2000 CADILLAC SEVILLE brake

2-82
CHANGE ENGINE OIL - 82: This means that
the life of the engine oil has expired and it should be
changed within 200 miles. See ªEngine Oilº and ªFilter
Recommendationsº in the Maintenance Schedule
booklet. After an oil change, the Oil Life Indicator must
be reset. See ªOil Life Indicator, How to Resetº in
the Index.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID
- 47: This message
will appear when it is time to replace the transaxle fluid.
See the Maintenance Schedule booklet for the proper
fluid and change intervals.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID
- 37: This message will
display if the ignition is in ON to inform the driver
that the brake fluid level is low. Have the brake system
serviced by a technician as soon as possible. See ªBrake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.
CHECK COOLANT LEVEL
- 2: This message
will appear when there is a low level of engine coolant.
Have the cooling system serviced by a technician as
soon as possible.
CHECK FUEL GAGE
- 50: This message will appear
when the fuel supply is less than 5 gallons (18.9 L) and
the display is turned off. A single chime will also sound
when this message is displayed.CHECK GAS CAP
- 61: This message will appear if
the gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it's fully tightened.
CHECK OIL LEVEL
- 36: For correct operation of
the low oil sensing system, your vehicle should be on
a level surface. A false CHECK OIL LEVEL message
may appear if the vehicle is parked on grades. The oil
level sensing system does not check for actual oil level
if the engine has been off for a short period of time, and
the oil level is never sensed while the engine is running.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL message appears, and
your vehicle has been parked on level ground with the
engine off for at least 30 minutes, the oil level should be
checked by observing the oil dipstick. Prior to checking
the oil level, be sure the engine has been off for a
few minutes and your vehicle is on a level surface.
Then check the dipstick and add oil if necessary.
See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
CHECK WASHER FLUID
- 25: This message
means that you need washer solvent.
DRIVER DOOR AJAR
- 140: This message will
display anytime the key is in ON, the transaxle is not in
PARK (P) and the driver's door is open or ajar. A chime
will also sound when the vehicle's speed is greater than
3 mph (4.8 km/h).

2-85
SERVICE ELECTRICAL SYS - 106: This message
will display if an electrical problem has occurred within
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) or the ignition
switch. Have your vehicle serviced by your dealership.
SERVICE FUEL SYSTEM
- 101: The Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) has detected a problem within
the fuel system when this message appears. See your
dealership for service.
SERVICE IDLE CONTROL
- 107: A problem with
the idle control has occurred when this message displays.
Take your vehicle to your dealership for service.
SERVICE STABILITY SYS
- 54 : If you ever see
the SERVICE STABILITY SYS message, it means
there may be a problem with your stability enhancement
system. If you see this message, try to reset the system
(stop; turn off the engine; then start the engine again).
If the SERVICE STABILITY SYS message still
comes on, it means there is a problem. You should see
your dealer for service. Reduce your speed and drive
accordingly. A single chime will also sound when this
message is displayed.STABILITY SYS ENGAGED
- 55: You may see
the STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message on the
Driver Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer
-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want to
go. The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message comes on, you'll know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin, so
you should consider slowing down.
SERVICE STEERING SYS
- 127: This message
is displayed when a problem has been detected in
the Magnasteer

variable effort steering system.
Service is required.

2-87
TRACTION OFF - 89: This message will be displayed
after the traction control has been turned off by the
button on the center console.
TRACTION READY
- 90: This message informs
the driver that the traction control system is available.
This occurs when the traction control switch on the
console has been returned to ON (pressing the button
once turns the traction control system off: pressing the
button again turns the system back on). This message
will automatically disappear from the display after
five seconds.
TRACTION SUSPENDED
- 56: This message
displays when the traction control system has been
temporarily shut off because your vehicle's brakes
have overheated. This message does not indicate a
problem with your vehicle's traction control system.
After a few minutes, the traction control system will be
available again and the TRACTION READY message
will appear.TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE
- 112: This message
indicates that the transaxle fluid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN
- 24: This message indicates that the
trunk is open when the ignition is on.
TURN SIGNAL ON
- 20: This message is a reminder,
after driving about a mile, that you have the turn signal
on. A multiple chime will also sound when this message
is displayed.
VEHICLE OVERSPEED
- 52: This message is
displayed when the vehicle speed exceeds a certain limit
as required by some export countries. A continuous
chime will also sound when this message is displayed.

4-2
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See ªSafety Beltsº in the Index.)Defensive driving really means ªbe ready for anything.º
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
ªalways expect the unexpected.º
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear
-end collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It's the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the floor
-- makes proper defensive driving more
difficult and can even cause a collision, with resulting
injury. Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or
pull off the road in a safe place to do them yourself.
These simple defensive driving techniques could save
your life.

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. (Also see ªTraction Control Systemº in
the Index.)
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up
your foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second.
But that's only an average. It might be less with one
driver and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with
the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº
in the Index.

4-8
Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is wet.
You're driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.The anti
-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may hear the
anti
-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
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.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only if it senses
that one or both of the front wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens, the
system works the front brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRACTION ENGAGED message will display on
the Driver Information Center when the traction control
system is limiting wheel spin. See ªDriver Information
Center Messagesº in the Index. You may feel or hear
the system working, but this is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. (See ªCruise Controlº
in the Index.)