1998 CADILLAC ELDORADO brakes

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
LOCK
ANT’- (e)
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.
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 RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there
is a problem.
Traction Control System Warning Light
TRACTION
CONTROL
This warning light should
come
on briefly as you start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready
to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If
it stays on, or comes on 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 reasons:
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.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn
off and
the warning light will come on.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine BATTERY NOT CHARGING - 7: This message will
appear
if the battery is not being charged. Have the
electrical system checked by your dealership at your
earliest convenience.
BATTERY VOLTAGE HIGH - 8: This message
shows that the electrical charging system is
overcharging (more than 16 volts). To avoid being
stranded, have the electrical system checked by your
dealership. You
can reduce the charging overload by
using the accessories. Turn on the lamps and radio, set
the climate control on AUTO and the fan speed on
HI,
and turn the rear window defogger on. You can monitor
battery voltage on the Driver Information Center
(DIC)
by pressing the INFO button. The normal range is
11.5 to 15.5 volts when the engine
is running.
BATTERY VOLTAGE LOW - 6: This message will
appear when the electrical system is charging less than
10 volts or if the battery has been drained. If this
message appears immediately after starting,
it is possible
that the generator can still recharge the battery. The
battery should recharge and may take a few hours to do
so. Consider using an auxiliary charger to boost the
battery after returning home or to a final destination.
(Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions
when using a battery charger.)
If this message appears and stays on while driving or
after starting your vehicle, have it checked immediately
to determine the cause of this problem. To help the
generator recharge the battery quickly, you can reduce
the load
on the electrical system by turning off the
accessories. You can monitor battery voltage
on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) by pressing the
INFO
button. The normal range is 11.5 to 15.5 volts.
BRAKE VACUUM PROBLEM -108: The circuit in
the brake booster vacuum has shorted or is loose when
this message appears. Your vehicle may lose power
brakes but you will still have the use
of manual brakes.
The power brakes will not be affected if the problem is
caused by a failed sensor. Have your vehicle serviced
immediately at your dealership.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL - 82: This means that the
life of the engine oil has expired and it should be
changed within
200 miles (322 km). See “Engine Oil”
and “Filter Recommendations” in the Maintenance
Schedule booklet. After an oil change, the Oil Life
Indicator must be reset. See “Oil Life Indicator”
in the
Index
on how to reset it.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID - 47: This message will
appear when it is time to replace the transaxle fluid. See
the Maintenance Schedule booklet for
the proper fluid
and change intervals.
2-72

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine TOP SPEED - FUEL OFF - 111: This message will
appear when the
PCM senses that the maximum speed
for your vehicle has been reached. The speed
of your
vehicle will decrease several mph as the fuel supply is
cut off. This allows your vehicle
to stay in a stable
operating range.
TRACTION ENGAGED - 91: When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
ENGAGED message will be displayed. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so
adjust your driving accordingly. This message will stay
on for a few seconds after the traction control system
stops limiting wheel spin.
TRACTION OFF - 89: This message will be displayed
after the traction control has been turned
off.
TRACTION READY - 90: This message informs the
driver that the traction control system
is available. This
occurs when the traction odoff button in the glove box
has been returned to an on position (pressing the button
once turns the traction control system off pressing the
button again turns the system back on). This message
also self cancels after five seconds.
TRACTION SUSPENDED - 56: This message
displays when the traction control system has been
temporarily shut off because your vehicle’s brakes
have overheated. This message does not indicate
a
problem with your vehicle’s traction control system.
After a few minutes,
the traction control system will
be available again and the TRACTION READY
message will appear.
TRANS FLUID RESET - 48: With the engine not
running and the ignition on, press and hold the OFF
and rear defog buttons until the TRANS FLUID
RESET message appears on the Driver Information
Center
(DIC) (between five and 20 seconds).
TRANS HOT IDLE ENG - 112: This message
indicates that the trans’axle fluid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle
to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN - 24: This message indicates that the
trunk
is open when your vehicle’s ignition is in RUN.
TURN SIGNAL ON - 20: This message is a reminder,
after driving about
1 mile (1.6 km/h), that you have the
turn signal
on. A multiple chime will also sound when
this message is displayed.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Control of a Vehicle
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.
L
-4
. . , . . . .
. . . . . . . ....... .....
P
Braking
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 can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time
to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking
system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If your engine
stops,
you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake, Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will
be harder to push. When you
start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system
will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
4-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine ii
."
Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps
out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels. The
anti-lock system can change
the brake pressure
fdster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most
of available tire and
road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-8

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal. If
your vehicle
is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you
to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control” in
the Index.)
TRACTION
CONTROL
This warning light will
come
on to let you know if
there’s a problem with your
traction control system.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits wheel
spin.
This is especially useful in slippery road conditions.
The system operates only
if it senses that one or both of
the front wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction.
When
this happens, the system works the front brakes and
reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ENGAGED message will display on
the Driver Information Center when
the traction control
system
is limiting wheel spin. See ‘.Driver Infomation
Center Messages” in the Index. You may feel or hear the
system working, but this is normal. See
“Traction Control System Warning Light” in the
Index. When this warning light is
on. the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever
you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially
in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
4-9

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Steering in Emergencies
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 braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t: there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform 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.
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