Cadillac 1997 Catera User manual

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The 1997 Cadillac Catera Owner’s Manual
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3-1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Catera.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adiust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
4-1 Your DrivingandtheRoaa
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
5-1
6- 1
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Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Catera running properly and looking good.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Cadillacfor assistanceand how to get service and owner publications.
It also givesyou information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 7- 12.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listingof almost every subject in this manual.You can useit to quickly find
something you want to read.
i

GENERALMOTORS, GM and theGM Emblem,
CADILLAC andthe CADILLACEmblem are
registeredtrademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes
the latest information at the timeit
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
in the
product after that time withoutfurther notice. For
vehicles first sold inCanada, substitutethe name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited” for CadillacMotor
Car Divisionwheneverit appears in this manual.
Please keep thismanualin yourCatera,
so it will be
there if
you ever need it when you’reon the road. If you
sell the vehicle,please leave this manual
in it so the new
ownercan use it.
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux proprihtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer
un exemplairede ce guide en frangais chez
votre concessionaireou au:
DGN Marketing ServicesLtd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, OntarioL5T
1 C7
Litho inU.S.A. @CopyrightGeneralMotorsCorporation1996
Part No. 25665479A SecondEdition AllRightsReserved
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Congratulations.
Cadillac hasbeen designing and building luxury cars for
95 years.
With the Catera,you have selectedthe first Cadillac ever to
be engineered and manufactured in Germany.
It is a unique expressionof Cadillac luxurywith a sensibility to
European ride and handling. With proper care, your Caterawill deliver
mile after mile of exciting, performance oriented luxury driving.
Drive safelyand enjoy.
Luxury truly canbe fun.
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How to Use this Manual
I A 1
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you
do this, it will help you learn about the featuresand
controls foryour vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you needis theIndex in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s in
the manual, and the page number where you’ll find
it.
These mean there 1s something that could hurt
you orother people.
In the caution area,we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you whatto do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard.
Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
You will alsofind a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
V

Vehicle Damage Warnings
In the notice area, we tell you about somethingthat can
I
i But the notice will tell you what to doto help avoid
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damagewould
Also, in this book you will find these notices: not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
NOTICE:
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might
see CAUTION
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
You’ll also see warninglabels on your vehicle. Theyuse
the samewords, CAUTION or NOTICE.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING Q
CAUSTIC
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
WARNING A
HAZARD
FLASHER
RUNNING * 0
DAYTIME - 0
LAMPS '**
FOGLAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING 1-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
R
ENGINEOIL
PRESSURE Wb
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
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& NOTES

&G- -a*
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats inyour Catera and how to use yoursafety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should
not do with air bags andsafety belts.
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1-16
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Seatsand SeatControls
SafetyBelts: They’re forEveryone
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About SafetyBelts
-- and the Answers
How to WearSafety Belts Properly
Driver Position
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
Air BagSystems
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1-35
1-37
1-39
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Rear Seat Passengers
Center Passenger Position
Children
Child Restraints
Larger Children
SafetyBelt Extender
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
Replacing Restraint SystemParts
After a Crash
1-1

Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you aboutthe seats -- how to adjust
them, andalso about recliningfront seatbacks,lumbar
adjustments, heated seats and head restraints.
Manual Front Passenger’s Seat
Lift the lever to tilt the front portion of the seat cushion
up or down. Release thelever to lock the seatintoplace.
This featureis available onthe passenger’s seat only.
Lift the bar under
the front passenger’s seatto unlockit.
Slidethe seat to where you wantit and releasethe
bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to besure the seat
is locked into place,
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Manual Lumbar Support
The lumbar controls are
located on the outboard side
of each front seat. They
provide additional support
to your lower back and
work independently
of
other seatcontrols.
To raise the seat cushion up or down, press one of the
rocker switch buttons located on the outboard side
of the
passenger’s seat.The top button raises the seat cushion
and the bottom button lowers the seat cushion.
Use manualor power seat controls first to get the proper
seating position. Then proceed with the lumbar adjustment.
The upper and lower seatbackcan be adjustedusing the
two smallhand-wheel controls.The top hand-wheel
control adjuststhe upper seatbackand the bottom
control adjusts the lower seatback.Turn the controls
forward to increase supportand rearward to
decrease support.
Keep in mind thatas your seatingposition changes, as it
may during long trips,
so should the position of the
lumbar support.Adjustthe seat as needed.
1-3

Power Seats
This featureis availableon all driver’s seats and is
optionalon passenger’sseats with leather interiors only.
The power seat controls are located on the outboard side
of the front seat cushions.
Lift up or push down on thefront of the control to
adjust the front portion
of the cushion upor down.
Move the rear of thecontrol up or down toadjust the
rear portionof the cushion.
To adjustthe seat height, lift up or push down on the
center of the control.
To move the seat forwardor rearward, slidethe
control in the desired direction.
Note thatif you
try to adjust the driver’sseat and it
doesn’t move, try opening thedriver’sdoor. This will
re-activate power to the driver’s seat. (Power tothe
driver’sseat “timesout’’ after
30 seconds.Power to the
passenger’s seat is always present.)
1-4

If a failure inthe power supply system occurs, the power
seatscan be manually adjusted by inserting the crank
handle into theslot locatedbelow the seat cushion (as
shownin the above illustration). Turn the crank handle
clockwiseuntil you’ve reached your desired seating
position (note that manually moving the seat requires
turning the crank handle many times).
Thecrank handle is provided inthe tool kit located in
the trunk (withthejack).
Memory Seat and Mirrors (Option)
Adjust the driver’s seatto a comfortableposition. Also
adjustthe interior and exterior mirrors. Press memory
button
“M’ and memorybutton “1” at the sametime.
These buttons are located on the outboard side
of the
driver’s seat. Seat and mirrorpositions may be
programmedfor two additional driversby repeating the
above steps andpressing memory button
“2” or “3”
instead of memorybutton 1.
1-5

If your vehicleis in PARK (P), you can recall mirror and
seatingpositionsby pressing and holding one of the
three memory buttons. This will adjust the seat and
mirrors
to whereyou have previouslyprogrammed
them. Seat and mirror movementis immediatelystopped
if the memorybutton is released or if aseator mirror
controlis moved.
Note that the exteriormirrors will onlyadjust when the
ignitionis turned on.
Heated Front Seat (Option)
The controls are located
next tothe radio on the
center console.Press this
button to
turn on the
heating element
in the
seat.The seatbackand
cushion are warmed
until they approximate
body temperature.
A telltale light in the button reminds you that the heating
systemis in use. The heated seats can only be used when
the ignitionis turned on.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
This featureis found on
thepassenger’sseat only.
Themanualrecliner
control is locatedon the
outboard side of the
passenger’sseatbelow the
lumbarcontrols.See
“ManualLumbarSupport”
earlierin this section.
To move theseatbackforward,turn the hand-wheel
control forward.Note that this seatbackfolds forward all
the way down,
if needed,to provide extra storage.
Turn the controlrearwardto recline the seatback.

But don’t have a seatbackreclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sittingin a reclined positionwhen your vehicle is
in motion can be dangerous. Evenif you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t
do theirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
Theshoulderbelt can’tdo its jobbecause it
won’t beagainstyour body. Instead,
it will be in
front of you. In a crashyou could
go intoit,
receiving neckor otherinjuries.
Thelap belt can’tdo itsjob either. In a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen.Thebelt
forces would be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle
is in motion,
have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the
seat and
wear your safety belt properly.
1-7

Power Recliner
This featureis availableon all driver’s seats and is
optionalon passenger’sseatswith leather interiorsonly.
These controlsare located
on the outboard side
of each
front seat.Press thecontrol
forward or rearward to
adjustthe seatback.
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraintup or down so that the top of the
restraint is closestto the top of your ears.
This position
reducesthe chance of a neck injury
in a crash.
The head restraintstilt forward and rearward also.
Removable HeadRestraints
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A CAUTION:
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If a head restraintis not installedon the seatback
or stored in the vehicle properly,
it could be
thrown aboutthe vehicle in
a crash orsudden
maneuver. People in the vehicle could be injured.
Remove the head restraintsonly when you need
to foldthe seat, and be sure thatthe head
restraintsarestored securely inthe trunk.When
the seatis returnedto the passenger position,
be
surethe headrestraints areinstalled properly.
1-8

For more cargo space orto fold down the front
passenger's seat, you may need to remove the head
restraints. Press both release buttons at the top
of the
seatback and slidethe head restraint out of the height
adjust tubes.
Thehead restraint should be stored securely on the
driver's side of the trunk as shown.
Replace the head restraint when
you have finished
carrying cargo or when the passenger's seat is returned
to its normal upright position.
1-9

Rear Seats
Folding the Rear Seat
With the rear folding seatbacks,you can carry long
cargoby folding down part or all of the rear seat.To
unlock the rear seatback,press the pushbuttonat the top
of the seat and fold the seatbackforward.
To return the seat to the passenger position, lift up on the
seatbackand push it rearward
until it latches.
Afterreturning the seatto the passengerposition, pull
forward on the seatbackto make sure it is locked into
place. Also, return the safetybelts to their original
positions,
so they will be available for rear seat
~ passengersto use.
The panel behind the rear seat armrest also folds. Turn
the knob counterclockwiseand pull thepanel forward to
gain accessto the trunk.
1-10

Heated Rear Seat (Option)
Theheated rear seat
controls arelocated at the
rear
of the centerconsole
under the air outlets. Press
the button once to turn
on
the heating elements and
press the button again to
turn the system
off.
A telltale light in the button indicates the systemis in
use. The heated seats can only be used when the ignition
is turned on. The heating elements shut
off
automaticallywhen the ignition is turned off.
SafetyBelts: They’re for Everyone
Thispart of the manual tells you how to use safetybelts
properly.
It alsotells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the air bag system.
A CAU-ION:
Don’t let anyoneride where heorshe can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you arein acrash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt,your injuries
can be much worse. You can hit thingsinsidethe
vehicle orbe ejectedfrom it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the samecrash, you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Alwaysfastenyour
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastenedproperly too.
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