2002 CADILLAC ELDORADO brake

2-28
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If the parking brake has not been fully released and
you try to drive with the parking brake on, the BRAKE
indicator light comes on and stays on. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº in the Index for more information.
When you move out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N),
if the engine is running, the parking brake should release.
If it doesn't, you can manually release the parking brake.
CAUTION:
Always shift to PARK (P) before pulling the
manual release lever. If your hand or arm is in
the way of the pedal you could be hurt. The pedal
springs back quickly. Keep your hand and arm
away when you use the manual release lever.
Be sure to turn off the ignition and put the vehicle
in PARK (P) before manually releasing the brake.
Reach under the driver's side of the instrument panel
and pull on the manual release lever, which is located
above the parking brake pedal. If the parking brake does
not release, you should either drive to the nearest service
station or have your vehicle towed.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index. This section
shows what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.

2-29
Shifting Into PARK (P)
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.
If you have 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,
use the steps that follow. If you're pulling a
trailer, see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
To move the shift lever into PARK (P), do the following:
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:

Press and hold the button on the front of the
shift lever as you push the shift lever all the way
toward the front of your vehicle.

With your right foot still holding the brake pedal
down, set the parking brake. See ªParking Brakeº
in the Index.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).

2-30 Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pressing
and holding the button on the front of the shift lever.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called ªtorque lock.º
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver's seat. To find out how, see ªShifting Into
PARK (P)º in the Index.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have
another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).

2-31
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply your regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See ªAutomatic Transaxleº in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), try applying
pressure to the brakes and push the shift lever all the
way into PARK (P) (pressing and holding the button
on the front of the shift lever) as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift lever into the gear
you want. If you ever hold the brake pedal down but
still can't shift out of PARK (P), try the following:
1. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Open and close the
driver's door to turn off the Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Take your vehicle to an authorized service center
as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.

2-33
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 on the center
of the steering wheel pad.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel
before you drive. You can raise the steering wheel to
the highest level to give your legs more room when
you enter and exit the vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.
To tilt the wheel, hold the wheel and pull the lever.
Then move the wheel to a comfortable position and
release the lever to lock the wheel in place.

2-39 Cruise Control
The cruise control lever is located on the end of
the windshield wiper stalk on the left side of the
steering wheel.
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 25 mph (40 km/h).Cruise control shuts off when you apply your 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.

2-40
Setting Cruise Control
CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you're not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don't want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
To use cruise control, do the following:
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Accelerate to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET CRUISE button at the end of the lever
and release it. The CRUISE ENGAGED message
will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC).
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.Resuming a Set Speed
Setting the cruise control at a desired speed and then
applying the brake will end the cruise function.
Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to R/A
(Resume/Accelerate) briefly to reset. This returns you
to your desired preset speed. The Driver Information
Center (DIC) will display the CRUISE ENGAGED
message again.
If you hold the switch at R/A longer, the vehicle will
accelerate until you release the switch or apply the
brake. So unless you want to go faster, don't hold
the switch at R/A.

2-42
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brakes
or downshifting into FIRST (1) takes you out of cruise
control. Many drivers find this to be too much trouble
and don't use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to end cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal.

Move the CRUISE switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
The cruise control set speed memory is erased when you
turn off the cruise control or the ignition.Exterior Lamps
The exterior lamp knob is
located to the left of the
steering wheel on the
instrument panel.
Pull the knob toward you to operate the lamps.
The exterior lamp knob has three positions:
Off: Pushing the knob all the way in turns off all lamps
except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
Parking Lamps: Pulling the knob to the first position
turns on the parking lamps together with the following:

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights