1999 CADILLAC ELDORADO check engine

yellowblue
6-3
CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.

Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.

Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. ªEnglishº and ªmetricº
fasteners can be easily confused. If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher for best performance. You may use middle grade
or regular unleaded gasolines, but your vehicle may not
accelerate as well.
It is recommended that the gasoline meet specifications
which have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and
endorsed by the Canadian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Association for better vehicle performance and engine
protection. Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification
could provide improved driveability and emission
control system performance compared to other
gasolines. For more information, write to: American
Automobile Manufacturer's Association, 7430 Second
Ave, Suite 300, Detroit MI 48202.
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least 91 (at
least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular). If the
octane is less than 87, you may get a heavy knocking
noise when you drive. If it's bad enough, it can damage
your engine.
If you're using fuel rated at the recommended octane or
higher and you hear heavy knocking, your engine needs
service. But don't worry if you hear a little pinging
noise when you're accelerating or driving up a hill.

yellowblue
6-4
That's normal, and you don't have to buy a higher
octane fuel to get rid of pinging. It's the heavy, constant
knock that means you have a problem.
If your vehicle is certified to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood emission control
label), it is designed to operate on fuels that meet
California specifications. If such fuels are not available
in states adopting California emissions standards, your
vehicle will operate satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission control system
performance may be affected. The malfunction indicator
lamp on your instrument panel may turn on and/or your
vehicle may fail a smog
-check test. (See ªMalfunction
Indicator Lampº in the Index.) If this occurs, return to
your authorized Cadillac dealer for diagnosis to
determine the cause of failure. In the event it is
determined that the cause of the condition is the type of
fuels used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane
-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask your service station operator whether or not
the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does not
recommend the use of such gasolines. If fuels containing
MMT are used, spark plug life may be reduced and your
emission control system performance may be affected.The malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument
panel may turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Cadillac dealer for service.
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system, allowing your emission control system to
function properly. Therefore, you should not have to add
anything to the fuel. In addition, gasolines containing
oxygenates, such as ethers and ethanol, and
reformulated gasolines may be available in your area to
contribute to clean air. General Motors recommends that
you use these gasolines, particularly if they comply with
the specifications described earlier.
NOTICE:
Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Don't use it. It can corrode
metal parts in your fuel system and also damage
plastic and rubber parts. That damage wouldn't
be covered under your warranty.

yellowblue
6-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container
CAUTION:
Never fill a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the gasoline vapor. You can
be badly burned and your vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you and others:

Dispense gasoline only into
approved containers.

Do not fill a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.

Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the filling is complete.

Don't smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under the Hood
CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.

yellowblue
6-11 Underhood Lamp
Turn the parking lamps on to operate the underhood
lamp. The underhood lamp will come on when the hood
is opened.
Engine Oil
A CHECK OIL LEVEL message will appear when the
engine oil is approximately 1 quart (1L) low. If the
message is displayed, check the dipstick level and add
oil as needed.
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick is
located behind the radiator
on the driver's side of the
engine. The black handle
says ENGINE OIL on it.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil dipstick
might not show the actual level.

yellowblue
6-12 Checking Engine Oil
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the ADD line, then you'll need
to add at least one quart of oil. But you must use the
right kind. This part explains what kind of oil to use. For
crankcase capacity, see ªCapacities and Specificationsº
in the Index.
NOTICE:
Don't add too much oil. If your engine has so
much oil that the oil level gets above the upper
mark that shows the proper operating range,
your engine could be damaged.
The engine oil fill cap is
located behind the radiator
on the passenger's side of
the engine. Turn the cap
counterclockwise to
remove it.
Be sure to fill it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you're through.

yellowblue
6-15
How to Reset the Oil Life Indicator
After the oil has been changed, display the OIL LIFE
LEFT message by pressing the SKIP INFO button. Then
press and hold the NO INFO RESET button until the
display shows 100% ENGINE OIL LIFE. 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
SKIP INFO button several times until the OIL LIFE
LEFT message appears. For more information on the Oil
Life feature, see ªOil Life Indicatorº 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.

yellowblue
6-19
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:

In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90F (32C) or higher.

In hilly or mountainous terrain.

When doing frequent trailer towing.

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 ªScheduled Maintenance Servicesº in the
Maintenance Schedule booklet.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at the 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.
NOTICE:
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.

yellowblue
6-20
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level if you have been driving:

When outside temperatures are above 90F (32C).

At high speed for quite a while.

In heavy traffic
-- especially in hot weather.

While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which is 180F to 200F
(82C to 93C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50F
(10C). If it's colder than 50F (10C), you may have
to drive longer.
Checking the Fluid Level

Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.

With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).

With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in PARK (P).

Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
1. The black transaxle fluid cap is located next to the
radiator hose and below the air cleaner assembly on
the driver's side of the engine. Remove the air
cleaner assembly so you can reach the transaxle fluid
cap. The assembly is attached to the vehicle by two
fasteners. Simply lift up on the air cleaner assembly
to remove it. Find the transaxle fluid cap and turn it
to the left to remove. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it
with a clean rag or paper towel.