
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic Transaxle Fluid
Operating the engine with the air cleaner off can
cause you or others to be burned, The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires, you could be burned, Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner
off.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfke can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your engine, which will damage it. Always
have the air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transaxle fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under
one or more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain. regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
0 Use such as limousine service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require change
until
the message CHANGE TRANS FLUID appears
on the Driver Information Center.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
6-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your Cadillac dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions here, or
you could get a false reading
on the dipstick.
I NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transaxle.
Too much can mean that some of the
fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be sure to
get an accurate reading if you check your
transaxle fluid.
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).
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°F to
200°F (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 ( 10°C),
you may have to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level
0
0
0
0
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift
lever in PARK (P).
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).
Let the engine
run at idle for three to five minutes.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound when the brake
pads’are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound
may come and go or be heard all
the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the brake
pedal firmly).
r
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires
are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to
GM specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in the Maintenance
Schedule booklet under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
6-30

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Bulb Replacer3
For any bulb changing procedure not listed in this
section, contact
your dealer's service department.
Hnlogen Bulbs
A CAUdC J:
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas inside and
can burst if
you drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could
be injured. Be sure to read and
follow
the instructions on the bulb package.
Headlamps
A
A
A
1. To access the headlamps, lift the cover as shown.
6-32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tires
Your ~ew vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where ,to obtain service, see
your-Cadillac Warranty booklet for details.
I-
A CAUTION:
L
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause
overheating as
a result of too much friction.
You could have an air-out and a serious
accident. See “Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index.
‘0 Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resultihg accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended’
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked when
your tires are cold.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION:
(Continued)
0 Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured or broken by
a sudden
impact
-- such las when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
0 Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or
if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
See “Inflation
-- Tire Pressure’’ in this section
for .inflation pressure adjustment for higher
speed driving.
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is located on
the rear edge of the driver’s door, shows the correct
inflatiop pressures for your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for, at least.
three’ hours or driven no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
6-41
I -. ..

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 rriiles
(10 000 to 13 000 krn). Any time you notice unusual
. wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later
in this section for
more information.
The purpose of regular rotation
is to achieve more
uniform wear for
all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Maintenance Schedule
booklet for scheduled rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here. Don’t include the compact spare tire
in your
tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torqoe” in
the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time. The wheel could come
off and cause
an accident. When you change
a wheel, remove
any rust
or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper or wire brush later,
if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt
off. (See ’ .
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
6-43

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
You need a new tire
if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snaggea
around the tire.
tire’s rubber. deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating, traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
6-44

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ~ ~~~~~~ ~ ____ ~~ ~~ ~~
~~~
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example,, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a
half
(1 1/2) times as' well on the governmefit course
as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices
and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
1 conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor
I traction performance.
.~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
,established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
1 Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, 'or peak
traction characteristics.
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
6-46
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