2005 CADILLAC CTS brake light

You can turn the system
off by pressing the TC
(traction control) button
located in the glove box.
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 will
turn off. Press the TC button again to turn StabiliTrak®
back on. For more information, seeStabiliTrak®System
on page 4-11.
You can program your steering wheel controls (CTS
only) and/or the buttons on the Base audio system
to turn the TCS on or off. SeeRecongurable Steering
Wheel Controls (SWC) (CTS) on page 3-7and/or
“Congurable Radio Display Keys” underRadio with CD
on page 3-89for programming instructions.
Traction Control
System (TCS) (CTS-V)
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 rear 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 3-43. 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.
4-9

You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets
stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required. Additionally, turning the traction control
system off on some surfaces, such as deep snow and
loose gravel, will assist vehicle motion at lower speeds.
SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-33
andIf Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
on page 4-32for more information. See alsoWinter
Driving on page 4-28for information on using TCS when
driving in snowy or icy conditions.
You can turn the system
off by pressing the TC
(traction control) button
located on the steering
wheel.
If you press the TC button once, the traction control
system will turn off and the traction control system
warning light will come on. If you press the TC button
again within ve seconds, the traction control system will
remain off, the warning light will stay on, and the
stability system will enter Competitive Driving Mode.
Competitive Driving will be displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 3-65for more information.Press the TC button again to turn the system back on.
If you press and hold the TC button for ve seconds,
the StabiliTrak
®and Traction Control systems will turn
off. Press the TC button again to turn StabiliTrak®
and Traction Control back on. For more information, see
StabiliTrak®System on page 4-11.
Competitive Driving Mode (CTS-V)
See your warranty book before using your vehicle
for racing or other competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, the engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level
often during racing or other competitive driving and
keep the level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see
Engine Oil on page 5-16.
The driver can select this optional handling mode by
pressing the Traction Control button on the steering
wheel twice within ve seconds. COMPETITIVE
DRIVING will be displayed in the DIC. Competitive driving
mode allows the driver to have control of the power
applied to the rear wheels, while the StabiliTrak
®system
helps steer the vehicle by selective brake application.
4-10

In competitive mode, the levels at which StabiliTrak®is
engaged have been modied to better suit a performance
driving environment. When the instrument cluster light is
on, the Traction Control System will not be operating.
Adjust your driving accordingly.
When you press the Traction Control button again, or
turn the ignition to ACC, the Traction Control System will
be on. The traction engaged symbol will be displayed
temporarily in the DIC and a chime will be heard.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your limited-slip rear axle can give you additional traction
on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a
standard axle most of the time, but when one of the rear
wheels has no traction and the other does, this feature
will allow the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
StabiliTrak®System
Your vehicle may be equipped with a vehicle stability
enhancement system called StabiliTrak®.Itisan
advanced computer controlled system that assists you
with directional control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
StabiliTrak
®activates when the computer senses a
discrepancy between your intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually traveling. StabiliTrak
®
selectively applies braking pressure at any one of
the vehicle’s brakes to help steer the vehicle in the
direction which you are steering.
When the system activates, a Stability System Engaged
message will be displayed on the Driver Information
Center. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
You may also hear a noise or feel vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the direction you want it to go.
4-11

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 is 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 cannot, 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.
4-20

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-16
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-19
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-21
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-22
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-24
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-25
Engine Coolant.............................................5-25
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-28
Engine Overheating.......................................5-28Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode........................................5-30
Cooling System............................................5-31
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-37
Brakes........................................................5-38
Battery........................................................5-41
Jump Starting...............................................5-42
Rear Axle.......................................................5-48
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-49
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting............5-49
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-49
Front Turn Signal and Fog Lamps...................5-50
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Sidemarker Lamps.....................................5-50
Back-Up and License Plate Lamps..................5-51
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-52
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-52
Tires..............................................................5-54
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-56
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-58
Run-Flat Tires (CTS-V)..................................5-61
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-62
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder
reservoir is lled with
DOT-3 brake uid. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12
for the location of the
reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake uid level
in the reservoir might go down. The rst is that the brake
uid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the uid
level goes back up. The other reason is that uid is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should
have your brake system xed, since a leak means that
sooner or later your brakes will not work well, or will
not work at all.So, it is not a good idea to top off your brake uid.
Adding brake uid will not correct a leak. If you add uid
when your linings are worn, then you will have too
much uid when you get new brake linings. You should
add or remove brake uid, as necessary, only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic system.
{CAUTION:
If you have too much brake uid, it can spill on
the engine. The uid will burn if the engine is
hot enough. You or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
uid only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
If the ignition is in ON and the brake uid is low, the
“Check Brake Fluid” message will be displayed in
the DIC. See “Check Brake Fluid Message” under
DIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-65.
When your brake uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-41.
5-38

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 will not 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 specications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
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

A
Accessory Power Outlets.................................3-25
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle.......................................................1-64
Additives, Fuel................................................. 5-6
Add-On Electrical Equipment............................5-95
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine.................................5-21
Air Conditioning..............................................3-27
Airbag
Passenger Status Indicator...........................3-39
Readiness Light..........................................3-38
Airbag Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM)...... 7-9
Airbag System................................................1-50
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle...................................................1-64
How Does an Airbag Restrain?......................1-58
Passenger Sensing System...........................1-60
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle..........1-64
What Makes an Airbag Inate?......................1-58
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?....1-58
When Should an Airbag Inate?....................1-56
Where Are the Airbags?...............................1-52
Antenna, Diversity Antenna System..................3-108
Antenna, XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System.....................................................3-108
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)........................... 4-6
Anti-Lock Brake, System Warning Light..............3-42Appearance Care............................................5-86
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels..............5-91
Care of Safety Belts....................................5-89
Chemical Paint Spotting...............................5-93
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses....................5-90
Fabric/Carpet..............................................5-86
Finish Care.................................................5-90
Finish Damage............................................5-92
Glass Surfaces............................................5-89
Instrument Panel.........................................5-88
Interior Plastic Components...........................5-88
Leather......................................................5-88
Sheet Metal Damage...................................5-92
Speaker Covers..........................................5-89
Tires..........................................................5-92
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-93
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials................5-93
Vinyl..........................................................5-88
Washing Your Vehicle...................................5-90
Weatherstrips..............................................5-89
Windshield and Wiper Blades........................5-91
Wood Panels..............................................5-89
Ashtrays........................................................3-26
Audio System(s).............................................3-88
Audio Steering Wheel Controls....................3-105
Care of Your CD Player..............................3-107
Care of Your CDs......................................3-107
Diversity Antenna System............................3-108
1