1998 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use
NEUTRAL (N) only.
I NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Cadillac is
moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to
PARK (P) only when your
vehicle
is stopped.
I. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine
starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will
go down as your
engine gets
warm.
1 NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
~ 2. If it doesn’t start right away. hold your key in
START for about three seconds at a time until your
engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between each
try to help avoid draining your battery or damaging
your starter.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing.
NOTICE: I
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts
or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging
your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18OC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help.
You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine
warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 11 0-volt AC outlet.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug
and store the cord as
it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts. If you don’t. it
could be damaged. How
long should
you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
P
R
N
0
3
2
1
There are several different
positions for the shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks the front wheels. It’s the
best position
to use when you start the engine because
your vehicle can’t move easily.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1 A CAUTION:
’ It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on
fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a nailer”
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has a Brake-Transaxle
Shift Interlock (BTSI). You have to fully
apply your
regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and release the
shift lever button
on the floor shift console models as
you maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into
the gear you wish. (Press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever
on floor shift console
models.)
See “Shifting Out of PARK (P)” in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle
has stopped.
Also use this gear to rock your vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice or sand without damaging your
transaxle. See “If You’re Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice or
Snow” in the lndex for additional information.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine p“
i f
r
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I
1
r
r
r
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, the engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
A CAUTION:
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine
is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
~~
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
OVERDRIVE (@): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
accelerator
all the way down.
The transaxle will shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
I
NOTICE:
d
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly, or
if
it doesn’t seem to shift gears as you accelerate,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use
SECOND (2) when you are driving less
than 35 mph (55 km/h) and OVERDRIVE (0)
for higher speeds.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than
OVERDRIVE (@).
Here are examples for using THIRD (3) instead of
OVERDRIVE (0):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less sh
When going down a steep hill.
between gears.
[ifting
SECOND (2): This position
gives you more power. You
can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your
speed as you
go down steep mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use your brakes off and on.
~-
NOTICE:
~~~ ~~ ~~~~
Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
than SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills,
or
in deep snow or mud. (If the shift lever is put in
FIRST
(l), the transaxle won’t shift into gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.)
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen
if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were~up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with
only the accelerator
pedal. This could cause overheating and damage
the transaxle. Use your brakes to hold your
vehicle in position on a hill.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Brake
Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your
right
foot and push down
the parking brake pedal
with your left foot to set
the parking brake. If
the ignition is
on, the
PARK
BRAKE indicator
light should come
on. If it
doesn’t, you need to have
your vehicle serviced.
If the parking brake has not been fully released and you
try to drive with the parking brake
on, the PARK
BRAKE indicator light comes on and stays on. See
“Parking Brake Indicator Light“ in the Index for more
information.
When you move out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N),
if the engine is running, the parking brake should
release. If
it doesn’t, you can manually release the
parking brake. Be
sure
to turn off the ignition and put the vehicle in
PARK (P) before manually releasing the brake.
Reach under
the driver’s side of the instrument panel
and pull
on the manual release lever, which is located
above the parking brake pedal. If the parking brake does
not release, you should either drive
to the nearest service
station or have your vehicle towed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
Always shift to PARK (P) before pulling the
manual release lever.
If your hand or arm is in
the way of the pedal you could be hurt. The pedal
springs back quickly. Keep your hand and arm
away when you use the manual release
lever.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index. This section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly
set. Your vehicle can roll. If
you have left the engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps that
follow. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index.
Console Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot.
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