
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but \
you must use caution. Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transaxle back and
forth, you can destroy your transaxle.
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transaxle or other parts of the vehicle can
overheat. That could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels
as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels.
You should turn
your traction control system
off. (See “Traction Control
System” in the Index.) Then shift back and forth
between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear, spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transaxle
is in gear. If that doesn’t get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
5-36

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.
6-30

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.
6-31

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
6-44

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTIL I:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare,
though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
I A CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles
of driving. A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on
the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
6-46

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Treadwear Temperature -- A, B, C
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 government 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 conditions on
specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
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. The
temperature grades are
A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carehlly 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.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
dealer
if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need. Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment
parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your
Cadillac model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel
nuts on your vehicle can be dangerous.
It could affect the braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air and make you
lose control.
You could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for replacement.
6-48

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Reti ----Yt Wheels
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used or
how far
it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause an accident.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new
GM original equipment wheel.
Tire Cha’ s
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them
as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage your vehicle.