2003 CADILLAC DEVILLE brake light

Brake System Warning and Parking
Brake Indicator Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
brie¯y when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it
doesn't come on
then, have it ®xed so it will
be ready to warn you if
there's a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't fully
release. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake system warning light is
on. Driving with the brake system warning light
on can lead to an accident. If the light is still
on after you've pulled off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-31.
3-47

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light(s) will
come on when your engine
is started and may stay
on for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on when you're driving, stop as soon
as possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system. If the light still stays
on, or comes on again while you're driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning
light isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you don't have anti-lock brakes
and there's a problem with your regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning and Parking Brake Indicator
Light on page 3-47.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. If
the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
This warning light should come on brie¯y when the
engine is started.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning
light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
United StatesCanada (Analog Only)
3-48

The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
·If there's a brake system problem that is speci®cally
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
·If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
·If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light tells you that
your engine has
overheated. As a check,
the light should come
on for a few seconds when
you start your engine.
If this light comes on and stays on, you should stop
your vehicle and turn the engine off as soon as possible.
A warning chime should also sound if this light comes on.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-27.
3-49

CHANGE ENGINE OIL ± 82:This means that the life
of the engine oil has expired and it should be changed
within 200 miles. After an oil change, the Oil Life
Indicator must be reset. See
Oil Life Indicator on
page 3-79. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13.
CHANGE TRANS FLUID ± 47:This message will
appear when it is time to change the transaxle ¯uid. See
Part A: Scheduled Maintenance Services on page 6-4for the proper ¯uid and change intervals.
CHECK BRAKE FLUID ± 37:This message will
display if the ignition is in ON to inform the driver that
the brake ¯uid level is low. Have the brake system
serviced by a technician as soon as possible. See
Brake
System Warning and Parking Brake Indicator Light on
page 3-47
.
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. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-24.
CHECK FUEL GAGE ± 50:(Analog Cluster) 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 on properly.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 a grade. 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 checked 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
Engine Oil on page 5-13.
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE ± 144:This message is
displayed when the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) system
detects a low or high tire pressure condition in one or
more of the road tires. By pressing the INFO button up or
down, the DIC display will show which tire or tires do not
have the correct in¯ation pressure. A ªLOW TIREº
condition exists when the tire's air pressure is under
25 psi (172 kPa) and a ªHIGH TIREº condition exists
when the tire's air pressure is above 38 psi (262 kPa).
The system will display the air pressure, the tire location
(LF, RF, RR or LR) and if the air pressure is low or high.
The tire pressure information is available in English or
metric measurements. For example, a driver's side front
tire that is low may be shown as: 22 PSI LF TIRE LOW.
3-61

Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. 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
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-48
.
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. 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.
4-7

Traction Control System (TCS)
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
DIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-60. 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 under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8.This warning light will come on to let you know if there's
a problem with your traction control system.
See
Traction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-48. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes
on whenever you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. See ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Outº
under
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-30later in this section. United States
Canada
4-9

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy
rain can make it harder to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the edge of the road
and even people walking.
It's wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank ®lled
with washer ¯uid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing
areas on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you can't, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
4-18

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal ®rmly).
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes won't work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are ®rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque speci®cations.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-14.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
5-40