4-23
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit,
do not, under any circumstances, stop and back up.
Drive on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh
-- such as after a day's
work
-- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll find experienced and able service experts in
Cadillac dealerships all across North America.
They'll be ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated
to the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
4-29
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you've been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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.
4-38 Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you're turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this so your trailer won't strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument panel
will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash,
telling other drivers you're about to turn, change lanes
or stop.When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It's important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On long uphill grades, reduce speed to 45 to 50 mph
(70 to 90 km/h) and avoid prolonged use of SECOND (2)
gear and engine speeds above 3800 rpm.
Climbing grades steeper than four percent at temperatures
above 90 F (32 C) with a loaded vehicle and trailer is
not recommended. The cooling system may temporarily
overheat. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
4-39 Parking on Hills
CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with
a trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People can
be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift
into PARK (P).
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into
PARK (P) firmly and apply your parking brakes.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Be sure the parking brake has released.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule booklet
for more on this. Things that are especially important in
trailer operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't
overfill), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake
system. If you're trailering, it's a good idea to review
this information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.
5-7
8. Now connect the
black negative (
-) cable
to the good battery's
negative (
-) terminal.
Don't let the other end of the negative (
-) cable touch
anything until the next step. The other end of the
negative (
-) cable doesn't go to the dead battery.
Your vehicle has a
remote negative (
-)
terminal, marked
ªGND (
-)º located
near the power
steering fluid reservoir.
Attach the cable to the
remote negative (
-)
terminal provided.
If the SECURITY light flashes, wait until the light
stops flashing before starting the engine.
9. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
10. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
5-18
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the arrows on
the pressure cap line up like this.
Start the engine and allow it to warm up. If the CHECK
COOLANT LEVEL message does not appear on the
Driver Information Center, coolant is at the proper fill
level. If a CHECK COOLANT LEVEL message does
appear, repeat Steps 1 to 3 and reinstall the pressure cap
or see your dealer.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It's unusual for a tire to ªblow outº while you're driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it's much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a ªblowout,º here are a
few tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake
to a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a skid and may require the same correction you'd use
in a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
6-49
Changes or modifications to this system by other than an
authorized service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
If the TPM system detects low tire pressure, below
24 psi (165 kPa), or high tire pressure, above 36 psi
(248 kPa), a message, CHECK TIRE PRESSURE, will
appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC) display.
By pressing the INFO button, the DIC screen will show
which tire(s) has the low or high pressure condition.
See ªInflation
-- Tire Pressureº in the Index for
information regarding correct tire inflation. If a tire is
low, you should stop as soon as possible and check all
your tires for damage. If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire
Goes Flatº in the Index.
NOTICE:
Do not use a tire sealant if your vehicle is equipped
with Tire Pressure Monitors. The liquid sealant
can damage the tire pressure monitor sensors.
Once a low or high tire pressure condition is detected,
the TPM system will display the CHECK TIRE
MESSAGE each time the engine is started, until the
tire(s) are set to the correct inflation pressure. The Certification/Tire Label, which is located on the
rear edge of the driver's side rear door, shows the
correct inflation pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
The TPM system also allows the driver to check the
air pressure status of each road tire using the Driver
Information Center (DIC). Each tire's air pressure will be
listed individually, in the following order: LF (left front
or driver's side front tire), RF (right front or passenger's
side front tire), RR (right rear or passenger's side
rear tire) and LR (left rear or driver's side rear tire).
See ªInflation
-- Tire Pressureº in the Index for
information regarding correct tire inflation. Also, see
ªDriver Information Center (DIC)º in the Index for
information on the DIC controls and displays.
If the DIC display doesn't show tire pressures or the
SERVICE TPM SYSTEM message appears, see your
dealer for service. The TPM system may not work
properly while the compact spare tire is installed.
Anytime you replace one or more tires or rotate your
tires the TPM system will need to be reset. A special
tool is needed to reset the sensor identification codes.
See your dealer for service.
The TPM system can alert you about a low or high
tire pressure condition, but it doesn't replace normal
tire maintenance. See ªTiresº in the Index.
6-66
Electrical System
Add-On Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don't add anything electrical to your vehicle
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle
and the damage wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Some add
-on electrical equipment
can keep other components from working as
they should.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle, see ªServicing
Your Air Bag
-Equipped Vehicleº in the Index.
Headlamp Wiring
The headlamp wiring system has four individual fuses,
LF low, RF low, LF high and RF high. An electrical
overload will cause the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. If this happens, have the
headlamp wiring checked right away.
Windshield Wiper Fuses
A circuit breaker protects the wiper motor. If the wiper
motor overheats due to heavy snow, the wipers will stop
until the motor cools and will then restart.
A MiniFuse
powers the wiper motor. If the MiniFuse
blows, there is an electrical problem. Be sure to have
it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power Options
Circuit breakers protect the power windows and power
seats. When the current load is too heavy, the circuit
breaker opens and closes, protecting the circuit until the
problem is fixed or goes away.