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The 1999 Cadillac Catera Owner's Manual
1-1 Seats and Restraint SystemsThis section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
2-1 Features and ControlsThis section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
3-1 Comfort Controls and Audio SystemsThis section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
4-1 Your Driving and the RoadHere you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
5-1 Problems on the RoadThis section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
6-1 Service and Appearance CareHere the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
7-1 Customer Assistance InformationThis section tells you how to contact Cadillac for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on ªReporting Safety Defectsº on page 7-10.
8-1 IndexHere's an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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2-49 Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Heated Rearview Mirrors
The manual folding outside rearview mirrors are heated.
To heat the mirrors, press the rear window defogger
button. See ºRear Window Defoggerº in the Index.
Manual Folding Outside Rearview Mirrors
The driver's and passenger's outside mirrors move
forward and rearward (ªbreak
-awayº) to help prevent
injury and/or damage to your vehicle.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
The glove box is located in front of the passenger's seat.
To lock the glove box door, insert the key in the lock
cylinder and turn it clockwise. Turn the key
counterclockwise to unlock the door.
The glove box is air conditioned. This helps to keep
snack items cool while traveling. In order for cool air to
enter the glove box, the air conditioning must be turned
on. Use the slide control inside and at the rear of the
glove box to turn the air flow on and off. Moving the
slide control over the small hole turns the cool air off
and moving the control away from the hole turns the
cool air on.
Map Pockets
The map/storage pockets are located on each front door
as well as on the passenger's and driver's front
seatbacks. Also located on the driver's door map pocket
is a coin holder.
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2-71
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Light/Gage
The light and gage tell you if there could be a problem
with the engine oil pressure.
The gage shows the engine
oil pressure in pounds per
square inch (psi). Canadian
vehicles show pressure in
kilopascals (kPa).
The oil light goes on when
you turn the key to ON or
START. It goes off once you
start the engine. That's a
check to be sure the
light works.
If it doesn't come on, be sure to have it fixed so it will
be there to warn you if something goes wrong.
3-
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3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle. Be
sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Electronic Climate Control (ECC)
3
-3 Automatic Operation
3
-4 Manual Operation
3
-6 Air Conditioning
3
-6 Heating
3
-6 Defrosting
3
-7 Rear Window Defogger
3
-7 Ventilation System
3
-9 Audio Systems
3
-9 Setting the Clock
3
-9AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player
3
-13 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Radio Data
Systems (RDS) (If Equipped)3
-22 Radio Data Systems (RDS) Program Type
(PTY) Selections
3
-23 CD Adapter Kits
3
-23 Trunk-Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
-27 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-27 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
-28 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-28 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-29 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-30 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-31 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-31 Heated Backlite Antenna
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Outside Temperature Display
The outside temperature is always displayed when your
vehicle's ignition is on. If the outside temperature
display begins to flash, this means that icy road
conditions are possible. Adjust your driving if needed.
The display will flash for about 30 seconds and then
remain on steady.
Mode Button
Press this button to deliver air through the floor, middle
or windshield outlets. The climate control system will
stay in the selected ECC mode until the MODE button is
pressed again or until the TEMP/AUTO knob is pressed.
Press the up or down arrow to see the available modes.
English/Metric Display
You can change the temperature display from English
(degrees Fahrenheit) to metric (degrees Celsius) by
pressing and holding the driver's side TEMP/AUTO
knob for approximately five seconds. Repeat the process
to change back to English from metric.Automatic Operation
Pressing the driver's side TEMP/AUTO knob sets the
system for automatic operation. Once the system is set,
sensors will control the air delivery mode. Air will come
from the floor, middle, side or windshield outlets. The
fan speed will vary as the system maintains the selected
temperature setting. (All previous manually set mode
settings will change back to a fully automatic mode
when the climate control system is turned on this way.)
Be careful not to put anything over the solar sensor
located in the middle of the instrument panel near the
windshield. This sensor is used by the automatic system
to regulate temperature.
To find your comfort zone, start with the 75F (24C)
setting and allow about 20 minutes for the system to
regulate air temperature. Adjust the temperature if
necessary. If you choose 60F (16C), the system will
remain at that maximum cooling setting and will not
regulate fan speed. If you choose the temperature of
90F (32C), the system will remain at that maximum
heating setting and will not regulate fan speed. Choosing
either maximum setting will not cause the system to heat
or cool any faster.
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In cold weather, when the system senses the need for
heat, airflow will be directed out of the floor outlets. As
the interior temperature approaches a desired setting, the
blower speed will decrease. To maintain interior
comfort, the airflow may move to the instrument panel
air outlets and floor outlets (bi
-level mode). On bright
sunny days in cold weather, the airflow may come out of
the air conditioning outlets (AC mode) to maintain
comfort and prevent stuffiness.
If your vehicle is sitting out on a hot day and you have
the climate control system set for automatic operation,
the air will first flow out of the floor air outlets during
cool down. That is normal. This is to remove hot air
from the air outlets. As the air is cooled, the airflow will
move through the air conditioning outlets.
To avoid blowing cold air in cold weather, the system
will delay turning on the fan until warm air is available.
The length of delay depends on the outside air
temperature, engine coolant temperature or the time
since the engine was last started. As the coolant warms
up, the blower fan speed will gradually increase and air
will flow from the heater outlets, with some airflow to
the windshield to prevent fogging under most
normal conditions.If you leave your vehicle, the system will remember the
control setting the next time you start your engine,
except for recirculation and rear defrost (heated
backlite). Each ignition cycle cancels recirculation.
Manual Operation
You may manually adjust the air delivery mode or
fan speed.
HEATER/DEFROST: This setting directs air to
the floor outlets and toward the windshield.
AC: This setting directs airflow through the middle
instrument panel outlets.
BI-LEVEL: This setting directs air into your
vehicle in two ways. Cool air is directed to the upper
portion of your body through the middle instrument
panel outlets while warm air is directed to the floor.
HEATER: This setting directs warm air through
the floor outlets. Some warm air is sent to the
windshield to minimize fogging.
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DEFROST: Press this button to quickly remove
fog or frost from the windshield (the blower works in
high
-speed). This setting sends most of the airflow to
the windshield with only a small amount to the
floor outlets.
FAN SPEEDS: Press the driver's side
TEMP/AUTO knob to set the fan speed for AUTO. At
this setting, the fan speed is automatically controlled. If
it is cold outside, the blower may not run in the
maximum high fan speed right away. The system checks
the temperature of the engine coolant to assure it is
warm enough to provide heat. When the engine coolant
is warm, the controller allows the fan to gradually
increase to a higher speed. This prevents cold air from
blowing into the passenger compartment. If you want
the blower fan at a high speed, press the up arrow button
until you reach the highest position of the display. If you
want the blower fan at a low speed, press the down
arrow button until the lowest position is displayed.ON/OFF: Press this button to turn the system off. Press
this button again to turn the system back on. Turning the
climate control system on in this way will recall all
previous manually set mode settings. If the system is
turned on by pushing the driver's TEMP/AUTO knob for
automatic operation, all of the previous manually set mode
settings will be changed back to the fully automatic mode.
AC: Press this button to turn the air conditioning on and
off. The system will cool and dehumidify the air inside
the vehicle. In the automatic operation mode, the display
will show AC OFF when the air conditioning has been
turned off.
RECIRCULATION: Press this button to limit the
amount of fresh air entering your vehicle. This is helpful
to limit odors entering your vehicle. In the automatic
operation mode, the system will use recirculation as
necessary to cool the air. Pressing the recirculation
button will change the operation to a manual mode and
the air will recirculate non
-stop. Press this button again
to turn off the recirculation feature.
If you notice the windows fogging, press the
recirculation button to exit the recirculation mode.