Pulling A Trailer; Weight Of The Trailer - Cadillac 2010 DTS Owner's Manual

Pulling A Trailer

Here are some important points:
•
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
the rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you will be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
•
Do not tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1600 km) the new vehicle is driven. The engine,
transmission or other parts could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
•
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that a
trailer is towed, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h)
and do not make starts at full throttle. This helps
the engine and other parts of the vehicle wear in at
the heavier loads.
•
Vehicles can tow in D (Drive). Shift the transmission
to a lower gear if the transmission shifts too often
under heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.
•
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Do not drive faster than the maximum posted
speed for trailers, or no more than 55 mph
(90 km/h), to save wear on the vehicle's parts.
•
Do not tow a trailer when the outside temperature is
above 100°F (38°C).
•
If the vehicle has the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
system and it doesn't seem to be working properly
while pulling a trailer, turn the system off. See Side
Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) on page 3-43 for more
information.
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
•
The weight of the trailer
•
The weight of the trailer tongue
•
The total weight on the vehicle's tires

Weight of the Trailer

How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs (454 kg).
But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how the rig is used. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside temperature and how
much the vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. It can depend on any special equipment on
the vehicle, and the amount of tongue weight the vehicle
can carry. See "Weight of the Trailer Tongue" later in
this section for more information.
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