1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There is something.about
an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle .can leave the
road
in less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you
do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here
are some tips:
e
e
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors
and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area
and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency. Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can
make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle
in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to
go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
~ ~ ~~ -~ ~
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do dl the work of slowing down. They codd get so
hot that they woddn9t work well. You would then
have poor braking QF even none going down a hill.
You ~dd crash. Always have your engine running
Saaaca your vehicle in gear when you go doMi.
A CAUTION:
you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have
poor braking or even none going down a hu.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
mist
your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you
can climb the hill better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills OF mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay
in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are Bong grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be
dert to these and take appropriate action.
-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. . . .. .
Here are some tips for winter driving:
@ Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
0 You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your trunk.
. ...
Include an ice scraper; a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items
in your vehicle.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have a
very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot
less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful. What’s the worst time
for this? ‘“ret ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive
on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32” F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever
the condition -- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Keep your traction control system
on. It improves your
ability to accelerate when driving on
a slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has
a traction control system,
you’ll want
to slow down and adjust your driving to the
road conditions. See “Traction Control System” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make
a hard stop on a slippery road. Even
though yonhave the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock’’ in the Index.
Allow greater following distance
on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until
you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach:
around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are
on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation.
You should probably stay with your
vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help
and
you can hike through the snow. Here are some
things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your
passengers
safe:
Turn on your hazard flashers.
-2

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.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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
locking your exhaust ipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
pen
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle
that’s away from the wind. This will he8
keep CO out.

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 uncornfortable
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.
.- . ,* . . _.
oading Your Ve
;" 1.
TIRE-LOA.DING INFORMATION
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE
CAP. WT.
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG
PSVKPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PSV28KPa
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
infomation
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.

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 PREVENTION
STANDARDS
IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.

The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear 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
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.
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.
Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because of overloading.
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 OF turn quickly,
or if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.