2008 CADILLAC CTS ESP

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That is why
safety belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Safety
Belts
Q:Will I be trapped in the vehicle after a crash if I
am wearing a safety belt?
A:Youcouldbe — whether you are wearing a safety
belt or not. But your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so youcanunbuckle
and get out, ismuchgreater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you
are upside down.
Q:If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Airbags are supplemental systems only; so they
workwithsafety belts — not instead of them.
Whether or not an airbag is provided, all occupants
still have to buckle up to get the most protection.
That is true not only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other collisions.
1-16

Doors and Locks
Door Locks
{CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers, especially children, can easily
open the doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is locked, the handle
will not open it. You increase the chance
of being thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors are not locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.
Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the inside, use the manual lock levers located
on the door panels near the windows.
Push down on the manual lock lever to lock the door.
To unlock the door, pull up on the lever.
If the windows are down and the doors are locked, do
not reach in to manually unlock the vehicle because you
will set off the alarm.
From the outside, use the key, or press the lock or
unlock button on the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter. SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2-7for more information.
On vehicles with the Remote Keyless Access system,
the door unlocks by pulling the door handle when
you have the transmitter with you. SeeKeyless Access
System Operation on page 2-10for more information.
2-18

Trunk Lock Release
The remote trunk release
button is located on the
lower portion of the
driver’s door.
To use the remote trunk release, the shift lever must
be in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) for a vehicle with
an automatic transmission. The shift lever must be
in NEUTRAL, with the parking brake set for a vehicle
with a manual transmission.
Press the button to open the trunk. You can also
press the button with the trunk symbol on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter to open the trunk.
On vehicles with a Keyless Access System, squeeze
the trunk release button located on the rear of the trunk
lid above the license plate, as long as you have your
transmitter with you. Entry occurs when the buttonis being pressed and the vehicle recognizes the
transmitter. The vehicle must be in PARK (P) and
the valet mode turned off.
If your vehicle is ever without power, the trunk area
can still be manually accessed by using one of
the following procedures.
On vehicles with a rear seat pass-through door:
1. Fold the rear armrest down and open the
pass-through door. See “Rear-Seat Pass Through”
following for more information.
2. Reach upward through the opening to locate the
emergency trunk release handle. See “Emergency
Trunk Release Handle” for more information.
3. Pull forward on the trunk release handle to open
the trunk lid.
On vehicles with a split folding rear seat:
1. Fold down the rear seatback. SeeSplit Folding
Rear Seat on page 1-11for more information.
2. Reach upward through the opening to locate the
trunk release handle.
3. Pull forward on the trunk release handle to open
the trunk lid.
2-22

Close the trunk by pulling on the handle. Do not use the
handle as a tie-down.
Rear-Seat Pass Through
If your vehicle has the rear seat-pass through door,
you can access the trunk without opening the trunk lid.
This is especially useful when transporting long items.
To open the door, pull down the rear seat armrest.
Then pull the lever all the way down to release the door.
To close the door, push it up and back into place.
Then try to open the door without pulling up on the
lever to make sure it is locked into place.
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Do not use the emergency trunk release
handle as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release handle is only
intended to aid a person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk from the inside.
There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located on the back wall of the trunk. This handle
will glow following exposure to light. Pull the release
handle toward the front of the vehicle to open the trunk
from the inside.
2-23

Windows
{CAUTION:
Leaving children, helpless adults, or pets in a
vehicle with the windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the extreme heat
and suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a child, a
helpless adult, or a pet alone in a vehicle,
especially with the windows closed in warm
or hot weather.
2-24

Theft-Deterrent Systems
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
This vehicle has theft-deterrent features, however,
they do not make it impossible to steal.
Theft-Deterrent System
If your vehicle has this
feature, the security light is
located on the instrument
panel cluster.
To activate the theft-deterrent system:
1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the transmitter. The security light
should come on and stay on.
3. Close all doors. The security light should go off
after about 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed
until the security light goes off.If a locked door or trunk is opened without using the
key in the driver’s door key cylinder or the transmitter, a
ten second pre-alarm will occur. The horn will chirp and
the lights will ash. If the key is not placed in the ignition
and turned to START or the door is not unlocked by
pressing the unlock button on the transmitter during the
ten second pre-alarm, the alarm will go off. Your vehicle’s
headlamps will ash and the horn will sound for about
30 seconds, then will turn off to save the battery power.
The theft-deterrent system will not activate if the doors
are locked with the vehicle’s key or the manual door
lock. It activates only if the power door lock switch
is used while the door is open or with the transmitter.
You should also remember that you can start your
vehicle with the correct ignition key if the alarm has
been set off.
To avoid setting off the alarm by accident:
Lock the vehicle with the door key after the doors
are closed.
Always unlock a door with the transmitter. Unlocking
a door any other way will set off the alarm.
If you set off the alarm by accident, turn off the alarm by
pressing the unlock button on the transmitter. The alarm
will not stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.
2-28

Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in neutral position and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal down
to the oor and start the engine. Your vehicle will
not start if the clutch pedal is not all the way down.
That is a safety feature.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. If your vehicle has the keyless
access system, make sure there is a keyless access
transmitter in the vehicle. When the engine starts,
let go of the ignition. The idle speed will go down
as your engine gets warm. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it. Operate the engine and
transmission gently to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
Your vehicle has a Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in starting the engine
and protects components. If the ignition key is turned
to the START position, and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the engine will continue
cranking for a few seconds or until the vehicle starts.
If the engine does not start and the key is held in
START for many seconds, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent cranking motor damage.
To prevent gear damage, this system also prevents
cranking if the engine is already running. Engine
cranking can be stopped by turning the ignition
switch to ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF.Notice:Cranking the engine for long periods of
time, by returning the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has ended, can overheat
and damage the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds between each try,
to let the cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after 5-10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below 0°F or−18°C),
it could be ooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing the accelerator pedal all the way to the oor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START
for up to a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to allow the cranking
motor to cool down. When the engine starts, let go of
the key and accelerator. If the vehicle starts briey
but then stops again, do the same thing. This clears
the extra gasoline from the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently until the oil warms
up and lubricates all moving parts.
Notice:The engine is designed to work with the
electronics in the vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer/retailer. If you do not, the
engine might not perform properly. Any resulting
damage would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
2-36

OnStar Steering Wheel Controls
Your vehicle may have a Talk/Mute button that can
be used to interact with OnStar Hands-Free Calling.
SeeAudio Steering Wheel Controls on page 3-124for
more information.
On some vehicles, you may have to hold the button for
a few seconds and give the command “ONSTAR” to
activate the OnStar Hands-Free Calling.
On some vehicles, the mute button can be used to
dial numbers into voicemail systems, or to dial phone
extensions. See the OnStar Owner’s Guide for
more information.
How OnStar Service Works
Your vehicle’s OnStar system has the capability
of recording and transmitting vehicle information.
This information is automatically sent to an OnStar
Call Center at the time of an OnStar button press,
Emergency button press or if your airbags or AACN
system deploys. The vehicle information usually includes
your GPS location and, in the event of a crash, additional
information regarding the accident that your vehicle has
been involved in (e.g. the direction from which your
vehicle was hit). When you use the Virtual Advisor feature
of OnStar Hands-Free Calling, your vehicle also sends
OnStar your GPS location so that we can provide you
with location-based services.OnStar service cannot work unless your vehicle is in a
place where OnStar has an agreement with a wireless
service provider for service in that area. OnStar service
also cannot work unless you are in a place where the
wireless service provider OnStar has hired for that area
has coverage, network capacity and reception when the
service is needed, and technology that is compatible
with the OnStar service. Not all services are available
everywhere, particularly in remote or enclosed areas,
or at all times.
Location information about your vehicle is only available
if the GPS satellite signals are unobstructed and
available.
Your vehicle must have a working electrical system
(including adequate battery power) for the OnStar
equipment to operate. There are other problems OnStar
cannot control that may prevent OnStar from providing
OnStar service to you at any particular time or place.
Some examples are damage to important parts of your
vehicle in an accident, hills, tall buildings, tunnels,
weather or wireless phone network congestion.
Your Responsibility
Increase the radio volume if you cannot hear the OnStar
advisor. If the light next to the OnStar buttons is red, this
means that your system is not functioning properly and
should be checked by your dealer/retailer. If the light
appears clear (no light is appearing), your OnStar
subscription has expired. You can always press the
OnStar button to conrm that your OnStar equipment
is active.
2-57