2004 CADILLAC SRX brake light

Brake System Warning 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 briey 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
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
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. SeeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-45.
{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
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service. United StatesCanada
3-41

Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, the light will come
on when your engine is
started and may stay on
for several seconds.
That’s normal.
If the ABS warning light comes on and stays on, there
may be a problem with the antilock portion of the
brake system. If the red BRAKE light is not on, you still
have brakes, but you don’t have antilock brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. 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.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
If the TC (traction control)
warning light comes on
and stays on, there may be
a problem with the
traction control system.
The TC (traction control) warning light will come on
briey when you turn the ignition to ON. If it doesn’t
come on then, have it xed so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
The light will also come on if you turn the traction
control system off using the TC (traction control) on/off
button located near the shift lever.
If the TC (traction control) warning light stays on or
comes on while you are driving, pull off the road as soon
as possible and stop carefully. Try resetting the system
by turning the ignition off then back on. If the light still
stays on or comes back on again while you are driving,
your vehicle needs service. Have the traction control
system inspected as soon as possible. SeeTraction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-9for more information.
3-42

Change Trans (Transmission) Fluid
This message indicates that the life of the transmission
uid has expired and it should be changed within
200 miles (320 km). SeeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4andRecommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-13for the proper uid and change intervals.
When you reset the Change Trans Fluid message by
clearing it from the display, you still must reset the
transmission uid life monitor separately. For more
information on resetting the transmission uid life
monitor, seeAutomatic Transmission Fluid on
page 5-24.
Check Brake Fluid
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. SeeBrake System Warning Light on
page 3-41for more information.
Check Coolant Level
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. SeeEngine
Coolant on page 5-25for more information.
Check Gas Cap
When this message appears on the display, the gas cap
has not been fully tightened. You should recheck the
gas cap to ensure that it’s on and tightened properly.
Check Washer Fluid
When this message appears on the display, it means that
your vehicle is low on windshield washer uid. You should
rell the tank as soon as possible. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-38for more information.
Driver Door Ajar
When this message appears on the display, it means
that the driver’s door was not closed completely.
You should make sure that the driver’s door is closed
completely.
3-66

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — 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 are driving, brake
normally but do not 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.Anti-lock Brake System
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. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-42.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there is a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come on
accompanied by a 10-second chime. The lights and
chime will come on each time the ignition is turned on
until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for service.
4-7

Remember: Anti-lock does not 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 will not 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
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
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.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. On a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the
system operates if it senses that one or both of the
rear wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
On an All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicle the system
will operate if it senses that any of the wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system brakes the spinning wheel(s)
and/or reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal.
This warning light will come
on to let you know if there’s
a problem with your traction
control system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-42. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
4-9

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.
Notice:Do not repeatedly brake or accelerate
heavily when the TCS is off. You could damage your
vehicle’s driveline.
When the TCS is switched off on AWD vehicles, you
may still feel the system working. This is normal
and necessary with the AWD hardware on your vehicle.
You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever
gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required. See “Rocking Your Vehicle” underIf You
Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-44for
more information. See alsoWinter Driving on page 4-40
for information on using TCS when driving in snowy
or icy conditions.
To turn the system off,
press the TC (traction
control) button located
near the shift lever.If you press the TC button once, the traction control
system will turn off and the traction control system
warning light will come on. Press the TC button again to
turn the system back on. If you press and hold the
TC button for ve seconds, the Stabilitrak
®system and
the traction control system will turn off. Press the
TC button again to turn Stabilitrak
®back on. For more
information, seeStabilitrak®System on page 4-11.
Magnetic Ride Control
Your vehicle may have Magnetic Ride Control that
automatically adjusts the ride of your vehicle.
Automatic ride control is achieved through a computer
used to control and monitor the suspension system.
The controller receives input from various sensors
to determine the proper system response. If the
controller detects a problem within the system, the DIC
will display a Service Suspension System message.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-64
for more information. See your dealer for service.
4-10

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you will want to
consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What is at the bottom of the hill? Is there a there a
hidden creek bank or even a river bottom with
large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they will not have to do all the work. Descend
slowly, keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a hill
and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed under
control.
Q:Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that is not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you do not drive
straight down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It is much more likely to happen going uphill. But if
it happens going downhill, here is what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
Shift to PARK (P) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
If the engine will not start, get out and get help.
4-25

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 not, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
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.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in
one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
4-33