2005 CADILLAC XLR warning light

Warning Lights, Gages, and
Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briey when you start the
engine just to let you know they are working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages
and warning lights work together to let you know when
there is a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly — and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They are a big help.
Your vehicle may also have a Driver Information Center
that works along with the warning lights and gages.
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 3-61.
Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument panel cluster and Driver Information
Center (DIC) are designed to let you know at a glance
how the vehicle is running. You will know how fast
you are going, about how much fuel you have left and
many other things you will need to know to drive
safely and economically. The instrument panel cluster
indicator warning lights, gages and DIC messages
are explained on the following pages.
3-46

Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part is not working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
This light should come on when you start the engine.
If it does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If this warning light stays on after you start the engine,
the parking brake may still be set or there could be
a brake problem. Refer toParking Brake on page 2-28
to see if it is set. If the parking brake is not set, have
your brake system inspected right away.If the light comes on while you are driving and you have
a LOW BRAKE FLUID message showing on the DIC,
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. See
Towing Your Vehicle on page 5-35.
{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 States
Canada
3-52

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 light stays on, turn the ignition off. Or, 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
“Service ABS” underDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-64.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey when you turn the ignition on. This is normal.
If the light does not come on then, have it xed so it will
be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
This light should come on
briey as you start the
engine. If the light does not
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 while the StabiliTrak
®
system warms up and the STABILITRAK WARMING
message will be displayed in the Driver Information
Center (DIC).
If it stays on, or comes on and the DIC shows a SERVICE
TRACTION SYS message when you are driving, there is
a problem with your TCS and your vehicle needs service.
When this light is on, the system will not limit wheel spin.
Adjust your driving accordingly. If the driver turns off TCS
by pressing the button on the console, the TCS system
light will come on and the TRACTION SYSTEM-OFF
message will show on the DIC.
If the light stays on or comes on while you are driving, a
chime sounds and a SERVICE STABILITRAK message
appears on the DIC, there is a problem with your
StabiliTrak
®and the vehicle needs service.
3-53

You can acknowledge this message by pressing the
RESET button. When the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message is displayed, the StabiliTrak
®system will not
assist you in controlling the vehicle. You should have the
system serviced as soon as possible. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
When the system is working, you will see the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message displayed in the DIC.
You may also feel of hear the system working. This
is normal.
If you turn off the StabiliTrak
®system, by pressing the
front part of the button on the console for ve seconds,
the traction control system light will come on, a
chime will sound and the TRAC/STABILITRAK OFF
message will be displayed in the DIC. The Traction
Control System will also be turned off. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-64for more
information.
If the StabiliTrak
®system and Traction Control System
are turned off, pressing the console button momentarily
will turn both systems on. The DIC will display the
TRAC/STABILITRAK ON message, the instrument
cluster light will be off and a chime will sound. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-64for more
information.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature.
As the pointer nears 260°F (125°C), your engine coolant
temperature is high. A message may display on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) depending on how high
the temperature is. SeeDIC Warnings and Messages
on page 3-64for more information.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 6-23for more
information.United States
Canada
3-54

NO FOB, OFF OR RUN?:This message is displayed
when you turn off the engine, but the vehicle does
not detect a keyless access transmitter in the vehicle.
The vehicle will remain in accessory mode until the
engine has been turned off or started, or ve minutes
has expired. If you select OFF, the vehicle cannot
be started again without a remote access transmitter in
the vehicle.
OVER SPEED WARNING:This message is displayed
when the vehicle speed exceeds a certain limit as
required by some export countries. A chime will sound
when this message is displayed.
PRESS BRAKE TO START:The brake pedal must be
applied to start the vehicle. Make sure you are
pressing the brake pedal all the way down.
REDUCED ENGINE POWER:This message informs
you that the vehicle is reducing engine power because
the transmission is being placed in gear under
conditions that may cause damage to the vehicle’s
engine, transmission or ability to accelerate.
RIGHT DOOR AJAR:The passenger’s door is open or
ajar when this message appears. The vehicle must
be running and the transmission not in PARK (P) for this
message to display. A chime will sound if the vehicle’s
speed is greater than 3 mph (5 km/h).SERVICE A/C:This message appears when the
electronic sensors that control the air conditioning and
heating systems are no longer working. Have the climate
control system serviced by your GM dealer if you
notice a drop in heating and air conditioning efficiency.
SERVICE ABS:If the SERVICE ABS message is
displayed 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 message stays on,
or comes back on again while you are driving,
your vehicle is in need of service. See your GM dealer.
If the SERVICE ABS message is being displayed, your
Traction Control System and StabiliTrak
®System will
also be disabled. The Driver Information Center will scroll
three messages: SERVICE ABS, SERVICE TRACTION
SYS and SERVICE STABILITRAK, and the anti-lock
brake system and traction control warning lights on the
instrument panel cluster will be illuminated. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-53andTraction
Control System (TCS) Warning Light on page 3-53. The
driver can acknowledge these messages by pressing the
RESET button three times. When the service message is
displayed the computer controlled systems will not assist
the driver and you should have the system repaired by
your GM dealer as soon as possible. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
3-68

STABILITRAK ACTIVE:You may see the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you
are steering. This stability enhancement system
activates when the computer senses that your vehicle is
just starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of
ice or other slippery spot on the road. When the system
is on, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the
brake pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITRAK ACTIVE message is on, you
should continue to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather
or other difficult driving situations by making the
most of whatever road conditions will permit. If the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message comes on, you will
know that something has caused your vehicle to start to
spin, so you should consider slowing down. A single
chime will also sound when this message is displayed.
STABILITRAK READY:If you receive this message
and hear a chime, the system has completed the
functional check of the StabiliTrak
®System.STABILITRAK WARMING:When you rst start your
vehicle and drive away, especially during cold winter
weather, the STABILITRAK WARMING message may
be displayed in the DIC along with a chime and the
traction control warning light. This is normal. You can
acknowledge this message by pressing the RESET
button. The StabiliTrak
®performance is affected until the
STABILITRAK READY message is displayed in the
DIC, which can take up to 15 minutes.
SVC TIRE MONITOR:If this message comes on, a
part on the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) is not working
properly. If you drive your vehicle while any of the
four sensors are missing or inoperable, the warning will
come on in approximately 10 minutes. If all four
sensors are missing, the warning will come on in
approximately 15 to 20 minutes. (All the sensors would
be missing, for example, if you put different wheels
on your vehicle without transferring the sensors.) If the
warning comes on and stays on, there may be a
problem with the TPM. See your GM dealer.
TOO COLD TO MOVE TOP:This message will display
when the retractable hardtop button is pressed and the
hardtop pump motor temperature is below−4°F (−20°C).
Wait for the hardtop pump motor to warm up before using
the retractable hardtop.
3-70

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 3-53.
5-6

Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear
a motor or clicking noise and feel the brake pedal
move a little during a stop, 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. 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 works the rear brakes and reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The TRAC SYSTEM ACTIVE message will display on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) when the traction
control system is limiting wheel spin. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-64. You may feel or hear
the system working, but this is normal.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. SeeAdaptive Cruise
Control on page 3-16.
This warning light will
come on to let you know if
there is a problem with
your traction control
system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-53. 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. You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle is
required. SeeRocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on
page 5-30andIf You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow on page 5-29for more information.
5-8