2006 CADILLAC STS brakes

Approaching and Following a Vehicle
The vehicle ahead symbol
will only appear on the
HUD when a vehicle ahead
is detected in your path.
If this symbol does not appear, or disappears briey,
Adaptive Cruise Control will not respond to vehicles you
may see ahead.
{CAUTION:
When the Adaptive Cruise Control radar is
blocked by snow, ice, or dirt, it may not detect
a vehicle ahead. Adaptive Cruise Control may
not have time to slow your vehicle enough to
avoid a collision. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control when the radar is blocked by snow,
ice, or dirt. Keep your radar clean. See
“Cleaning the System” later in this section.Adaptive Cruise Control will, automatically, slow your
vehicle down when approaching a slower moving vehicle.
It will then adjust your speed to follow the vehicle in front
at the selected follow distance. Your speed will increase
or decrease to follow the vehicle in front of you but will not
exceed the set speed. It may apply limited braking, if
necessary. When braking is active, your brake lights will
come on. It may feel or sound different than if you were
applying the brakes yourself. This is normal.
Stationary or Very Slow-Moving Objects
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles or
other objects ahead of you. You could crash
into an object ahead of you. Do not use
Adaptive Cruise Control when approaching
stationary or slow-moving vehicles or other
objects.
3-26

{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may not detect and
react to stationary or slow-moving vehicles or
other objects ahead of you. Your vehicle may
accelerate toward objects, such as a stopped
vehicle that suddenly appears after the lead
vehicle changes lanes. Your complete attention
is always required while driving and you should
be ready to take action and apply the brakes.
Low-Speed Deactivation
If your speed falls below 20 mph (32 km/h) while
following a vehicle ahead, Adaptive Cruise Control will
begin to disengage. The driver alert symbol on the HUD
will ash and the warning beep will sound. The driver
must take action since Adaptive Cruise Control will not
slow the vehicle to a stop.
Deactivation When Head-Up Display is
Turned Off
If you turn the HUD off when Adaptive Cruise Control is
engaged, it will begin to disengage. A warning beep will
sound and the message RADAR CRUISE NOT READY
will appear on the Driver Information Center (DIC).SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-79for
additional information. If Adaptive Cruise Control was
braking when the HUD is turned off, the braking will
continue briey.
Passing a Vehicle/Adaptive Cruise
Control Override
If you need to increase speed to pass a vehicle, use
the accelerator pedal. While you are doing this,
the system will not automatically apply the brakes.
A PEDAL APPLIED ACC OVERRIDE message
will appear on the HUD. SeeHead-Up Display (HUD)
on page 3-40for additional information. Once you
pass the vehicle and remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal, Adaptive Cruise Control will return
to normal operation and be able to apply the brakes,
if needed.
{CAUTION:
If you rest your foot on the accelerator pedal,
the system will not automatically apply the
brakes. You could crash into a vehicle ahead
of you. Do not rest your foot on the accelerator
pedal when using Adaptive Cruise Control.
3-27

Curves in the Road
{CAUTION:
Due to Adaptive Cruise Control limitations in
curves, it may respond to a vehicle in another
lane, or may not have time to react to a vehicle
in your lane. You could crash into a vehicle
ahead of you, or lose control of your vehicle.
Give extra attention in curves and be ready to
use the brakes if necessary. Select an
appropriate speed while driving in curves.
Adaptive Cruise Control may operate differently in a
sharp curve. It may reduce your speed if the curve is
too sharp.When following a vehicle and entering a curve, Adaptive
Cruise Control could lose track of the vehicle in your
lane and accelerate your vehicle. When this happens,
the vehicle ahead symbol will not appear on the HUD.
3-28

Adaptive Cruise Control may detect a vehicle that is not
in your lane and apply the brakes.
Adaptive Cruise Control may, occasionally, provide a
driver alert and/or braking that you consider unnecessary.
It could respond to signs, guardrails and other stationary
objects when entering or exiting a curve. This is normal
operation. Your vehicle does not need service.
Highway Exit Ramps
{CAUTION:
Adaptive Cruise Control may lose track of the
vehicle ahead and accelerate up to your set
speed while entering or on highway exit ramps.
You could be startled by this acceleration and
even lose control of the vehicle. Disengage
Adaptive Cruise Control before entering a
highway exit ramp. Do not use Adaptive Cruise
Control while entering or on exit ramps.
Other Vehicle Lane Changes
If another vehicle enters the same lane as you, Adaptive
Cruise Control will not detect the vehicle until it is
completely in the lane. Be ready to take action and apply
the brakes yourself.
3-29

As light shines out from the HUD, it is possible for light
to shine back in. In rare occurrences, when the sun
is at a specic angle and position, the sun’s rays can
shine back into the HUD. When this occurs, the display
device within the HUD will be temporarily illuminated.
The event will end when the vehicle’s angle to the
sun changes.
Clean the inside of the windshield as needed to remove
any dirt or lm that reduces the sharpness or clarity
of the HUD image.
To clean the HUD, spray household glass cleaner on a
soft, clean cloth. Wipe the HUD lens gently, then dry it.
Notice:When cleaning, be careful not to scratch
the HUD or camera lenses. Do not spray glass
cleaner directly on the HUD lens because the
cleaner could leak inside the unit and cause
damage.
If the ignition is on and you cannot see the HUD image,
check to see if:
Something is covering the HUD unit.
The brightness is adjusted properly.
The HUD image is adjusted to the proper height.
Ambient light in the direction your vehicle is facing
is low.
A fuse is blown. SeeFuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 5-105.
Keep in mind that your windshield is part of the HUD
system. SeeWindshield Replacement on page 5-55.
The following Adaptive Cruise Control message
may appear in the HUD:
PEDAL APPLIED ACC OVERRIDE:This message
indicates that you are pressing your foot on the
accelerator pedal and overriding Adaptive Cruise
Control. While you are doing this, the system will not
automatically apply the brakes. Once you remove your
foot from the accelerator pedal, Adaptive Cruise Control
will return to normal operation and be able to apply the
brakes, if needed.
You may also see an Adaptive Cruise Control active
symbol, alert symbol or vehicle ahead symbol. See
Adaptive Cruise Control on page 3-19for more
information.
3-43

How the System Works
URPA comes on automatically when the shift lever is
moved into REVERSE (R) and the vehicle speed is less
than 3 mph (5 km/h). When the system turns on, the
three lights on the display will illuminate for one and a
half seconds to let you know that the system is
working. If your vehicle is moving in REVERSE (R) at a
speed greater than 3 mph (5 km/h), the red light will
ash to remind you that the system does not work at a
speed greater than 3 mph (5 km/h).
If an object is detected at a REVERSE (R) speed of
less than 3 mph (5 km/h), one of the following will occur:
Description English Metric
Amber light 5 ft 1.5 m
Amber/amber lights 40 in 1.0 m
Amber/amber/red lights &
continuous chime20 in 0.5 m
Amber/amber/red lights
ashing & continuous
chime1 ft 0.3 m
A chime will sound the rst time an object is detected
between 20 inches (0.5 m) and 5 feet (1.5 m) away.
URPA cannot detect objects that are above trunk level.
In order for the rear sensors to recognize an object,
it must be within detection range behind the vehicle.
When the System Does Not Seem to
Work Properly
The light may ash red when the vehicle is in
REVERSE (R), if the ultrasonic sensors are not kept
clean. So be sure to keep your rear bumper free of mud,
dirt, snow, ice and slush. Other conditions that may
affect system performance include things like the
vibrations from a jackhammer or the compression of air
brakes on a very large truck. If after cleaning the
rear bumper and then driving forward at least 15 mph
(25 km/h), the display continues to ash red, see
your dealer.
If a trailer was attached to your vehicle, or a bicycle or
an object was hanging out of your trunk during your
last drive cycle, the light may also ash red. The light will
continue to ash whenever in REVERSE (R) until
your vehicle is driven forward at least 15 mph (25 km/h)
without any obstructions behind the vehicle.
For cleaning instructions, seeWashing Your Vehicle on
page 5-98.
3-45

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 antilock portion of the
brake system. If the red BRAKE light is not on, you still
have brakes, but you do not have antilock brakes.
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-64.
If the light stays on, press the ignition button to OFF/ACC.
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. SeeBrake System
Warning Light on page 3-64.The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briey when you turn the ignition on. If the light does
not come on then, have it xed so it will be ready to
warn you if there is a problem.
Low Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light will come on
briey as you start the
engine, for vehicles
equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitor System.
It will then come on only when a at or low tire pressure
condition exists.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor System on page 5-66for
more information.
3-65

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) on page 4-9andStabiliTrak
®System on
page 4-11.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your vehicle’s
performance. SeeAccessories and Modications
on page 5-3.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 3-64.
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.
4-6