
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You can  turn  the  system  back  on  at  any  time  by  pressing 
the  button  again.  The TRACTION  READY  message 
should  display  briefly  on  the  Driver  Information  Center. 
Braking  in  Emergencies 
With  anti-lock,  you  can  steer  and  brake  at the  same 
time.  In  many  emergencies,  steering  can  help  you 
more  than  even  the  very  best  braking. 
Steering 
Power  Steering 
If  you  lose power  steering  assist  because  the  engine 
stops  or  the  system  is not  functioning,  you can  steer 
but  it will  take  much  more  effort. 
MAGNASTEEP 
Your  vehicle  may  be  equipped  with GM 
MAGNASTEER,  a  system  that  continuously  adjusts  the 
effort  you  feel when  steering  at  all  vehicle  speeds.  It 
provides  ease  when  parking  yet  a  firm,  solid  feel  at  highway  speeds. 
Steering  Tips 
Driving  on  Curves 
It’s  important  to  take  curves  at  a  reasonable  speed. 
A  lot  of  the  “driver  lost  control”  accidents  mentioned 
on  the  news  happen  on  curves.  Here’s  why: 
Experienced  driver  or beginner,  each 
of us is  subject  to 
the  same  laws  of physics  when  driving 
on curves.  The 
traction  of the  tires  against  the  road  surface  makes  it 
possible  for the  vehicle  to  change  its  path  when  you  turn 
the  front  wheels. 
If there’s  no  traction,  inertia  will  keep 
the  vehicle  going  in  the  same  direction.  If  you’ve  ever 
tried  to  steer  a  vehicle  on  wet  ice, you’ll  understand  this. 
The  traction  you  can  get  in  a  curve  depends 
on the 
condition  of your  tires  and  the  road  surface,  the angle 
at which  the  curve  is  banked,  and  your  speed. 
While  you’re  in  a  curve,  speed  is  the  one  factor  you 
can  control. 
4-10   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Suppose  you’re  steering  through a sharp  curve. 
Then  you  suddenly  accelerate.  Both  control 
systems 
-- steering  and  acceleration -- have  to  do 
their  work  where  the  tires  meet  the  road. Adding  the 
sudden  acceleration  can  demand  too much  of  those 
places.  You can  lose  control.  Refer  to  “Traction 
Control  System”  in  the  Index. 
What  should  you  do if  this  ever  happens?  Ease  up  on  the 
accelerator  pedal,  steer the  vehicle  the way  you  want  it 
to 
go, and  slow  down. 
Since  your  vehicle  is  equipped  with  Stabilitrak,  you  will 
see  the  STABILITY  SYS  ENGAGED  message 
on the 
Driver  Information  Center.  See “Stability  Sys  Engaged 
Message”  in  the  Index. 
Speed  limit  signs  near  curves warn  that  you  should 
adjust  your  speed.  Of course,  the posted  speeds  are 
based  on  good  weather  and  road  conditions.  Under  less 
favorable  conditions  you’ll  want  to 
go slower. 
If  you  need  to  reduce  your  speed  as you  approach  a 
curve,  do  it before  you  enter the curve,  while  your 
front  wheels  are  straight ahead. 
Try  to  adjust  your  speed 
so you can  “drive”  through 
the  curve.  Maintain  a reasonable,  steady  speed.  Wait 
to  accelerate  until 
you are  out  of the  curve,  and  then 
accelerate  gently  into  the straightaway. 
To help you steer in  the  direction  you  want  to  go,  during 
certain  sharp  or  sudden  cornering  maneuvers,  gear  selection 
is controlled.  This  will  maximize  the  available 
drive  wheel  torque  and  minimize  the  transaxle  response 
time  and  shift  activity.  During  this  kind  of  maneuver,  the 
transaxle  shifts  automatically  as  vehicle  speed  changes. 
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. 
4-11   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder,  and 
start your  left  lane change signal before  moving out 
of  the right lane  to pass.  When  you  are far enough 
ahead  of the  passed  vehicle  to see  its front  in your 
inside  mirror,  activate your right  lane change signal 
and move back  into the right lane. (Remember that 
your  right outside mirror  is convex.  The vehicle  you 
just  passed  may seem  to  be  farther away from  you 
than  it really  is.) 
Try not to pass more than  one vehicle  at a time 
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the 
next vehicle. 
Don’t  overtake a slowly moving vehicle too  rapidly. 
Even  though  the  brake lamps are not flashing, it  may 
be slowing  down or starting  to turn. 
If you’re  being  passed, make it easy for the 
following driver to get ahead 
of you.  Perhaps  you 
can ease  a little to  the right. 
Loss of Control 
Let’s  review what driving experts say about what 
happens  when the three control systems (brakes, steering 
and  acceleration) don’t have enough friction  where the 
tires  meet  the road  to  do  what the driver has  asked. 
In  any  emergency,  don’t  give  up.  Keep  trying  to  steer  and 
constantly  seek  an  escape  route  or area  of less  danger. 
Skidding 
In a  skid,  a  driver  can  lose  control  of  the  vehicle. 
Defensive  drivers  avoid  most  skids  by  taking  reasonable 
care  suited  to  existing  conditions,  and  by  not  “overdriving”\
 
those  conditions.  But  skids 
are always  possible. 
The  three types  of skids correspond  to your  vehicle’s 
three control systems. In the braking skid,  your  wheels 
aren’t rolling.  In the steering 
or cornering skid, too 
much speed or steering  in  a curve causes tires to slip 
and 
lose cornering force.  And  in the acceleration skid, too 
much  throttle causes the driving wheels  to spin. 
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off 
the accelerator pedal. 
Remember:  Any traction control system helps avoid 
only the acceleration skid. 
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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. 
4-32   

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 How to  Reset  the Oil Life  Indicator 
After  the oil has  been  changed,  display  the  ENGINE 
OIL  LIFE  message  by  pressing  the  INFO  button.  Then 
press  and  hold  the  INFO  RESET  button  until  the  display 
shows 
“100.” This  resets  the  oil life index. The message 
will  remain  off  until  the next  oil change  is needed. 
The  percentage  of oil life  remaining  may  be  checked  at 
any  time  by  pressing  the  INFO  button  several  times  until 
the  ENGINE 
OIL LIFE  message  appears.  For  more 
information  on  the  Oil  Life feature, see “Oil Life 
Indicator”  in  the  Index. 
What to Do with Used Oil 
Did  you  know  that  used  engine  oil  contains  certain 
elements  that  may be  unhealthy  for your  skin  and  could 
even  cause  cancer?  Don’t  let used  oil stay  on  your  skin 
for 
very long.  Clean  your  skin  and  nails  with  soap and 
water,  or  a  good  hand  cleaner.  Wash  or properly  throw 
away  clothing  or  rags  containing  used  engine  oil. (See 
the  manufacturer’s  warnings  about  the  use  and  disposal 
of  oil  products.) 
Used  oil  can  be 
a real  threat  to the  environment.  If  you 
change  your  own  oil, be  sure  to  drain  all free-flowing  oil 
from  the filter  before  disposal.  Don’t  ever  dispose  of oil 
by  putting  it in  the  trash,  pouring  it on  the  ground,  into 
sewers,  or into streams  or bodies  of  water.  Instead, 
recycle  it by  taking  it to  a  place  that  collects  used  oil.  If 
you  have  a  problem  properly  disposing  of your  used  oil, 
ask  your  dealer,  a  service  station  or a  local  recycling 
center  for 
help. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Automatic  Transaxle  Fluid 
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 OF (32 O C)  or  higher. 
0 When  doing  frequent  trailer  towing. 
0 Uses  such  as  found  in  taxi,  police  or  delivery  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  Index. 
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. 
1 NOTICE: - -1 
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. 
0 While  pulling  a  trailer. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Reset tk I ’I’ - ~- -- 3 Change 
Indicator 
After  the transaxle  fluid  has  been  changed,  display  the 
TRANS  FLUID  LIFE  message  by  pressing  the 
INFO 
button.  Then  press  and  hold  the  INFO  RESET  button 
until  the  display  shows 
“loo.” This  resets  the  transaxle 
fluid  life  index.  The  message  will  remain  off  until  the  next  transaxle  fluid  change  is  needed.  The percentage 
of 
transaxle  fluid  life remaining  may  be  checked  at  any 
time  by  pressing  the 
INFO button  several  times  until  the 
TRANS  FLUID  LIFE  message  appears. 
Engine  Coolant 
The  cooling s stem  in your  vehicle is filled  with 
DEX-COOL  engine  coolant.  This  coolant  is designed 
to remain  in your  vehicle for 5 years  or 150,000 miles 
(240 000 km) whichever  occurs  first, if  you  add  only 
DEX-COOL’  extended  life coolant. 
B 
The  following  explains  your  cooling  system  and  how to 
add  coolant  when  it is  low. 
If you  have  a  problem  with 
engine  overheating,  see  “Engine  Overheating”  in 
the  Index. 
A 50/50 mixture of water  and  DEX-COOL@ 
coolant  will: 
0 Give  freezing  protection  down  to  -34°F (-37°C). 
0 Give  boiling  protection  up to 265°F (129°C). 
Protect  against  rust  and corrosion. 
Help  keep  the  proper  engine  temperature. 
0 Let  the  warning  lights  and  gages  work  as 
they  should. 
NOTICE: 
When  adding  coolant, it is important  that  you  use 
only 
DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free)  coolant. 
If coolant  other than DEX-COOL is added to the 
system,  premature  engine, heater core or 
radiator  corrosion  may  result.  In addition, the 
engine  coolant  will require  change  sooner 
-- at 
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months, 
whichever  occurs  first. Damage  caused 
by the use 
of coolant  other  than  DEX-COOL@ is not 
covered 
by your  new vehicle  warranty. 
6-22