1998 CADILLAC CATERA Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BRAKE
United States
Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
ON. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
A CAUTIC-J:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition
is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter
I6h
VOLTS
You can read battery
voltage on the voltmeter. If
it reads less than
12 volts or
more than 16 volts while the
engine
is running, and it
stays there, you may have a
problem with the electrical
charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with
the voltmeter
reading in the lower warning zone could drain
or
damage the battery. Driving with the voltmeter reading
in the upper warning zone could cause bulbs to burn out
(especially headlamp bulbs), various vehicle modules to
shut down (due to overload protection) and the
possibility
of a battery acid leak.
If you idle the engine for a while, the voltmeter reading
might move into the red zone. If the reading
stays in the
red zone while
you are driving, you may have a problem
with the electrical charging system. Have it checked.
While the voltmeter reads in the red zone, the battery
may not be able to power certain electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, the ABS light will come on.
See “Anti-Lock Brakes System Warning Light” in
this section.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn off all the accessories,
including the comfort controls and the audio system.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ABS
With the anti-lock brake system, the light(s) will
come on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That’s normal.
Traction Control System Warning Light
The warning light will flash
when the system senses
a
traction change.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to
OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as
possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine
again to reset the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes.
See “Brake System
Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem. If
it stays on,
or comes on and stays on steady when
you’re driving, there may be a problem with your
traction control system and your vehicle may need
service. When this warning light
is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following:
0 If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system will turn off and the warning light will come on.
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system is affected by an
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that the
engine has overheated. If
this light comes on, you
should stop the vehicle and
turn the engine
off as soon
as possible.
A warning
chime should
also sound if
this light comes on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
C gH
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into
the red area, the engine is
too hot!
As a check, the light should come on for a few seconds
when
you start the engine. In the section “Problems on
the Road,” this manual explains what to do. See “Engine
Overheating”
in the Index. This
reading means the same thing as the warning
light
-- the engine coolant has overheated. You should
stop the car and turn the engine off as soon as possible.
The section “Problems on the
Road” in this manual
explains what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in
the Index.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Low Coolant Warning Light
This warning light should
come on while
you are
starting the engine. If the
light doesn’t come on, have
it repaired.
I I
Your vehicle is equipped with a low coolant level sensor
(switch and float) that is designed to detect when your
vehicle’s coolant level drops below the set
limit. If the
low coolant level sensor (under the coolant surge tank)
detects that the level drops while the engine is running,
the low coolant indicator will light and remain lit until
the ignition switch
is turned off. Check the coolant level
and add coolant as needed.
The light should turn off as
soon as the coolant level
is at its proper operating range.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
CHECK
ENGINE
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD
11 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to assure that emissions are
at acceptable levels for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The CHECK
ENGINE light comes on to
indicate that there is a problem and service
is required.
Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system
before any problem
is apparent. This may prevent more
serious damage to your vehicle. This system
is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing
any malfunction.
2-70
I

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be covered by your warranty.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine
is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come
on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required. If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see “If
the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see
“If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light
off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel? As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel
line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install
the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off. Have
you recently changed brands of fuel?
If
so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor
fuel quality will cause your
engine not to
run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine
is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to
turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If
none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to
fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
2-72
. .~ ~ -

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Oil Pressure LighUGage
The light and gage tell you if there could be a problem
with the engine oil pressure. When
the light
comes on and stays on, it means
that oil isn’t flowing through the engine properly.
You
could be low on oil and you might have some other
system problem.
The gage shows the engine
oil pressure in pounds per
square inch (psi). Canadian
vehicles show pressure in
kilopascals (Wa).
The oil light goes on when
you turn the key to ON or
START. It goes off once
you start the engine. That’s
a check to be sure the
light
works.
If it doesn’t come on, be sure to have it fixed so it will
be there to warn you if something goes wrong.
1 A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
1 NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.