2005 CADILLAC XLR engine

Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine will not start in any other position — that is
a safety feature. To restart when you are already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only.
The keyless access transmitter must be in the vehicle
for the ignition to work.
Notice:Do not try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. With your foot on the brake pedal, press the
START button. When the engine begins cranking,
let go of the button. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
If the battery in the keyless access transmitter is
weak, the DIC will display FOB BATTERY LOW.
You can still drive the vehicle. See “Battery
Replacement” underKeyless Access System
Operation on page 2-5for more information.
2. If the engine does not start and no DIC message is
displayed, wait 15 seconds before trying again.Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you do not, your engine
might not perform properly.
Stopping Your Engine
Move the shift lever to PARK (P) and press the ACC
button. If the shifter is not in PARK (P), the vehicle will
go into accessory mode and the DIC will display
SHIFT TO PARK. Once the shifter is moved to
PARK (P), the vehicle will turn off.
If the keyless access transmitter is not detected while
going to off, the DIC will display NO FOB – OFF
OR RUN?.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-64
for more information.
2-23

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine
coolant heater.
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You will get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The electrical cord is located on the driver’s side
of the engine compartment, in front of the engine
coolant surge tank.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you will be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
2-24

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P):This position locks your rear wheels. It is
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle cannot move easily.
{CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle will not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-30.
Be sure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control system.
You have to fully apply your regular brakes before you
can shift from PARK (P) when the vehicle is running.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then move
the shift lever into the gear you wish. SeeShifting Out of
Park (P) on page 2-31.
2-25

REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission,
seeIf You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 5-29.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine does not
connect with the wheels. To restart when you are
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed is dangerous. Unless
your foot is rmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move very rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or objects. Do not
shift into a drive gear while your engine is
running at high speed.Notice:Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
with the engine running at high speed may damage
the transmission. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not running
at high speed when shifting your vehicle.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):This position is for
normal driving.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal
may damage the transmission. If you are stuck, do
not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the
brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
2-26

Driver Shift Control
The driver shift control feature gives you more manual
control over the operation of the transmission.
To use this feature,
move the shift lever
from the AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) position
to the left and into the
driver shift control gate.
A plus symbol will also appear on the shift console
above the AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) indicator and
minus symbol will appear below the indicator.
To request an upshift, briey move the shift lever up
toward the plus symbol. To request a downshift, briey
move the shift lever down toward the minus symbol.The Head-Up Display (HUD) will display the change in
gear range, though the actual upshift or downshift
may be delayed until the engine speed is correct for the
requested gear range.
The currently selected gear will be remembered as
the selected gear range and will be displayed in
the HUD. SeeHead-Up Display (HUD) on page 3-34.
The gear range indicated in the HUD is only a requested
range of available gears. It does not indicate that the
vehicle will operate only in that specic gear. The actual
gear the vehicle will choose depends on a combination
of the driver-requested gear range, vehicle speed
and throttle position.
Notice:If you drive your vehicle at high rpms
without upshifting while using Driver Shift Control
(DSC), you could damage your vehicle. Always
upshift when necessary while using DSC.
If you do not upshift as the engine approaches the
redline engine rpm for the selected gear range,
an engine speed limiter will prevent over-revving by
limiting the engine rpm available.
Not all manual downshift requests will be accepted by
the transmission. To prevent over-revving the engine,
each gear range has a maximum vehicle speed
associated with it. Any downshift request above this
speed will be ignored by the transmission.
2-27

Some automatic downshifts may occur to maintain
minimum engine speed. This will only occur if you leave
the vehicle in too high of a gear range for the speed
the vehicle is traveling. For example, if you have been
driving in fth gear range and come to a stop without
manually downshifting, fth gear range will continue to
display in the HUD. The transmission will automatically
downshift to second gear. As you begin to drive
and accelerate, the transmission will automatically
upshift as quickly as possible to the selected fth
gear range.
In higher gear ranges, an automatic downshift will
occur if you press the accelerator pedal to the oor.
This feature provides you with adequate acceleration
capabilities if you forget to downshift manually.
Automatic upshifts and downshifts will not display in
the HUD.
Driver shift control is available while the cruise control is
engaged. The shift behavior of the transmission will
react differently than when cruise control is not engaged.
This is not a malfunction and is necessary to allow
proper operation of the cruise control.
To return to fully automatic operation, move the shift
lever to the right and back into the AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D).Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is
located to the left of the
regular brake pedal,
near the driver’s door.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and push the parking brake
pedal down with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the parking brake indicator light
on the instrument panel cluster should come on.
If it does not, you need to have your vehicle serviced.
2-28

When you move out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and
the engine is running, the parking brake should
release. If the parking brake has not been fully released
and you try to drive off with the parking brake on, the
parking brake indicator light will come on and stay on.
If the parking brake does not fully release, you can
manually release the pedal. However, be sure to read
the following paragraphs:
{CAUTION:
Always shift to PARK (P) before pulling the
manual release lever. If your hand or arm is
in the way of the pedal you could be hurt.
The pedal springs back quickly. Keep your
hand and arm away when you use the manual
release lever.
Before releasing the manual parking brake, be sure to
put the vehicle in PARK (P) and turn the ignition off.Reach under the driver’s side of the instrument panel
and pull down on the manual release lever, which
is located behind the parking brake pedal. Pull down on
the yellow tab as shown by the arrow in the illustration.
If the parking brake does not release, you should
have your vehicle towed to your dealer for service.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
2-29

Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will
not move, even when you are on fairly level
ground, use the steps that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is rmly set before you leave it. After you
have moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold down
the regular brake pedal. See if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without rst pulling it
toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked into PARK (P).
2-30