2001 CADILLAC CATERA headlamp

2-48
If you're not in PARK (P)
and the Twilight Sentinel
system is turned off (and it's
dark enough outside), the
DRL will remain active and
this light on the instrument
panel cluster will appear.
This is a reminder that headlamps are required.
The following conditions will override the DRL:

The vehicle's transmission is shifted back into
PARK (P) with the ignition in ON or START,

the low
-beam headlamps are turned on
(using the manual lamp knob),

the wiper
-activated headlamps are in use
(DRL will come back on 20 seconds after
wipers have turned off),

the flash
-to-pass feature is in use, or

the Twilight Sentinel is turned on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
Use the fog lamps for better
vision in foggy or misty
conditions. Press this button
to turn the fog lamps on and
press the button again to
turn the lamps off. (The fog
lamps only work when the
parking lamps or the
low
-beam headlamps are
on and the ignition is on.)
This light on the instrument
panel will come on
when the fog lamp button
is pressed.
If you turn on the high
-beam headlamps, the fog lamps
will turn off. They'll turn back on again when you
switch to low
-beam headlamps.

2-49 Cornering Lamps
The cornering lamps come on when the headlamps
or parking lamps are on and you signal a turn.
They provide more light for cornering.
Twilight Sentinel

This feature is located
below the lamp dial on the
left side of the instrument
panel. It automatically turns
the parking lamps and
low
-beam headlamps on
and off by sensing how
dark it is outside.
To operate the Twilight Sentinel, the ignition must be in
ON or START and the Twilight Sentinel must be turned
on by pressing the OFF button (the indicator light in the
button will be off when the Twilight Sentinel is
activated). If the system senses it is dark enough outside,
the lamps will turn on. The lamps turn off when the
system detects that it is bright enough outside.If you turn the knob all the way up, the lamps will
remain on for about three minutes after the ignition has
been turned to OFF or LOCK. If you turn the knob
all the way down, the lamps will go off quickly.
You can adjust the delay time from a few seconds
up to three minutes.
To turn the Twilight Sentinel off, press the OFF button
again. The indicator light in the button will be on. This
lets the driver know that the system has been turned off.
The Twilight Sentinel also turns off if the ignition is
turned to OFF or to LOCK.This light in the instrument
panel cluster will come on if
the ignition is on and:

the headlamps have not been manually turned on,

the Twilight Sentinel senses it is dark
enough outside,

the Twilight Sentinel is OFF and

the transmission is not in PARK (P).

2-50
Light Sensor
The light sensor for the
Twilight Sentinel is located
in the center of the front
defogger grille.
If you cover the sensor, it will read ªdarkº and the
parking lamps and low
-beam headlamps will come on.
Interior Lamps
Courtesy Lamps
To turn on the courtesy lamps, pull the exterior lamp
knob toward you. To turn the courtesy lamps off,
push the knob back in.
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
This control is located to the right of the fog lamp
button. As you turn the thumbwheel up, the instrument
panel lights will brighten.
Illuminated Entry
This system turns on the courtesy lamps (dome lamps
and door entry lamps) for about 20 seconds when any of
the following occur:

if you manually unlock your vehicle with the key,

if any door is opened,

if you press the unlock button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter, or

if the last door on your vehicle is closed.
Illuminated entry immediately ends when your vehicle's
ignition is turned to ON or START.

2-52
Mirrors
Electrochromic Day/Night Rearview Mirror
This mirror automatically changes to reduce glare from
the headlamps behind you. A photocell on the back of
the mirror senses when it is becoming dark outside.
Another photocell built into the mirror surface senses
when headlamps are behind you.
At night, when the glare is too high, the mirror will
gradually darken to reduce glare (this change may take
a few seconds). The mirror will return to its clear
daytime state when the glare is reduced.
Cleaning Photocells
Use a cotton swab and glass cleaner to clean the front
and rear photocells that make the auto
-dimming
feature work.
Time Delay
This feature prevents rapid changing of the mirror from
the night mode to the day mode as you drive under
lights and through traffic.

2-74 Charging System Indicator Light
When you turn the key
to START, this light will
come on briefly to show
that the generator and
battery charging systems
are working.
If this light stays on, you need service and you should
take your vehicle to the dealer at once. To save the
battery until you get there, turn off all accessories.
Voltmeter
You can read battery
voltage on the voltmeter. If
it reads less than 12 volts or
more than 16 volts while the
engine is running, and it
stays there, you may have a
problem with the electrical
charging system.Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in the lower warning zone could drain or
damage the battery. Driving with the voltmeter reading
in the upper warning zone could cause bulbs to burn out
(especially headlamp bulbs), various vehicle modules to
shut down (due to overload protection) and the
possibility of a battery acid leak.
If you idle the engine for a while, the voltmeter reading
might move into the red zone. If the reading stays in the
red zone while you are driving, you may have a problem
with the electrical charging system. Have it checked.
While the voltmeter reads in the red zone, the battery
may not be able to power certain electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, the ABS light will come on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brakes System Warning Lightº in
this section.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn off all the accessories,
including the comfort controls and the audio system.

4-16
Driving at NightNight driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.

4-17
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren't even aware of it.

4-29
CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Your vehicle was not designed to be towed with all four
wheels on the ground. If your vehicle must be towed,
see ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground will damage drivetrain components.