2001 CADILLAC CATERA wheel

2-27
DRIVE (D): Use this for normal driving. If you need
more power for passing, and you're:

Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.

Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
The transmission will shift down to the next gear.
THIRD (3): This position is not used for normal
driving. It offers more power and lower fuel economy
than DRIVE (D).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of DRIVE (D):

When driving on hilly, winding roads.

When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.

When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): Driving in this position gives you more
power than driving in THIRD (3). Use it on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down steep mountain
roads, but then you would also want to use the brakes
off and on.FIRST (1): This position gives you more power (but
lower fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can use it
on very steep hills. If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1),
the transmission won't shift into first gear until the
vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If the rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or you were up against a solid
object. You could damage the transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use the brakes to hold your vehicle
in position on a hill.
When you start your vehicle and the engine temperature
is below 86F (30 C), upshifting of the transmission
will be delayed for about one minute. This is normal.
The engine's catalytic converter is warming up during
this time.

2-36
Running Your Engine While
You're Parked
It's better not to park with the engine running.
But if you ever have to, here are some things to know.
CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
ªEngine Exhaust.º
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard.
See ªBlizzardº in the Index.
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you've left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won't move, even when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake after
you move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won't
move. See ªShifting Into PARK (P)º in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you're pulling a
trailer, also see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
Horn
The horn can be sounded by pressing either horn symbol
on the steering wheel.

2-37
Tilt Wheel
Tilt steering allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you begin driving. Raising the steering wheel to
the highest level gives your legs more room when you
enter and exit your vehicle.
Hold the steering wheel and pull the lever toward you
to tilt the wheel. Adjust the steering wheel to a
comfortable position and then release the lever to
lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever

2-38 Turn and Lane Change Signals
To signal a turn, move the turn signal/multifunction
lever all the way up or down. The lever returns
automatically when the turn is complete.
This arrow on the
instrument panel cluster
will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the arrow starts to flash to
signal a lane change. Hold it there until the lane change
is complete. The lever returns when it is released.
Arrows that flash rapidly when signaling for a turn or
lane change may be caused by a burned
-out front signal
bulb. (This does not occur with a burned
-out rear bulb).
Other drivers won't see the turn signal. Replace
burned
-out bulbs to help avoid possible accidents.
Check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in the
Index) and for burned
-out bulbs if the arrow fails to
work when signaling a turn.
Headlamp High/Low Beam
With the Twilight Sentinel
on or with the lamp
control dial turned to the headlamp position, push the
turn signal/multifunction lever on the driver's side of
the steering wheel away from you to turn on the
high
-beam headlamps.
This light on the instrument
panel cluster will be on,
indicating high
-beam usage.
Pull the lever back to the original position to return to
low
-beam headlamps. For more information, see
ªHeadlampsº in the Index.
Flash-To-Pass
This feature uses the high-beam headlamps to signal the
driver in front of you that you want to pass. This feature
will work with either the headlamps on or off.
To use, pull the turn signal lever toward you and release.

2-39 Windshield Wipers
WIPER: Move the lever on the passenger's side of the
steering wheel up and down to control the wipers.
MIST: Tap the lever up and then release it for a single
wipe cycle. For more cycles, pull and hold the lever.= (HIGH): Move the lever all the way up for a fast
wiper speed.
- (LOW): The third position up controls the low
wiper speed.
-- (DELAY): This position is for a controlled delay
setting. Turn the control dial on the lever to increase or
decrease the delay between wipe cycles.
o (OFF): This position turns off the wipers.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If the blades do
become damaged, replace them with new blades. See
ªWindshield Wiper Blade Replacementº in the Index.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.

2-41 Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h).
Cruise control shuts off when you apply the brakes.
CAUTION:

Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.

Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control.
Don't use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. See ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.

2-46 Headlamps
Turn the lamp knob all the way to the right to turn on
the low
-beam headlamps.
To turn on the high
-beam headlamps, the low-beam
headlamps must already be on. Push the turn signal lever
on the left side of the steering wheel away from you to
engage the high
-beam headlamps. Pull the lever toward
you to return to the low
-beam headlamps. For more
information, see ªHeadlamp High/Low Beamº in
the Index.
Turn the lamp knob all the way to the left to turn the
headlamps off.
If the headlamps are activated while driving and then
you turn your vehicle's ignition off while the lamp knob
is still turned on, the headlamps will turn off. If,
however, you open the driver's door while the lamp
knob is still turned on, a warning chime will sound
reminding you to turn the lamp knob to OFF. This will
stop the warning chime from sounding. (If you want the
headlamps to remain on, you must manually turn the
lamp knob off and then back on to the headlamp
position. The headlamps will stay on until manually
turned off again.)Your vehicle may be equipped with High Intensity
Discharge (HID) headlamps. Your headlamps come
on at a lower intensity and gradually increase to
full brightness.
Wiper
-Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the low
-beam headlamps,
parking lamps, sidemarker lamps and taillamps
after the windshield wipers have been in use for
about 20 seconds.
The wiper
-activated headlamps light the way in poor
weather and also make your vehicle more visible to
other drivers. If the wipers are on and the ignition switch
is turned off, the headlamps will immediately turn off.
The headlamps will also deactivate if the windshield
wipers have been turned off for about 20 seconds.
Perimeter Lighting
This feature turns on the low-beam headlamps, parking
lamps, sidemarker lamps and taillamps for about
20 seconds after the unlock button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter is pressed. Perimeter lighting
immediately ends when your vehicle's ignition is turned
to ON or START.

2-47 Lamps On Reminder
You will hear a warning chime if you open the door
while leaving the lamps on, if the manual headlamp
knob is activated. An exception to this is when you're
using the Twilight Sentinel.


Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier
for others to see the front of your vehicle during
the day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully
functional daytime running lights are required on all
vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make the high
-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:

Your vehicle's ignition is in ON or START,

the low
-beam headlamps are off (the manual lamp
knob is in the off or park lamp position) and

your vehicle's transmission is shifted out
of PARK (P).When DRL are on, only the high
-beam headlamps (at
reduced brightness) will be on. No other exterior lamps
such as the parking lamps, taillamps, etc. will be on
when the DRL are being used. The instrument panel
won't be lit up either.
When the Twilight Sentinel
 is on and it's dark enough
outside, the high
-beam headlamps (at reduced intensity)
will change to low
-beam headlamps. When it's bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and
the high
-beam headlamps change to the reduced
brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the headlamps off, turn off the
Twilight Sentinel using the thumbwheel located below
the headlamp knob, then shift the transmission into
PARK (P). Placing your vehicle in PARK (P) disables
the DRL. The DRL will stay off until you shift out
of PARK (P).