1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO steering

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine raking
.You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering. and
the accelerator. All: three systems have to
do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road. Braking action involves
perception
time and reaction time.
First, you have. to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception’ time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction, time is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and
as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even
in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition
of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount
of brake force applied.
Sometimes,
as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road c.an provide. That
means you can lose control
of your vehicle.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud,
ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
To turn the system off, press
the TRAC OFF button
located inside
of the
glove box.
The
TRACTION OFF message will display on the
Driver Information Center.
If the system is limiting
wheel spin when you press the button, the TRACTIQN
OFF message will display -- but the system won’t turn
off right away. It will wait until there’s no longer a
current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time
by pressing
the button again. The
TRACTION READY message
should display briefly
on the Driver Infomation Center. With
anti-lock,
you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
TM
Your vehicle may be equipped with GM MAGNASTEER,
a system that continuously adjusts the effort you feel when
steering at all vehicle speeds. It provides ease when
parking yet a
fm, solid feel at highway speeds.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver
or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction
you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering
through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate.
Both control systems -- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much
of those places. You can lose control. Refer to
“Traction Control System”
in the Index. What should
you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to
go, and slow down.
If you have the Eldorado
ETC, you may see the
STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. See “Stability Engaged Message”
in
the Index.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed.
Of course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you
need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do
it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until
you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine teering in
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right
in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by bralung
-- if you can stop in
the. But sometimes you can’t; there
isn’t room.
That’s the time
for evasive action -- steering around
the problem.
Your Cadillac can perfonn very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
(See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier
in this section.) It is better to
remove as
much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around
the problem, to the left or
right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But
you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided
the object.
The fact
that such emergency situations are always
possible is
a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
LEFT APPRQX. QUARTER TURN
SLOW DOWN
edge of paved surface
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly
easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then,
if therc is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can
turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then
turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
ssi
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration
or anger can
suddenly
put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
SO here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.”
Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever
about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
wdtch for traffic
signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead
is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the
road seems empty of approaching traftk.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following
too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance
to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes
to move into the
other Bane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up
for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your
pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder,
and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside
mirror, activate
your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
ss
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when
the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet
the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly
seek an escape route or area of less danger.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”\

those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The
three types of skids correspond to your Cadillac’s
three control systems.
In the bralung skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering shd, too
much speed or steering in
a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration
skid.
If your traction control system is off, then an
acceleration
skid is also best handled by easing your
foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always
be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs. If you
have
the Eldorado ETC, you may see the
STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. See “Stability Engaged Message”
in
the Index.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on
the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize the surface
is slippery until
your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking
skid.

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.
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