2007 CADILLAC XLR V brake light

Voltmeter Gage
When the vehicle is in
accessory mode, the
voltmeter shows
the voltage output of
your battery. When the
engine is running, it
shows the voltage
output of the charging
system.
The reading will change as the rate of charge
changes (with engine speed, for example), but if
the voltmeter reads at 9 volts or below, your
instrument panel cluster and other systems may
shut down. The Driver Information Center (DIC) will
read LOW VOLTAGE when your vehicle is at
10 volts or below. Have it checked right away.
Driving with the voltmeter reading at 10 volts
or below could drain your battery and disable your
vehicle.
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 97to see if it is set. If the parking
brake is not set, have your brake system
inspected right away.
United StatesCanada
192

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. SeeTowing Your
Vehicle on page 359.
{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 (ABS),
this 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 206.
The ABS 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.
193

SERVICE A/C
This message displays when the electronic
sensors that control the air conditioning and
heating systems are no longer working. Have the
climate control system serviced by your dealer
if you notice a drop in heating and air conditioning
efficiency.
SERVICE ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
If this message displays 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 dealer.
If the SERVICE ABS message is being displayed,
the Traction Control System (TCS) 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 beilluminated. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light on page 193andTraction Control System
(TCS) Warning Light on page 194. 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 dealer as
soon as possible. Adjust your driving accordingly.
SERVICE AFS (Adaptive Forward
Lighting System) LAMPS
This message displays when the Adaptive
Forward Lighting System (AFS) is disabled and
needs service. See your dealer. SeeAdaptive
Forward Lighting System on page 167for more
information.
SERVICE ELECT (Electrical) SYSTEM
This message displays if an electrical problem has
occurred within the Powertrain Control Module
(PCM). Have your vehicle serviced by your dealer.
214

SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays if the vehicle is not in
PARK (P) when the engine is being turned off. The
vehicle will be in accessory mode. Once the
shift lever is moved to PARK (P), the vehicle will
turn off.
STABILITRAK ACTIVE
You may see this message on the DIC. 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 this message is on, 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 roadconditions will permit. If this message comes on,
you will know that something has caused your
vehicle to start to spin, so consider slowing down.
A single chime also sounds when this message
is displayed.
STABILITRAK READY
If this message displays and a chime sounds, 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, this
message may display 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
®System
performance is affected until the STABILITRAK
READY message is displayed in the DIC,
which can take up to 15 minutes.
216

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 329and
StabiliTrak
®System on page 331.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 363.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 192.
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 the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
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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. The brakes may not have
time to cool between hard stops. The 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 vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the 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 363.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 193.
327

Magnetic Ride Control
Magnetic Ride Control automatically adjusts the
ride of your vehicle. Automatic ride control is
achieved through a computer used to control and
monitor the suspension system. The controller
receives input from various sensors to determine
the proper system response. If the controller
detects a problem within the system, the DIC will
display a SERVICE RIDE CONTROL message.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 206for
more information. See your dealer for service.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Your limited-slip rear axle can give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most of the time, but
when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow
the wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
StabiliTrak®System
The StabiliTrak®System is a computer controlled
system that helps the driver maintain directional
control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
This is accomplished by selectively applying
any one of the vehicle’s brakes.
When you rst start your vehicle and begin to
drive away (6 mph (10 km/h)), especially during
cold weather, the message STABILITRAK
WARMING may be displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC), the instrument panel
cluster light will be on, and a chime will sound.
This is normal. You can acknowledge this
message by pressing the RESET button. The
StabiliTrak
®System performance is affected until
the message, STABILITRAK READY, is
displayed in the DIC. This can take up to
15 minutes.
The WAIT FOR STABILITRAK message may be
displayed in the DIC after exceeding 19 mph
(30 km/h) for 10 seconds if the steering is
not centered. The system is off until the
STABILITRAK ACTIVE message is displayed.
331

The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield washer
uid reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs
of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car wash, apply your brake
pedal lightly until your brakes work
normally.Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your
brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try
to slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can
build up under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if
your tires do not have much tread or if the
pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a
lot of water is standing on the road. If you can
see reections from trees, telephone poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple the water’s
surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
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