2006 CADILLAC SRX ABS

Passenger Compartment Air Filter
The passenger compartment air lter traps most of the
pollen from the air entering your vehicle. Like your
vehicle’s engine air cleaner/lter, it needs to be changed
periodically. For how often to change the passenger
compartment air lter, seeScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4.
The passenger compartment air lter is located
underneath the hood below the windshield wiper arm
on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview on page 5-12for more
information on location.
Use the procedure listed below to replace the passenger
compartment air lter:
1. Open the hood to access the engine compartment.
SeeHood Release on page 5-11for more
information. Locate the passenger compartment
air lter access panel door.2. Push the two tabs on the access panel door
towards the windshield.
3. While pressing forward, lift the access panel out of
the clipped position and pull towards the front of the
vehicle. This releases the clips and allows the
panel door to be removed.
4. Remove the old lter and insert a new one. Make
sure the arrow on the lter is pointing toward the
passenger compartment.
SeeNormal Maintenance Replacement Parts on
page 6-14for the correct part number for the lter.
5. Reverse Steps 1 through 3 to reinstall the cover.
3-33

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 4-50.
{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 3-39.
3-40

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-8
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Magnetic Ride Control...................................4-10
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-10
StabiliTrak
®System......................................4-11
Panic Brake Assist........................................4-11
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-14
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-16
Off-Road Driving...........................................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-30Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-32
City Driving..................................................4-34
Freeway Driving...........................................4-35
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-36
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-37
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-37
Winter Driving..............................................4-39
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow.....................................4-43
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-44
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-44
Towing..........................................................4-50
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-50
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-50
Level Control...............................................4-51
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-52
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
ABS 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 ABS, this warning light
will stay on. See
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light on
page 3-40.Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
4-7

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: ABS 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 ABS.
Using ABS
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 ABS, you can steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-8

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid. If your traction control system
is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-16

Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 4-11andRocking Your
Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-44. Also see “Winter
Tires” underTires on page 5-52.
Your Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on
a slippery road. Even though you have ABS, you will
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such
as around clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve
or an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of
ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not
to brake while you are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags,
rags, oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
4-41

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal asher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your dealer. The arrows on your instrument
panel will ash whenever you signal a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
ash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of the engine and the transmission
overheating.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P).
When parking uphill, turn your wheels away from
the curb. When parking downhill, turn your wheels
into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks behind the trailer
wheels.
3. When the chocks are in place, release the regular
brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-59