2003 CADILLAC DEVILLE brake

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

SERVICE SUSPENSION SYS ± 84:This message is
displayed to indicate that the suspension system is
not operating properly. To correct this problem, have
your vehicle serviced at your dealership.
SERVICE THEFT SYSTEM ± 34:This message means
there is a problem with the PASS-Key
žIII system. A
fault has been detected in the system which means that
the system is disabled and is not protecting the
vehicle. The vehicle usually restarts, however, you may
want to take your vehicle to your dealer before turning
off the engine.
SERVICE TPM SYSTEM ± 51:When this message is
displayed, the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) system
is not working properly. See your dealer for service.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION ± 100:See your dealer for
repair.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON ± 3:This message is
displayed when a non-emissions related powertrain
malfunction occurs. Have your vehicle serviced by
a technician as soon as possible.
SPEED LIMIT TO 90 ± 113:A failure in the suspension
control system has occurred when this message
appears. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
determines the speed to which your vehicle is limited.
Have your vehicle serviced if this message appears.STABILITY SYS ENGAGED ± 55:You may see the
STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY SYS ENGAGED message is on,
you should continue to steer in the direction you want to
go. The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
SYS ENGAGED message comes on, you'll know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin, so
you should consider slowing down. A single chime will
also sound when this message is displayed.
STARTING DISABLED REMOVE KEY ± 33:This
message will appear when the PASS-Key
žIII system
detects that an improper ignition key is being used to try
to start the vehicle. Check the ignition key for damage.
If it is damaged, it may need to be replaced. If it is
not damaged, remove the key and try to start the vehicle
again. If it still does not start, try another ignition key
or see your dealer for service.
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THEFT ATTEMPTED ± 40:This message is displayed
if the theft system has detected a break-in attempt
while you were away from your vehicle.
TOP SPEED FUEL CUT-OFF ± 111:This message will
appear when the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
detects that the maximum speed for your vehicle has
been reached. The speed of your vehicle will surge
as the fuel supply is cut off. Your vehicle's top speed is
based on the top speed rating of the tires. This
ensures that your vehicle stays in a safe operating
range for the tires.
TRACTION ENGAGED ± 91:When your traction
control system is limiting wheel spin, the TRACTION
ENGAGED message will be displayed. Slippery
road conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. This message
will stay on for a few seconds after the traction control
system stops limited wheel spin.
TRACTION OFF ± 89:This message will be displayed
after the traction control system has been turned off using
the TRAC ON/OFF button on the center console.
TRACTION READY ± 90:This message informs the
driver that the traction control system is available.
Pressing the TRAC ON/OFF button on the center console
once turns the traction control system off; pressing the
button again turns the system back on. This message will
automatically disappear from the display after ®ve
seconds.TRACTION SUSPENDED ± 56:This message displays
when the traction control system has been temporarily
shut off because your vehicle's brakes have overheated.
This message does not indicate a problem with your
vehicle's traction control system. After a few minutes,
the traction control system will be available again
and the TRACTION READY message will appear.
TRANS HOT IDLE ENGINE ± 112:This message
indicates that the transaxle ¯uid in your vehicle is too
hot. Stop and allow your vehicle to idle until it cools
down or until this message is removed.
TRUNK OPEN ± 24:This message indicates that the
trunk is open when the ignition is on.
TURN SIGNAL ON ± 20:If you drive your vehicle for
more than a mile with a turn signal on, this message will
appear as a reminder to turn off the turn signal. A
multiple chime will sound when this message is
displayed.
VEHICLE OVERSPEED ± 52:This message is
displayed when the vehicle speed exceeds a certain
limit as required by some export countries. A continuous
chime will sound when this message is displayed.
3-66

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. See
Safety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-9.
Defensive driving really means ªbe ready for anything.º
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
ªalways expect the unexpected.º
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It's the best defensive driving maneuver, in
both city and rural driving. You never know when
the vehicle in front of you is going to brake or turn
suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on
the driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task Ð such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the ¯oor Ð makesproper defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to
help do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place
to do them yourself. These simple defensive driving
techniques could save your life.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It's the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
·Judgment
·Muscular Coordination
·Vision
·Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
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{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your re¯exes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious Ð
or even fatal Ð collision if you drive after
drinking. Please don't drink and drive or ride
with a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you're with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can lose
control of your vehicle. Also see
Traction Control System
(TCS) on page 4-9.
4-5

Braking
Braking action involvesperception timeandreaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That'sperception time.Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That'sreaction time.
Averagereaction timeis about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and others is
important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of
the vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking.
That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.
4-6

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

The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to the
vehicle in front of you, you won't have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear
the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the brake
pedal pulsate, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
4-8