in the Maintenance Schedule booklet.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid
to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on
the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole
to bring it to the proper level. It doesn’t
take much fluid, generally less than a pint (0.5 L).
0 When the correct fluid level is obtained, push.the
dipstick back
in all‘ the way.
How to Reset Transaxle Fluid
Change Indicator
Your vehicle is equipped with a transaxle fluid change
indicator.
A CHANGE TRANS FLUID message will
display on the Driver Information Center (DIC) when
the powertrain computer determines that the transaxle
fluid needs to be changed. See your Maintenance
Schedule booklet for more information. When this
message appears, change the transaxle fluid and reset
the transaxle fluid life indicator as follows:
1. Turn the ignition on but do not start the engine.
2. Press and hold the OFF and rear defog buttons on the
climate control at the same time until the TRANS
FLUID
RESET message appears on the DIC.
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