2005 CADILLAC CTS brake

Charging System Light
When you turn the key to
ON or START, this light
will come on briey
to show that the generator
and battery charging
systems are working
properly.
If this light stays on, your vehicle needs service. You
should take your vehicle to the dealer at once. To save
your battery until you get there, turn off all accessories.
For more information seeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-65.
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.
United StatesCanada
3-41

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 4-38.
{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.
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 is
normal.
If the ABS warning light comes on and stays on, there
may be a problem with the anti-lock portion of the brake
system. If the red BRAKE light is not on, you still
have brakes, but you do not have anti-lock brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. If the light
comes on when you are 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 are driving, your vehicle
needs service. If the regular brake system warning light
is not on, you still have brakes, but you do not have
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you do not have anti-lock brakes
and there is a problem with your regular brakes. See
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
3-42

Change Trans (Transmission) Fluid
(Automatic Transmission)
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 6-12for 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 5-22.
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 your GM dealer 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 your GM dealer 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 is on and tightened properly.
See “If the Light Is On Steady” underMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-45for more information.
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. See
Windshield Washer Fluid on page 5-37for more
information.
Competitive Driving (CTS-V)
When competitive driving mode is turned on with the
traction control button, this message will be displayed on
the DIC. The TC light will be on when the competitive
driving mode is on. The traction control system will
not operate while in competitive driving mode.
You should adjust your driving accordingly. See the
CTS-V portion ofTraction Control System (TCS) (CTS)
on page 4-8orTraction Control System (TCS)
(CTS-V) on page 4-9for more information.
3-68

Entering the Personalization Menu
To enter the feature programming mode, use the
following procedure:
1. Turn the ignition to ON, but do not start the engine.
Make sure an automatic transmission is in PARK (P)
or a manual transmission has the parking brake set.
2. If your vehicle has memory settings, press the
appropriate memory button, 1 or 2, located on
the driver’s door armrest. The DIC display will show
either Driver 1 or 2 depending on which button
was selected.
3. Press the TUNE/SEL knob once to access the main
menu of the DIC.
4. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until SETUP is
highlighted.
5. Press the TUNE/SEL knob once to access the
SETUP menu.
6. Scroll to the feature you want to change, and press
the TUNE/SEL knob to turn the feature on or off. If
the feature is turned on, a check mark will appear
next to the feature name.
If none of the personalization items are turned on,
turn on the personalization menu by pressing
the TUNE/SEL knob. The list of features will then
appear, and you can repeat Step 6.
Personalization Features
The following choices are available for programming:
Personalization Name
This feature allows you to type in a name that will
appear on the DIC display whenever the corresponding
remote keyless entry transmitter is used or one of
the buttons on the driver’s door armrest (1 or 2) is
pressed.
If a customized name is not programmed, the system
will show Driver 1 or Driver 2 to correspond with
the numbers on the back of the remote keyless entry
transmitters.
To program a name, use the following procedure:
1. Enter the Personalization menu following the
instructions listed previously.
2. Select the PERSONALIZATION NAME menu item
by pressing the TUNE/SEL knob once.
You will see a cursor on the screen.
3. Turn the TUNE/SEL knob until you reach the rst
letter you want; the letter will be highlighted. There
is a complete alphabet with both upper and
lower case letters and the numbers zero through
nine. Also included are spaces and other non-letter
characters such as the ampersand (&).
3-75

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-5
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-6
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS) (CTS)................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS) (CTS-V).............4-9
Competitive Driving Mode (CTS-V)..................4-10
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-11
StabiliTrak
®System......................................4-11
Panic Brake Assist........................................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-16Driving at Night............................................4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-19
City Driving..................................................4-22
Freeway Driving...........................................4-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-25
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-26
Winter Driving..............................................4-28
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow..............................................4-32
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-33
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-33
Towing..........................................................4-38
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-38
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-38
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-40
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-9.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
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 is 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 — such as concentrating on a cellular
telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on
the oor — makes proper defensive driving more difficultand 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 is 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.
4-2

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you are 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 are driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than the
tires and road can provide. That means you can
lose control of your vehicle. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) (CTS) on page 4-8orTraction Control
System (TCS) (CTS-V) on page 4-9.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That is perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is 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 three-fourths 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 is pavement
or gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is
wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the condition of your brakes;
the weight of the vehicle; and the amount of brake
force applied.
4-5

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 (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 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.
4-6