
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trailering  means  changes  in  handling,  durability  and fuel  economy.  Successful,  safe  trailering  takes  correct 
equipment,  and  it has  to  be  used  properly. 
That’s  the  reason  for this  part.  In it are many 
time-tested,  important  trailering  tips  and  safety  rules. 
Many  of these  are  important  for your  safety  and  that  of 
your  passengers. 
So please  read  this  section  carefully 
before  you  pull  a  trailer. 
Load-pulling  components  such  as the engine,  transaxle, 
wheel  assemblies  and  tires  are  forced  to  work  harder  against  the  drag  of the  added  weight.  The engine  is 
required  to  operate  at  relatively  higher  speeds  and  under 
greater  loads,  generating  extra  heat.  What’s  more,  the 
trailer  adds  considerably  to  wind  resistance,  increasing 
the  pulling  requirements. 
If You Do  Decide To Pull A Trailer 
If  you  do,  here  are  some  important  points: 
0 There  are  many  different  laws,  including  speed  limit 
restrictions,  having  to  do  with  trailering.  Make  sure  your  rig  will  be  legal,  not  only  where  you  live  but 
also  where  you’ll  be  driving. 
A good  source  for this 
information  can  be  state  or  provincial  police. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Consider  using  a  sway  control  if  your  trailer  will 
weigh 
2,000 lbs. (900 kg)  or  less.  You should  always 
use  a  sway  control  if  your  trailer 
will weigh  more 
than 
2,000 lbs. (900 kg).  You  can  ask  a  hitch  dealer 
about  sway  controls. 
Don’t  tow  a  trailer  at all  during  the  first 
1,000 miles 
(1 600 km) your  new  vehicle  is driven.  Your engine, 
axle  or  other  parts  could  be  damaged. 
Then,  during  the  first 
500 miles (800 km) that  you 
tow  a  trailer,  don’t  drive  over 
50 mph (80 km/h) and 
don’t  make  starts  at  full  throttle.  This  helps  your 
engine  and  other  parts  of your  vehicle  wear  in  at  the 
heavier  loads. 
Obey  speed  limit  restrictions  when  towing  a  trailer. 
Don’t  drive  faster  than  the  maximum  posted  speed 
for  trailers  (or  no  more  than 
55 mph (90 km/h)) to 
save  wear  on  your  vehicle’s  parts. 
Three  important  considerations  have  to  do  with  weight: 
0 the  weight  of  the  trailer, 
the  weight  of  the  trailer  tongue 
and  the  total  weight  on  your  vehicle’s  tires. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Turn Signals  When  Towing a Trailer 
When  you  tow  a  trailer,  your  vehicle  may  need  a 
different  turn  signal  flasher  and/or  extra  wiring.  Check 
with  your  Cadillac  dealer.  The green  arrows  on  your 
instrument  panel  will  flash  whenever  you  signal  a  turn 
or  lane  change.  Properly  hooked  up, the trailer  lamps 
will  also flash,  telling  other  drivers  you’re  about  to  turn, 
change  lanes or stop. 
When  towing  a  trailer,  the  green  arrows  on  your  instrument  panel  will  flash  for turns  even  if the  bulbs 
on  the  trailer  are  burned  out. Thus, you  may  think 
drivers  behind you are  seeing  your  signal  when  they 
are not.  It’s  important  to  check occasionally  to  be  sure 
the  trailer  bulbs  are  still working. 
Driving On Grades 
Reduce  speed  and  shift  to a lower  gear before you  start 
down  a  long  or steep downgrade.  If  you  don’t  shift 
down,  you  might  have  to  use  your  brakes 
so much  that 
they  would  get hot  and  no  longer  work  well. 
On  long  uphill  grades,  reduce  speed  to  45 to 50  mph 
(70 to 90 km/h) and  avoid  prolonged  use of 
SECOND (2) gear  and engine  speeds  above 3800 rpm.  Climbing  grades  steeper  than  4  degrees  at  temperatures 
above 
90°F (32 “C) 
with a loaded  vehicle  and  trailer  is 
not  recommended.  The cooling  system  may  temporarily 
overheat.  See “Engine  Overheating”  in  the Index. 
Parking  on  Hills 
You  really  should  not  park  your  vehicle,  with  a  trailer 
attached,  on  a  hill.  If something  goes  wrong,  your  rig 
could  start to  move.  People  can  be  injured,  and  both 
your  vehicle  and  the  trailer  can  be  damaged. 
But  if  you  ever  have  to  park  your  rig  on  a  hill, here’s 
how  to  do it: 
1. Apply  your  regular  brakes,  but  do  not  shift  into 
PARK (P). 
2. Have  someone  place  chocks  under  the trailer  wheels. 
3. When  the  wheel  chocks  are  in  place,  release  the 
regular  brakes  until  the  chocks  absorb  the  load. 
4. Reapply  the  regular  brakes.  Then  shift  into 
PARK (P) firmly  and  apply  your  parking  brake. 
5. Release  the  regular  brakes. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L II \ 
A. Remote  Positive (+) Terminal 
B. Good  Battery 
C. Windshield  Washer  Bottle  Stud  (not  shown in 
picture--located  on  the  passenger’s  side  corner  of  the  engine  compartment) 
Towing Your Vehicle 
Try  to  have  a  dealer  or  a  professional  towing  service  tow 
your  vehicle.  See  “Roadside  Service”  in the Index. 
If your  vehicle  has  been  changed  or  modified  since  it 
was  factory-new  by adding  aftermarket  items  like-fog 
lamps,  aero  skirting  or  special  tires  and  wheels,  these  instructions  may  not be  correct. 
Before  you  do  anything,  turn  on  the  hazard  warning  flashers. 
When  you  call,  tell  the  towing  service: 
0 That  your  vehicle  ha$  front-wheel  drive. 
0 The  make,  model and year of your  vehicle. 
0 Whether  you  can  still move  the  shift  lever. 
0 If there  was an accident,  what  was  damaged. 
When  the  towing  service  arrives,  let the  tow  operator 
know that this manual  contains  towing  instructions  and 
illustrations.  The operator  may  want  to  see  them.   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine [f a Tire Goes  Flat 
Changing a Flat Tire 
It’s  unusual  for  a  tire  to  “blow  out”  while  you’re \
 driving,  If  a  tire  goes  flat,  avoid  further  tire  and  wheel  d\
amage 
especially  if  you  maintain  your  tires  properly. 
If air  goes  by  driving  slowly  to  a  level  place.  Turn  on your  hazard 
out 
of a  tire,  it’s  much  more  likely  to  leak  out  slowly.  warning  flash-x 
But  if  you  should  ever  have  a  “blowout,”  here  are  a  few\
 
tips  about  what  to  expect  and  what  to  do: 
If a  front  tire  fails,  the  flat tire  will  create  a  drag  that 
pulls  the  vehicle  toward  that  side.  Take  your  foot 
off the 
accelerator  pedal  and  grip  the  steering  wheel  firmly. 
Steer  to  maintain  lane  position,  and  then  gently  brake  to 
a  stop  well  out  of the  traffic  lane. 
A rear  blowout,  particularly on a  curve,  acts  much  like  a 
skid  and  may  require  the  same  correction  you’d  use  in a 
skid.  In  any  rear  blowout,  remove  your  foot  from  the 
accelerator  pedal.  Get  the  vehicle  under  control  by  steering  the  way  you  want  the  vehicle  to 
go. It  may  be 
very  bumpy  and  noisy,  but  you  can  still  steer.  Gently 
brake  to  a  stop 
-- well off the  road  if  possible. 
If  a  tire  goes  flat, the  next  part  shows  how  to  use  your 
jacking  equipment  to  change  a  flat  tire  safely. 
Changing  a  tire can  cause  an injury.  The  vehicle 
can  slip 
off the  jack  and  roll  over  you  or other 
people.  You 
and they  could  be  badly  injured. 
Find 
a level  place  to  change  your  tire. To help 
prevent  the vehicle  from moving: 
1. Put the shift  lever  in PARK (P). 
2. Set the parking  brake firmly. 
3. ”m off the engine. 
To be  even  more  certain the vehicle  won’t  move, 
you  can put blocks  at the  front  and rear  of the 
tire farthest  away from the  one  being  changed. 
That  would  be  the tire on the other  side of the 
vehicle,  at the  opposite  end. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. Raise  the  vehicle by turning  the jack handle  to  the 
right.  Raise  the 
vehicle far enough off the  ground  for 
the  spare  tire  to  fit under  the  vehicle. 
6. Remove  all  wheel  nuts  and  take off the  flat  tire. 
1. 
~ 
~~  ~  ~~ 
~  ~  ~~ 
Remove  any  rust  or dirt 
from  the  wheel  bolts, 
mounting  surfaces  and 
spare  wheel. 
Rust  or dirt on the  wheel,  or on the  parts to 
which  it 
is fastened,  can make  the 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 the  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. 
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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 
A CAUTION: 
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. 
Your vehicle also has  electronic  wear  sensors  that  let  you 
know  when  the  brake  pads  are  significantly  worn  and  new 
pads  are  needed.  The 
CHANGE BRAKE PADS message 
will  be  displayed  on  the  Driver 
Information Center  when 
the  brake  pads  are  worn  and  need 
to be  replaced. (See 
“Change  Brake  Pads  Message” in the  Index.) 
- 
I A CAUTION: 
\-I 
The CHANGE BRAKE PADS message  or the 
high-pitched  warning sound  means that soon 
your  brakes  won’t  work  well.  That could  lead  to 
an  accident.  When  the 
CHANGE BRAKE PADS 
message  comes  on  and stays on, have  your 
vehicle  serviced. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE: 
Brake  Adjustment 
Every  time  you  apply  the  brakes,  with  or  without  the vehicle  moving,  your  brakes  adjust  for wear. 
Continuing  to  drive  with  worn-out  brake  pads 
could  result  in  costly  brake  repair. 
Replacing  Brake  System  Parts 
The  braking  system  on a modern  vehicle  is  complex.  Its 
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 navel 
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.  many  parts  have  to  be 
of top  quality  and  work  well 
together  if  the  vehicle  is  to  have  really  good  braking. 
Your  vehicle  was  designed  and  tested  with  top-quality 
GM  brake  parts.  When  you  replace  parts 
of your  braking 
system 
-- for  example,  when  your  brake  linings  wear 
down  and  you  have  to  have  new  ones  put  in 
-- be  sure 
you  get new  approved  GM  replacement  parts.  If  you 
don’t,  your  brakes  may  no  longer  work  properly.  For 
example,  if  someone  puts  in  brake  linings  that  are  wrong 
for  your  vehicle,  the balance  between  your  front and 
rear  brakes  can  change 
-- for  the  worse.  The braking 
performance  you’ve  come  to  expect  can  change  in  many  other  ways 
if someone  puts  in  the  wrong  replacement 
brake  parts. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Tire Inspection and Rotation 
Tires  should  be  rotated  every 6,000 to S,O00 miles 
(10 000 to 13 OOO km). 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  Torque”  in 
the  Index. 
I 
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.) 
1 
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