2006 CADILLAC STS ABS

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

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...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Competitive Driving Mode (STS-V)..................4-10
Magnetic Ride Control...................................4-11
Limited-Slip Rear Axle...................................4-11
StabiliTrak
®System......................................4-11
Panic Brake Assist........................................4-12
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System.......................4-12
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-17Competitive Driving.......................................4-18
Driving at Night............................................4-18
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-20
City Driving..................................................4-22
Freeway Driving...........................................4-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-25
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-25
Winter Driving..............................................4-27
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-31
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-32
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-32
Towing..........................................................4-37
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-37
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-38
Towing a Trailer (STS Only)...........................4-40
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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.
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, and you
may even notice that your brake pedal moves a
little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
ABS, this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-65.
4-7

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 wheel.
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.
4-8

Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear
the anti-lock pump or motor operate, and feel the
brake pedal pulsate, 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.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle has a traction control system that limits
wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery road
conditions. On a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, the system
operates if it senses that one or both of the rear wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction. On an
All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) vehicle, the system will operate if
it senses that any of the wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When this happens, the system brakes
the spinning wheel(s) and/or reduces engine power to
limit wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.This warning light will
come on to let you know
if there’s a problem
with your traction control
system.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS) Warning Light on
page 3-66. 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.
Notice:Do not repeatedly brake or accelerate
heavily when the TCS is off. You could damage
your vehicle’s driveline.
When the TCS is switched off on AWD and STS-V
vehicles, you may still feel the system working. This is
normal and necessary with the AWD hardware on
your vehicle.
4-9

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.
Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle for
competitive driving.
Notice:If you use your vehicle for racing or other
competitive driving, the engine may use more
oil than it would with normal use. Low oil levels can
damage the engine. Be sure to check the oil level
often during racing or other competitive driving
and keep the level at or near the upper mark that
shows the proper operating range on the engine oil
dipstick. For information on how to add oil, see
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired — by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Do not drink and drive.
Adjust the inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare
from headlamps behind you.
Since you cannot see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads.
Your vehicle’s headlamps can light up only so much
road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you are tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
4-18

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.
4-29

Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you do not shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
Climbing grades steeper than four percent at
temperatures above 90° F (32° C) with a loaded vehicle
and trailer is not recommended. The cooling system
may temporarily overheat. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-30.
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 is
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but do not shift into
PARK (P). When parking uphill, turn the wheels
away from the curb. When parking downhill, turn
the wheels into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks behind the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then shift into
PARK (P) rmly and apply your parking brake.
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-45