2008 CADILLAC CTS light

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Head Restraints
......................................... 1-2
Front Seats
............................................... 1-4
Rear Seats
..............................................1-11
Safety Belts
.............................................1-12
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Airbag System
.........................................1-56
Restraint System Check
............................1-72
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-4
Doors and Locks
......................................2-18
Windows
.................................................2-24
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-28
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-32
Mirrors
....................................................2-50
Object Detection Systems
..........................2-52
OnStar
®System
......................................2-55
Universal Home Remote System
................2-58
Storage Areas
.........................................2-62
Sunroof
..................................................2-63
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-24
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-48
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-82Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-28
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-4
Fuel
......................................................... 5-6
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
All-Wheel Drive
........................................5-50
Rear Axle
...............................................5-51
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-52
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-57
Tires
......................................................5-58
Appearance Care
...................................5-112
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-121
Electrical System
....................................5-122
Capacities and Specications
...................5-129
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-16
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-18
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Cadillac CTS Owner ManualM

Power Lumbar
Your vehicle may have this
feature. The driver’s and
passenger’s seatback
lumbar support can be
adjusted by moving the
control located on the
outboard side of the
seat cushions.
To increase or decrease support, hold the control
forward or rearward. Keep in mind that as your seating
position changes, as it may during long trips, so should
the position of your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as
needed.
Heated and Ventilated Seats
On vehicles with this feature, the buttons are located on
the climate control panel.
z(Heated Seat and Seatback):Press for the heated
seat and seatback.
{(Ventilated Seat):Press for the ventilated seat.
A light bar in the climate control display shows the
setting; high, medium or low.
Press either button to start that feature at the highest
setting. Each press of the button, decreases the setting.
To turn the feature off, press the button until the light
turns off
The heated or ventilated seats shut off when the vehicle
is turned off.
1-6

Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in your vehicle have a
lap-shoulder belt.
Here is how to wear a lap-shoulder belt properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can
sit up straight. To see how, see “Seats” in the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of a passenger
belt out all the way, you may engage the child
restraint locking feature. If this happens, just let
the belt go back all the way and start again.3. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, seeSafety Belt
Extender on page 1-32.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster,
move it to the height that is right for you. Improper
shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce
the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash.
See “Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment” later in
this section.
1-26

CAUTION: (Continued)
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear
seat, even if the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-65
for additional information.
If your child restraint has the LATCH system, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-43
for how to install your child restraint using LATCH. If you
secure a child restraint using a safety belt and it uses a
top tether, seeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH) on page 1-43for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top
tether anchor if a national or local law requires that
the top tether be anchored, or if the instructions
that come with the child restraint say that the top
strap must be anchored.In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.
You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag, the off indicator
on the passenger airbag status indicator should
light and stay lit when you start the vehicle. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-35.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
1-53

6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap
portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. If you are using a forward-facing
child restraint, you may nd it helpful to use your
knee to push down on the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
7. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.If the airbags are off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on
when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that
the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint
into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline
the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if
possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust
the head restraint.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat
massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle and
check with your dealer/retailer.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle’s
safety belt and let it go back all the way.
1-55

{CAUTION:
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the best
protection for adults, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its airbag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide. Always secure children properly in
your vehicle. To read how, seeOlder Children
on page 1-32orInfants and Young Children on
page 1-35.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-34
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
1-58

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat.
The system determines that a small child is present
in a child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag, the off indicator will light and
stay lit to remind you that the airbags are off. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-35.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator
is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child restraint
from the vehicle and reinstall the child restraint followingthe child restraint manufacturer’s directions and refer
toSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position on page 1-52.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to make sure that
the vehicle’s seatback is not pressing the child restraint
into the seat cushion. If this happens, slightly recline
the vehicle’s seatback and adjust the seat cushion if
possible. Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens, adjust
the head restraint. SeeHead Restraints on page 1-2.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat
massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in the child
restraint in a rear seat position in the vehicle, and
check with your dealer/retailer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in
the right front passenger’s seat. When the passenger
sensing system has allowed the airbags to be enabled,
the on indicator will light and stay lit to remind you that
the airbags are active.
1-67

{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the instrument
panel cluster ever comes on and stays on,
it means that something may be wrong with
the airbag system. If this ever happens, have
the vehicle serviced promptly, because an
adult-size person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the protection
of the airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-34for more on this, including
important safety information.A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket or
cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers,
seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates. We recommend
that you not use seat covers or other aftermarket
equipment other than any that GM has approved for
your specic vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-70for more
information about modications that can affect how
the system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat
or between the passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
1-69